Natural Therapy

Natural Therapy: A Manual of Physiotherapeutics and Climatology discusses natural ways of healing and treating certain diseases and disorders. The authors discuss the use of water in bath-treatments as used by John Smedley, Winternitz, or through methods known as "Kaltwasser Kuranstalten," or "Kneipp cure." The book explains the general principles of hydrotherapy or the systematic application of water at different temperatures in varying ways to the body surface. Water can have a therapeutic effect due to its temperature, volume, mechanical means, and chemical forms. The authors also discuss taking baths including general precautions (after physical exertion), techniques (arm, foot bath), use of drip sheet, and douches. Water in Nauheim baths are either naturally or artificial charged, in varying degrees, with carbonic acid gas, and mixed with small amounts of chloride and sulphate of soda. The bath is good for the circulatory system. The authors discuss other natural methods of treatment such as steam bath, massages, hydro-electric baths, and special diet cures. This book can be helpful for care givers, health workers, physical therapists, practioners of alternative or holistic medicine, and general readers who have an interest in natural treatment and healing.

Preface

Foreword

Section I.—The Use of Water in the Treatment of Disease

I. The History of Bathing

II. Hydrotherapy

III. On the Taking of Baths

IV. The Technique of Compresses, Packs, Poultices, Etc.

V. The Nauheim Baths

VI. Peat, Fango, and Other Medicated Baths

Section II.—Heat and Light in the Treatment of Disease

VII. Thermotherapy

VIII. Hot-Air, Steam, and Turkish Baths

IX. Phototherapy

Section III.—Massage, Etc., in the Treatment of Disease

X. Massotherapy

XI. The Rest Cure

Section IV.—Electricity in the Treatment of Disease

XII. Galvanism and Faradism

XIII. Sinusoidal Currents Hydro-Electric Baths Static Electricity

XIV. High-Frequency Currents

Section V.—Diet in the Treatment of Disease

XV. General Principles and Composition of Food

XVI. Diet in Health and in the Individual

XVII. Diet in Disease

XVIII. Special Diet Cures

Section VI.—The Modern "Cure"

XIX. Hydropathic and "Cure" Establishments

Xx. Foreign Mineral Waters

Section VII.—Medical Climatology and the Principles of Climatic Treatment

Bibliography

Index