USES OF MASSAGE. 1 37 



Massage promotes active absorption, diminishes swelling of tissues. 

 and therefore pressure on the sensory nerves they contain, a fact 

 partly explaining the decrease of pain. Massage also directly stimu- 

 lates nerves, at first increasing, but afterwards diminishing their 

 irritability. Newly formed adventitous tissue and vessels may be 

 broken down by powerful pressure and rubbing. The extravasate 

 thus produced, together with the cells of the broken down tissue, 

 may be rapidly absorbed. 



Infiltrations may be dispersed by repeated and long continued 

 massage, and callus formations, so long as they are not of bony 

 hardness, may be markedly diminished. 



Muscles are stimulated to contraction, which, as is well recognised, 

 constitutes an important factor in favouring absorption. Not only 

 healthy but relaxed and semi-paralysed muscles again respond to 

 stimulation, as shown by the electric current, a fact explained by 

 the increase in supply of nourishment to the part. Muscular- 

 exhaustion following exertion is soon removed by kneading, both 

 because metabolic products which accumulate in muscles during 

 work are more rapidly absorbed, and because at the same time 

 nutritive material is brought to the parts. The capacity of the 

 muscle for exertion may even become greater than it was before the 

 period of exhaustion set in. 



Massage is of special service in diseased conditions dependent 

 on hyperemia, extravasation, exudation, thickening of tissue, 

 adhesions, in short, on the results of aseptic inflammation, the 

 products of which therefore not being of bacterial origin may be 

 absorbed into the blood without producing bad results. Massage 

 may be resorted to in animals affected with aseptic inflammatory 

 swelling resulting from pressure, thickening of the skin and sub- 

 cutaneous tissue of the extremities, bruising of the margins of joints, 

 the early stages of exostoses, periostitis, inflammation of tendons 

 and tendon sheaths, adhesions, distension of synovial and mucous 

 bursa?, induration of the udder, impaction of the bowels, tympanites, 

 etc. In the treatment of most of these diseases friction, which we 

 must now regard as a kind of massage, has been utilised since ancient 

 times. It is true that the stroking or rubbing is as often as not in 

 the opposite direction to that of the circulation, and absorption, if 

 occurring, must take place by collateral paths, inasmuch as the 

 diseased spot lies between the material which is thus pressed towards 

 the periphery and the centre of circulation. Furthermore, rubbing 

 differs from stroking, inasmuch as considerable pressure is employed, 

 and new tissue and recently formed vessels may quite possibly be 



