TO THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. 81 



asylum at Ivry in September, 1831, that gentleman 

 spoke to me in very strong terms of the benefits re- 

 sulting from the practice, and declared that he had 

 ever found it, when used with ordinary prudence, a 

 safe and valuable remedy; and that, in reality, it 

 failed to do good in some cases more from the pa- 

 tient remaining in it too short a time, than from its 

 want of power to relieve. 



In the Medico-Chirurgical Reviews for January 

 and April, 1833, a very interesting outline is given of an 

 article published in the Revue Medicate, illustrative of 

 the efficacy of the tepid bath and the affusion of cooler 

 water on the head during the last few minutes of im- 

 mersion, in the cure of a variety of nervous and head 

 affections of considerable obstinacy and severity. 

 Dr. Johnson, the editor of the Review, adds his tes- 

 timony to the success of the practice, and the re- 

 sults obtained agree entirely with my own expe- 

 rience ; but, as these papers relate to the treat- 

 ment of disease, it would be out of place to do more 

 here than recommend them to the attention of the 

 professional reader. I may mention, however, that 

 Dr. Recamier frequently orders the bath to be re- 

 peated two, three, or even four times in a day. So 

 little reality is there in its supposed debilitating 

 effect. 



I mention these facts to show, that attention to 

 the health of the skin is really influential in preserv- 

 ing the tone of the nervous system, and in con- 

 tributing to mental and bodily comfort, and not for 

 the purpose of inducing persons in bad health t<j 

 have recourse to the bath of their own accord, 

 which they ought never to do, as they may chance 

 to suffer from using it unseasonably. No rules of 

 universal application can be laid down, and this is 

 not the place for a professional disquisition. 



If the bath cannot be had at all places, soap and 

 water may be obtained everywhere, and leave no 

 apology for neglecting the skin ; or, as already men- 



