Practical Hydrotherapy by GEO. THOMASON, M. D.

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 25, 1902

Practical Hydrotherapy

By GEO. THOMASON, M. D.

Lesson 6—Reaction

GEO. THOMASON, M. D.

It has been apparent in the previous studies that certain and definite phenomena take place in the body following an application either of heat or of cold. The nervous system is the principal agency through which the various results follow such applications. Next in importance may be mentioned the circulatory system. To explain further: when, for example, a cold application is made to the body, if prolonged, it excites within the body the production of heat. This is to compensate for the loss of heat which results by the abstraction of heat through the cold application, and thus to maintain the normal bodily temperature. To accomplish this, nerve impulses pass to different parts of the body, exciting the processes of oxidation, or, so to speak, fanning the vital fires, to burn more rapidly the fuel which has been consumed as food. This form of reaction is an effort on the part of the body to replace the heat which is being lost, and is termed the thermic reaction. It is under the control of the heat-regulating nerve centers. When a hot application is made to the body, or heat is communicated to the body, the oxidation, or food-consuming processes, within the body are diminished, thus lessening the amount of heat produced.

The second important phenomenon is known as the circulatory reaction, and follows an application either of heat or of cold. The results upon the circulation following applications of heat or cold have been suggested in previous articles. The circulatory reaction is the one to which the greatest attention is paid.

A knowledge of the subject of reaction is essential to successful results in applications of hydrotherapy in a curative way. In by far the majority of cases it is essential, and absolutely necessary, to secure reaction. In some instances, however, it is necessary that reaction should be partially or entirely suppressed; as an example for the necessity of suppression of reaction, we might mention headache, due to congestion of the brain. The essential feature for successfully dealing with this condition is to cause a contraction of the blood vessels of the brain, and to prevent their dilating, or enlarging, following the withdrawal of the means used. We must also depend upon the principle that the larger the quantity of blood in one part of the body, the less will be found in another part. The extremities may be used as a reservoir for the blood, and by increasing the quantity of blood in the feet and legs there will be a consequently lessened amount in the brain. This result may be accomplished by applying very cold compresses, renewed every three or four minutes, or an ice bag, to the back or top of the head, or about the neck, and continued from fifteen to thirty minutes. At the same time the feet and legs may be placed in hot water at as high a temperature as can be tolerated, or a hot-blanket pack may be applied to the extremities, and continued as long as the cold application is maintained.

In case of fever it is desirable to favor a circulatory reaction, and to suppress thermic reaction; and for this reason it is essential, when cold is applied for temperature reduction, that friction should be given to maintain a vigorous circulation of blood in the skin. This serves to favor the elimination of heat from the skin, and thus, by preventing the tendency to chill, the thermic reaction is to a large extent suppressed. This principle will be more fully treated in dealing with the subject of fevers.

Barring the few exceptions, it is absolutely necessary that good reaction should be secured. There are certain conditions that favor, and precautions which may be taken to secure, reaction to cold applications. Heat is an antidote for cold, and vice versa; therefore heat may be utilized to precede a cold application, and thereby favor reaction. When the surface of the body is cold, or when there is a tendency to chill, the conditions are unfavorable for reaction; but if a short, hot application be made to the skin, the temperature of the skin is raised, the blood vessels dilate, and the conditions for reaction are thus rendered more favorable. There is practically no reaction from application to the body of water at a neutral temperature. As the temperature of an application is lowered, the tendency to reaction increases; in other words, there must be a difference between the temperature of the skin and the temperature of the water in order to secure reaction; and the greater this difference, the greater will be the tendency for reaction to occur. Thus it is that by raising the temperature of the skin by a hot application, the tendency to reaction is increased as the result of a moderately cold application. It is possible, however, to secure a reaction from cold applications, even if the surface of the body is cold, but the temperature of the cold application must be correspondingly lowered; for example, in order to secure reaction in a frosted ear or foot, the affected part must be rubbed with ice or snow. The intense glow and reddening of the feet after running in the snow, or of the hands after handling snow or ice, are examples of the intense reaction which follows applications at very low temperatures, and may be advantageously utilized by persons suffering from cold hands or feet.

Exercises before and after the bath are of assistance in securing reaction. Care should be taken, however, not to carry it to the point of fatigue, as a tired person reacts poorly to a cold application. A state of either nervous or muscular exhaustion is unfavorable to reaction from cold. In such cases some form of heat should be used before the cold application. Friction, or a vigorous rubbing of the surface of the body, favors reaction, and may be applied during the bath, or by means of a coarse towel or with the warm hand at the conclusion of the bath.

Certain conditions of life are unfavorable to securing reaction; namely, at the extremes of life. Aged persons react poorly to cold applications, owing to the fact that the vital fires are burning less vigorously than during middle age. Another factor which must be borne in mind is that in old age the arteries become more or less rigid, and less able to expand and contract than in earlier life. As a consequence, should a sudden general cold application be made, the great inrush of blood to the interior of the body is apt to result in a rupture of some of the small blood vessels, particularly those of the brain, and the condition known as apoplexy follows.

Infants and very young children do not well tolerate extremes of temperature, and it is therefore necessary that a gradual training process should be followed, by beginning with applications at a moderate temperature, and gradually increasing their intensity by lowering the temperature as the child advances in age and vigor.

Very fat persons react poorly, because of a relatively diminished quantity of blood in the skin. There is usually more or less weakness of the heart in this condition, which also necessitates care in making cold applications. The idea is quite prevalent that cold should be avoided when perspiration is present. This is only true, however, when the perspiratory activity is accompanied with exhaustion.

Very unpleasant symptoms accompany poor or incomplete reaction following a cold application, such as chill, giddiness, dizziness, and headache. Complete and vigorous reaction is indicated by a feeling of comfort, buoyancy, exhilaration, and well-being.