Hydrotherapy

In short, all persons without distinction of age or sex can take to it with advantage.

there is another kind of bath known as the wet sheet pack which is an unfailing remedy for various diseases this bath is taken in the following manner a table or chair is placed in the open air big enough to allow of the patient lying on it at full length on it are spread hanging on either side some four blankets less or more according to the state of the weather over them are spread two white thick sheets well dipped in cold water and a pillow is placed under the blankets at one end then the patient is stripped naked with the exception of a small waist-cloth if he so wishes and made to lie down on the sheets with his hands placed in the armpits then the sheets and blankets are one after another wrapped round his body taking care that the parts hanging under the feet are well tucked in so as to cover them if the patient is exposed to the sun a wet cloth is put over his head and face keeping the nose always open at first the patient will experience some shivering but this will soon give place to an agreeably warm sensation he can lie in this position from five minutes to an hour or more after a time he begins to perspire or at times falls asleep soon after coming out of the sheets he should bathe in cold water this is an excellent remedy for smallpox and fever and skin diseases like the itch the ringworm and pimples and blotches even the worst forms of chicken-pox and small-pox are completely cured by this process people can easily learn to take the wet sheet pack themselves and to apply it to others and can thus see for themselves its wonderful effect as the whole dirt of the body sticks to the sheets in the process of taking this bath they ought not be used again without being well washed in boiling water needless to say the full benefit of these baths cannot be derived unless the rules already mentioned as to diet exercise and the like are strictly observed if a rheumatic patient for instance were to take tucuna's bath or to the wet sheet pack While eating unwholesome food, living in impure air and neglecting his exercise, how can he possibly derive any good out of it? It is only when accompanied by strict observance of all the laws of health that water cure can be of any effect, and when so employed, its effects are sure and immediate.

End of chapter 2 CHAPTER III.

THE USE OF EARTH we will now proceed to describe the curative properties of earth which are in some cases even more remarkable than those of water that earth should have such properties need not cause us any surprise for our own body is compounded of the earthly element indeed we do make use of earth as a purifying agent we wash the ground with earth to remove bad smells we put it over decaying matter to prevent the pollution of the air we wash our hands with it and even employ it to clean the private parts yogis besmear their bodies with it some people use it as a cure for boils and ulcers and dead bodies are buried in the earth so that they may not

vitiate the atmosphere

all this allows that earth has many valuable properties as a purifying and curative agent just as dr kuhne has devoted special attention to the subject of water cure another german doctor has made a special study of earth and its properties he goes so far as to say that it can be used with success in the treatment of even the most complicated diseases he says that once in a case of snake-bite where everybody else had given up the man for dead he restored him to life by causing him to be covered up with earth for some time there is no reason to doubt the veracity of this report it is well known that the great heat is generated in the body by burying it in the earth and although we cannot explain how exactly the effect is produced it is undeniable that earth does possess the property of absorbing the poison indeed every case of snake-bite may not be cured in this way but it should certainly be tried in every case and i can say from my own experience that in cases of scorpion sting and the like the use of mud is particularly beneficial i have myself tried with success the following forms of earth cure constipation dysentery and chronic stomach ache have been cured by the use of a mud poultice over the abdomen for two or three days instant relief has been obtained in cases of headache by applying a mud bandage round the head so rye has also been cured by the same method hurts of all kinds whether accompanied by inflammation or not have been healed likewise in the old days i could not keep well without a regular use of anise fruit salt and the like but since nineteen o four when i learned the value of earth cure i have had not a single occasion to use them a mud poultice over the abdomen and the head gives distinct relief in a state of high fever skin diseases like the itch the ringworm and boils have been cured with the use of mud though no doubt ulcers from which pus issues are not so easily cured burns and scalds are likewise healed by mud which also prevents inflammation piles too are cured by the same treatment when the hands and feet become red and swollen owing to frost mud is an unfailing remedy and pain in the joints is also relieved by it from these and other experiments in mud cure i have come to the conclusion that earth is an invaluable element in the domestic treatment of diseases all kinds of earth are not of course equally beneficial dry earth dug out from a clean spot has been found the most effective it should not be too sticky mud which is midway between sand and clay is the best it should of course be free from cow dung and other rubbish it should be well sifted in a fine sieve and then soaked in cold water to the consistency of well-kneaded dough before use then it should be tied up in a piece of clean unstarched cloth and used in the form of a thick poultice the poultice should be removed before the mud begins to dry up ordinarily it will last from two to three hours mud once used should never be used again but a cloth once used can be used again after being well washed provided it is free from blood and other dirty matter if the poultice has to be applied to the abdomen it should first be covered over with a warm cloth everybody should keep a tinful of earth ready for use so as not to have to hunt for it whenever an occasion arises for its use otherwise much precious time may be wasted in cases as of scorpion sting where delay would be dangerous End of chapter 3

A Guide to Health by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi Translated by A. Rama Iyer Chapter 4 Fever and its Cure we now pass on to consider some particular diseases and the means of curing them and first fever we generally apply the term fever to a condition of heat in the body but english doctors have distinguished many varieties of this disease each with its own system of treatment but following the common practice and the principles elaborated in these chapters we may say that all fevers can be cured in one and the same manner

i have tried this single treatment for all varieties from simple fever up to bubonic plague with invariably satisfactory results

In short, all persons without distinction of age or sex can take to it with advantage.

there is another kind of bath known as the wet sheet pack which is an unfailing remedy for various diseases this bath is taken in the following manner a table or chair is placed in the open air big enough to allow of the patient lying on it at full length on it are spread hanging on either side some four blankets less or more according to the state of the weather over them are spread two white thick sheets well dipped in cold water and a pillow is placed under the blankets at one end then the patient is stripped naked with the exception of a small waist-cloth if he so wishes and made to lie down on the sheets with his hands placed in the armpits then the sheets and blankets are one after another wrapped round his body taking care that the parts hanging under the feet are well tucked in so as to cover them if the patient is exposed to the sun a wet cloth is put over his head and face keeping the nose always open at first the patient will experience some shivering but this will soon give place to an agreeably warm sensation he can lie in this position from five minutes to an hour or more after a time he begins to perspire or at times falls asleep soon after coming out of the sheets he should bathe in cold water this is an excellent remedy for smallpox and fever and skin diseases like the itch the ringworm and pimples and blotches even the worst forms of chicken-pox and small-pox are completely cured by this process people can easily learn to take the wet sheet pack themselves and to apply it to others and can thus see for themselves its wonderful effect as the whole dirt of the body sticks to the sheets in the process of taking this bath they ought not to be used again without being well washed in boiling water needless to say the full benefit of these baths cannot be derived unless the rules already mentioned as to diet exercise and the like are strictly observed if a rheumatic patient for instance were to take to kuhne's bath or to the wet sheet pack While eating unwholesome food, living in impure air and neglecting his exercise, how can he possibly derive any good out of it? It is only when accompanied by strict observance of all the laws of health that water cure can be of any effect, and when so employed, its effects are sure and immediate.

End of chapter 2 CHAPTER III.

THE USE OF EARTH we will now proceed to describe the curative properties of earth which are in some cases even more remarkable than those of water that earth should have such properties need not cause us any surprise for our own body is compounded of the earthly element indeed we do make use of earth as a purifying agent we wash the ground with earth to remove bad smells we put it over decaying matter to prevent the pollution of the air we wash our hands with it and even employ it to clean the private parts yogis besmear their bodies with it some people use it as a cure for boils and ulcers and dead bodies are buried in the earth so that they may not vitiate the atmosphere all this allows that earth has many valuable properties as a purifying and curative agent just as dr kuhne has devoted special attention to the subject of water cure another german doctor has made a special study of earth and its properties he goes so far as to say that it can be used with success in the treatment of even the most complicated diseases he says that once in a case of snake-bite where everybody else had given up the man for dead he restored him to life by causing him to be covered up with earth for some time there is no reason to doubt the veracity of this report it is well known that the great heat is generated in the body by burying it in the earth and although we cannot explain how exactly the effect is produced it is undeniable that earth does possess the property of absorbing the poison indeed every case of snake-bite may not be cured in this way but it should certainly be tried in every case and i can say from my own experience that in cases of scorpion sting and the like the use of mud is particularly beneficial i have myself tried with success the following forms of earth cure constipation dysentery and chronic stomach ache have been cured by the use of a mud poultice over the abdomen for two or three days instant relief has been obtained in cases of headache by applying a mud bandage round the head so rye has also been cured by the same method hurts of all kinds whether accompanied by inflammation or not have been healed likewise in the old days i could not keep well without a regular use of anise fruit salt and the like but since nineteen o four when i learned the value of earth cure i have had not a single occasion to use them a mud poultice over the abdomen and the head gives distinct relief in a state of high fever skin diseases like the itch the ringworm and boils have been cured with the use of mud though no doubt ulcers from which pus issues are not so easily cured burns and scalds are likewise healed by mud which also prevents inflammation piles too are cured by the same treatment when the hands and feet become red and swollen owing to frost mud is an unfailing remedy and pain in the joints is also relieved by it from these and other experiments in mud cure i have come to the conclusion that earth is an invaluable element in the domestic treatment of diseases all kinds of earth are not of course equally beneficial dry earth dug out from a clean spot has been found the most effective it should not be too sticky mud which is midway between sand and clay is the best it should of course be free from cow dung and other rubbish it should be well sifted in a fine sieve and then soaked in cold water to the consistency of well-kneaded dough before use then it should be tied up in a piece of clean unstarched cloth and used in the form of a thick poultice the poultice should be removed before the mud begins to dry up ordinarily it will last from two to three hours mud once used should never be used again but a cloth once used can be used again after being well washed provided it is free from blood and other dirty matter If the poultice has to be applied to the abdomen, it should first be covered over with a warm cloth.

Everybody should keep a tinful of earth ready for use, so as not to have to hunt for it whenever an occasion arises for its use.

Otherwise much precious time may be wasted in cases, as of scorpion sting, where delay would be dangerous.

I've long meant to do it.

I'm going to try hydropathy.

Hydropathy? Yes, I've tried it once before.

I was abroad, you know.

And they persuaded me to try drinking the waters.

Sponsored by Chumba Casino.

prescribes it as an invaluable remedy even for diseases like the cancer a pregnant woman who takes to it regularly will have an easy childbirth in short all persons without distinction of age or sex can take to it with advantage there is another kind of bath known as the wet sheet pack which is an unfailing remedy for various diseases this bath is taken in the following manner a table or chair is placed in the open air big enough to allow of the patient lying on it at full length on it are spread hanging on either side some four blankets less or more according to the state of the weather over them are spread two white thick sheets well dipped in cold water and a pillow is placed under the blankets at one end then the patient is stripped naked with the exception of a small waist-cloth if he so wishes and made to lie down on the sheets with his hands placed in the armpits then the sheets and blankets are one after another wrapped round his body taking care that the parts hanging under the feet are well tucked in so as to cover them if the patient is exposed to the sun a wet cloth is put over his head and face keeping the nose always open at first the patient will experience some shivering but this will soon give place to an agreeably warm sensation he can lie in this position from five minutes to an hour or more after a time he begins to perspire or at times falls asleep soon after coming out of the sheets he should bathe in cold water this is an excellent remedy for smallpox and fever and skin diseases like the itch the ringworm and pimples and blotches even the worst forms of chicken-pox and small-pox are completely cured by this process people can easily learn to take the wet sheet pack themselves and to apply it to others and can thus see for themselves its wonderful effect as the whole dirt of the body sticks to the sheets in the process of taking this bath they ought not to be used again without being well washed in boiling water needless to say the full benefit of these baths cannot be derived unless the rules already mentioned as to diet exercise and the like are strictly observed if a rheumatic patient for instance were to take to kuhne's bath or to the wet-sheet pack while eating unwholesome food living in pure air and neglecting his exercise, how can he possibly derive any good out of it? It is only when accompanied by strict observance of all the laws of health that water cure can be of any effect, and when so employed, its effects are sure and immediate.

End of chapter 2 CHAPTER III.

THE USE OF EARTH we will now proceed to describe the curative properties of earth which are in some cases even more remarkable than those of water that earth should have such properties need not cause us any surprise for our own body is compounded of the earthly element indeed we do make use of earth as a purifying agent we wash the ground with earth to remove bad smells we put it over decaying matter to prevent the pollution of the air we wash our hands with it and even employ it to clean the private parts yogis besmear their bodies with it some people use it as a cure for boils and ulcers and dead bodies are buried in the earth so that they may not vitiate the atmosphere all this allows that earth has many valuable properties as a purifying and curative agent just as dr kuhne has devoted special attention to the subject of water cure another german doctor has made a special study of earth and its properties he goes so far as to say that it can be used with success in the treatment of even the most complicated diseases he says that once in a case of snake-bite where everybody else had given up the man for dead he restored him to life by causing him to be covered up with earth for some time there is no reason to doubt the veracity of this report it is well known that the great heat is generated in the body by burying it in the earth and although we cannot explain how exactly the effect is produced it is undeniable that earth does possess the property of absorbing the poison indeed every case of snake-bite may not be cured in this way but it should certainly be tried in every case and i can say from my own experience that in cases of scorpion sting and the like the use of mud is particularly beneficial i have myself tried with success the following forms of earth cure constipation dysentery and chronic stomach ache have been cured by the use of a mud poultice over the abdomen for two or three days instant relief has been obtained in cases of headache by applying a mud bandage round the head so rye has also been cured by the same method hurts of all kinds whether accompanied by inflammation or not have been healed likewise in the old days i could not keep well without a regular use of anise fruit salt and the like but since nineteen o four when i learned the value of earth cure i have had not a single occasion to use them a mud poultice over the abdomen and the head gives distinct relief in a state of high fever skin diseases like the itch the ringworm and boils have been cured with the use of mud though no doubt ulcers from which pus issues are not so easily cured burns and scalds are likewise healed by mud which also prevents inflammation piles too are cured by the same treatment when the hands and feet become red and swollen owing to frost mud is an unfailing remedy and pain in the joints is also relieved by it from these and other experiments in mud cure i have come to the conclusion that earth is an invaluable element in the domestic treatment of diseases all kinds of earth are not of course equally beneficial dry earth dug out from a clean spot has been found the most effective it should not be too sticky mud which is midway between sand and clay is the best it should of course be free from cow dung and other rubbish it should be well sifted in a fine sieve and then soaked in cold water to the consistency of well kneaded dough before use then it should be tied up in a piece of clean unstarched cloth and used in the form of a thick poultice the poultice should be removed before the mud begins to dry up ordinarily it will last from two to three hours mud once used should never be used again but a cloth once used can be used again after being well washed provided it is free from blood and other dirty matter If the poultice has to be applied to the abdomen, it should first be covered over with a warm cloth.

Everybody should keep a tinful of earth ready for use, so as not to have to hunt for it whenever an occasion arises for its use.

Otherwise much precious time may be wasted in cases, as of scorpion sting, where delay would be dangerous.