592 PLAIN FACTS FOR OLD AND YOUNG 



Much good will result from these simple measures 

 at the time of the period; but a radical cure can only 

 be effected by removing the cause of the difficulty. The 

 patient's general health must be improved, and local 

 congestion must be removed. This will be accom- 

 plished by attention to general hygiene, gentle exer- 

 cise out-of-doors between the periods, abundance of 

 good food, tonic baths and other necessary treatment 

 if there is derangement of the digestive organs, and 

 daily hip baths with a local douche. The hip bath 

 should be taken in water of a temperature of 80° at 

 the beginning, after five minutes lowering it five de- 

 grees. After another five minutes, it may be lowered 

 a few degrees more. By taking at the same time a 

 warm foot bath at 104°, quite a cool bath may be en- 

 dured without chilling. The bath should be continued 

 fifteen to thirty minutes, according to the strength of 

 the patient. A shorter bath than this will do little 

 good, as the sedative effect will not be obtained. 



The hot vaginal douche should be taken just before 

 the sitz bath. The fountain or siphon syringe should 

 be employed, and the water used should range from 

 110° to 115°, as best suits the sensations of the patient. 



By these simple remedies alone we have successfully 

 treated scores of cases of this sort. In some cases, 

 other remedies may be required, and in nearly all, 

 accessory remedies can be employed to advantage ; but 

 the measures described are the main features of the 

 most successful mode of treatment. 



In obstinate cases of this disease, by which is to be 

 understood all cases in which the disease does not read- 

 ily yield to the application of the measures suggested, 

 a skilful surgeon should be consulted, as the profuse 

 flow is probably due to the existence in the uterus of 



