p. 12 | Practical Hydrotherapy by GEO. THOMASON, M. D.

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 29, 1902

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 79, No. 17.

Read the full edition

Practical Hydrotherapy

By GEO. THOMASON, M. D.

Lesson XI — Sedative Effects

The Relief of Pain

GEO. THOMASON, M. D.

(Continued from last week)

PAIN, although a very unpleasant symptom, nevertheless fills an important, and even a useful, place in connection with disease. It is one of the most constant symptoms accompanying diseases, both acute and chronic. There are comparatively few disease conditions in which it is absent.

Pain is one of nature's methods of calling attention to the fact that some of her laws have been or are being violated. It is a danger signal, giving notice that there must be a change, and that a different course of action must be pursued. Again, nature frequently uses this symptom as a protection. If a child places his hand against a hot stove, the pain immediately experienced compels the quick withdrawal of the hand in order to minimize the extent of the injury, and to protect the tissues from destruction. The severe pain of colic, following the ingestion of a liberal quantity of green apples, is nature's voice warning the child against a repetition of the indulgence. The painful corn is an appeal for a better-fitting shoe. The distressing toothache is simply a call to visit the dentist, and usually comes in season for the decaying tooth to be filled, and thus saved to continue its useful function. These and many more examples which might be given will help to impress the real value of pain; and while we say it is nature's method of addressing the body, we mean it is the voice of God, speaking in certain tones, calling for reforms in the life.

In the treatment of pain, the attention should be directed more particularly to the underlying cause of the pain than to the pain itself, although when once its voice is heard, and has directed attention to the seat of the disease, and has thus fulfilled its mission, it is at least conducive to the patient's feelings to apply means for relief.

Intuition frequently suggests a means of relieving pain. For an aching tooth, one involuntarily places the hand upon the cheek, experience teaching that the warmth of the hand mitigates the pain. It is a matter of common observation that when pain is present in the abdomen, the most comfortable position is lying down with the thighs drawn up upon the abdomen, their warmth relieving the pain. A monkey with colic likes to get in as close contact as possible with a warm steam pipe. A dog with the same symptoms will lie with his head close to the painful part. These observations suggest that heat is an excellent remedy for pain, which is a fact, in the majority of cases.

Pain is sometimes more successfully relieved by a combination of heat and cold; for example, pain due to a congested brain is best relieved by a hot foot bath or fomentations to the abdomen, while at the same time cold compresses are applied to the head or neck. The heat acts beneficially by withdrawing the blood into the extremities or the abdomen, while at the same time the cold further decongests the brain by contracting the blood vessels.

The pain of pleurisy or pneumonia is best relieved by very hot fomentations applied for fifteen minutes every two or three hours, more frequently if necessary, with a heating compress applied to the affected parts during the interval. The compress consists of a towel or several thicknesses of cheese cloth about eight inches in width, wrung rather dry from cold water, applied over the painful part, and covered with at least three thicknesses of flannel. Pain in the abdomen, as colic or other inflammation, may be treated as already suggested, by fomentations, followed by a heating compress.

Intestinal pain may frequently be relieved by a very hot enema, using water at as high a temperature as can be comfortably borne. The hot enema is also of great service in relieving pelvic pains of various sorts. Pelvic pain is also frequently successfully relieved by a hot sitz or sitting bath, which may be taken in a sitz-bath tub, or in an ordinary bath tub containing water at as high a temperature

as can well be tolerated, and of sufficient depth to cover the hips. It is possible to give this treatment in an ordinary wash tub, providing pains be taken to make the patient comfortable. Eight to ten minutes is sufficient time to continue the bath.

In giving the sitz bath, the feet should be placed in another vessel containing hot water; and when a high temperature is used for the bath, the head must be kept cool by frequently renewed cold applications. On rising from the sitz bath, several quarts of cold water should be dashed over the hips, or the parts rubbed vigorously with the hand dipped frequently in cold water.

Painful joints accompanying rheumatism may be relieved by fomentations to the affected parts, followed by the heating compress. It is well in applying the compress to the joints in this condition to add an impervious covering of some sort, such as oiled muslin, oilcloth, or even greased paper, next to the moist portion of the compress; also several layers of cotton before the flannel is applied. A compress to the joints, applied in this way, may be worn night and day when pain is severe, removing every four to six hours for the purpose of again applying the fomentations and renewing the moist compress.

For pain of sprains and bruises, very hot fomentations should be applied, followed by the heating compress as already described, renewing several times daily.

In treating painful affections of the eyes, both hot and cold applications are of value, according to the nature of the case. In making applications to the eyes, it should be borne in mind that the compresses should not be heavy. If the pain is due to inflammation of the eyelids, small cold compresses consisting of from six to eight thicknesses of cheese cloth about four inches square should be placed over the eyes, and kept cool by renewing every half minute; or they may remain longer in place if kept cool through hastening of evaporation by fanning or other means. If the pain is due to congestion of the eyeball, small hot compresses should be employed, preferably of cheese cloth of the size mentioned. They will need to be renewed every one to two minutes. The application must not be continued more than five to eight minutes, and may be interrupted two or three times by applying the compress wrung from cold water, for fifteen or twenty seconds, ending the treatment with the cold application.

The severe pain accompanying burns is most successfully relieved by cheese-cloth compresses kept moistened with cold water, and if necessary, hastening evaporation by fanning.