Oil Rubbing After Bathing
THIS is one of the most ancient procedures used in connection with hydrotherapy. The oil is applied by simple friction movement made in the direction of the blood current in the veins. The best effects are obtained when the application is made after a warm or tepid bath, as the epidermis then more readily absorbs the oil. Care must be taken to avoid the application of too much oil. Vegetable oils should be employed for the purpose, and care should be taken that the oil is not in the slightest degree rancid, for the poisonous, fatty acids are apparently quite readily absorbed by the skin. A certain amount of oily substance is secreted by the skin, which spreads out on it as a protection. Oil is especially useful in cold weather, because then it is necessary that the heat should be conserved. When a person takes a bath, especially after he has had a shampoo, he loses the oily covering from his skin, and is liable to take cold. That is the reason many people take cold after a bath.—Selected.