418 WADING FOOT-BATHS. 



cold water, will beget in them a habit of remaining warm. In a 

 great variety of ailments, such as toothache, rush 01 blood to the 

 head, headache, earache, inflammation of the eyes, gout, rheumatism, 

 hemorrhages, etc., the cold foot-bath is a valuable remedy. It is 

 ordered deep or shallow, and of duration according to the nature of 

 the case. 



WADING FOOT-BATHS. 



I have often directed patients to wade in water in some conven- 

 ient place, as a means of hardening the system and of giving tone to 

 the nerves. Delicate ladies who were not able, as they supposed, to 

 endure cold water applied to the feet, have by degrees, wetting the 

 feet but little at first, become so accustomed to the coldest water 

 that in a few weeks they could bear as much as any one would 

 desire. Caution and perseverance should be the rule. It is partly by 

 sympathy and partly by the abstraction of heat, that foot-baths and 

 wetting the feet act in so beneficial or deleterious a manner as we 

 know them to do. The principle of sympathy is an old one in the 

 medical art, but none the worse for that. 



THE WARM FOOT-BATH. 



This one of the " old woman's " remedies and one of the best of 

 \ts class. Many a " cold " that threatened serious consequences has 

 been broken up by its use. To be effective, however, it should be 

 taken at the very commencement of a cold, or other ailment, and as 

 hot as can be borne, for twenty or thirty minutes, or longer. As the 

 feet become accustomed to the high temperature, hot water should 

 be added every few minutes, and at the termination of the bath the 

 feet should be dipped for a few moments in water at about 60 or 70 

 degrees Fahrenheit. 



THE NOSE-BATH. 



In a variety of nasal ailments, catarrh, colds in the head, inflam- 

 mation and ulceration of the nasal passages, nose-bleed, etc., the 

 nose-bath is a salutary remedy. The water is used either tepid or 

 cold, according to the case. It should be drawn back if possible, so 

 that it is ejected by the mouth. Those who have injured the nasal 

 cavities by much snuff-taking, will find advantage from sniffing 

 water freely into the nostrils. If one is determined to leave on 

 snuff, as every one addicted to it ought to be, if he regards either 

 health or bodily comfort, he will find it useful often to take cold 

 water, instead of the abominable weed. 



THE EYE AND EAR-BATH. 



Various contrivances may be brought to bear in applying water 

 to the eye >nd ear. Light ascending douches and showers are use- 



