WATER AS A REMEDY. HYDROTHERAPY 



Synonyms: Hydrotherapy, hydriatrics, balneotherapy, Priessnitz's* 

 cure, water-cure. 



General. — Water has been employed as a healing remedy 

 smce ancient times. In spite of this, it is not possible to present 

 to-day a clear, scientific analysis of its method of action. Some of 

 the undoubted successes of hydrotherapy are still based upon pure 

 empiricism (Priessnitz), and cannot at this time be scientifically 

 explained at all, or only incompletely. The difficulty of placing 

 hydrotherapy on a rational foundation is due to the circumstance 

 that the effect of water upon the body is very complicated. Several 

 very different factors apparently cooperate in the water-cure. 

 Not only the water itself, but also its temperature and likewise 

 certain mechanical factors appear to exert a combined action. 

 The continuance of the application and the change from cold to 

 warm water are also of importance. Among the different proper- 

 ties of water, the irritant action of cold water upon the skin is of 

 the greatest consideration in veterinary therapeutics. The internal 

 use of water (mineral water), as ordinarily employed in human 

 medicine, is not practicable in veterinary medicine. As with the 

 other cutaneous irritants, the effect of water upon the body is 

 very extensive, which accounts for the frequent use of hydro- 

 therapy in the most varied disease conditions. 



Actions. — 1. Upon the skin water has in the first place a 

 cleansing effect, and consequently in a certain sense a disinfectant 

 action. In addition, when its influence is long continued, it brings 

 about a swelluig and loosening (maceration) of the epithelial cells, 

 with increased desquamation of the same. Since the capacity of 

 cold water for heat is very great, it takes up heat from the body 



1 Vincent Priessnitz, agriculturist in Grafenberg, Austrian Silesia; lived 

 from 1799 to 1851, and founded in 1826 the first hydropathic establishment. 



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