On cold bathing, considered in its purgative effect, in fever, dyspepsia, cholera, tetanus, and in the treatment of infants / Extr. from Dr. Hamilton's Observations on ... purgative medicines, 8th ed.

  • Hamilton, James, 1749-1835
Date:
[1826?]
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On cold bathing, considered in its purgative effect, in fever, dyspepsia, cholera, tetanus, and in the treatment of infants / Extr. from Dr. Hamilton's Observations on ... purgative medicines, 8th ed. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ticed, may be considered a leading symptom in idio- pathic dyspepsia. When of some duration, it first impedes, and then inverts the peristaltic motion of the alimentary canal, and thus occasions the stoma- chic symptoms. Of course, the removal of constipa- tion will give immediate relief, and the preservation of an open state of the body ultimately effect a more or less perfect cure. Among other tonics, operating, as it is supposed, upon the general system, and through it upon the weakened muscular fibres of the stomach, the cold- bath is mentioned. Much dependence is placed up- on it, and justly so ; but not, in my opinion, on ac- count of its more than doubtful tonic powers, but on account of the impression made on the surface being communicated to the bowels, by which their languid action is excited, with a propensity to evacuate their retained contents. The repetition of the bath, at proper intervals, confirms and establishes this propensity. The healthy state of the chylopoetic viscera is thus restored: appetite for food and powers of di- gestion are recovered, and assimilation, absorption,