MASSAGE. 065 



by the lymphatics, which pour their contents into the veins; the 

 useless and hurtful constituents of the lymph being finally expelled 

 from the system chiefly by the lungs, kidneys and skin. Any 

 unduly long retention of these deleterious substances in the body 

 will naturally be followed by a corresponding loss of health. In 

 this respect, the products of inflammation need special attention, 

 for the longer they remain in the tissues, the more liable are they 

 to set up degenerative changes and adhesions, both of which are 

 very likely to produce permanent disability in the affected part, 

 as for instance, in the case of sprain. 



The removal of lymph is greatly facilitated by the fact that 

 numerous valves are present in the lymphatic vessels and in all 

 veins subject to local pressure from the muscles or tendons in 

 their vicinity. As these valves open only towards the heart., 

 pressure on these vessels will have the effect of driving the 

 contained lymph or venous blood in th© same direction, which 

 is its natural course; its flow in the opposite direction being pre- 

 vented by closure of the valves. Under ordinary conditions, the 

 flow of the lymph towards the heart is chiefly effected by pressure 

 due to the movements of the muscles and organs of breathing. The 

 good eff'ects of this pressure can be very beneficially supplemented, 

 in health and disease, by properly applied hand-rubbing (massage), 

 which important fact has been recognised by the Chinese, 4,000 

 or 5,000 years ago ; by the natives of India, Fiji and Persia, 

 for many centuries; and by the ancient Greeks and Romans. 

 Ambroise Pare (1517-1590), who was the founder of scientific 

 surgery in France, appears to have been the first among Western 

 surgeons to have recognised the benefits to be obtained from this 

 practice. Since then. Ling of Sweden (1776-1839) and other leaders 

 of progress have put massage on a scientific basis. In England, 

 Sir William H. Bennett (" Lectures on the Use of Massage "), Dr. 

 Kendal Franks ("The Dublin Journal of Medical Sciences," Nov. 

 1891), Dr. Symons Eccles (" The Practice of Massage ") and many 

 other distinguished practitioners have wisely advocated its em- 

 ployment in sprains, bruises, fractures, dislocations, diseases of 

 joints and nerves, and other aff'ections in hmiian beings ; but 

 veterinary surgeons have been comparatively silent on this im- 

 portant tiubject. It is true that they advocate hand-rubbing of 

 the legs, which practice, unfortunately for horses, is generally 

 performed in a wrong manner, namely in a direction oj^posite to 

 that of the course of the lymph (from above downwards). 



Dr. Kendal Franks states that " experience has shown me that 

 in sprains, if taken in hand at once, a cure may be effected in from 

 ten days to a fortnight; slight sprains in a few days; but even in 

 severe sprains, although some weakness may continue for some 



