The principles and practice of hydrotherapy : a guide to the application of water in disease for students and practitioners of medicine . th, during the first few days,somewhat fatigued but refreshed. If the fatigue is decided, the pro-cedure should be shortened until the patient evinces more resistingand reactive capacity. Usually he is able to walk out, which is agreat advantage. In good weather a gentle promenade after the treat-ment is a sine qua non, because the respiration is deepened and moreoxygen may thus be made to enter the lungs. The rationale of the drip sheet may be explained upo
The principles and practice of hydrotherapy : a guide to the application of water in disease for students and practitioners of medicine . th, during the first few days,somewhat fatigued but refreshed. If the fatigue is decided, the pro-cedure should be shortened until the patient evinces more resistingand reactive capacity. Usually he is able to walk out, which is agreat advantage. In good weather a gentle promenade after the treat-ment is a sine qua non, because the respiration is deepened and moreoxygen may thus be made to enter the lungs. The rationale of the drip sheet may be explained upon the sameprinciples which govern other similar procedures. As the wet sheet7 98 THE PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF HYDROTHERAPY. envelops the entire surface of the body, the thermic irritation is morepronounced than it is from an ablution. It stimulates the cutaneousvessels and the muscular structures of the skin also to contract for abrief time, and to dilate just as quickly and completely. The fric-tions made by the rapid to-and-fro passage and pressure of the flathand over separate portions of the sheet-covered body greatly enhance. Fig. 25.—Drip Sheet. Friction. the reactive dilatation of the cutaneous vessels. A large quantity ofblood is thus drawn from the interior to the general surface. Physiological investigations having shown that two-thirds of theentire blood quantum may find lodgement in the skin, the enormousderivative effect of a good sheet bath becomes evident. The repetition of the thermic irritation incident to the renewedpouring of cold water upon those parts of the body which have beenwarmed by friction of the attendants hands affords a renewal of allthese results, which in chronic cases produce tonic, and in acute casesantifebrile effects of unmistakable value. Interesting practical observations on the effect of the drip sheet THE PRACTICE OF HYDROTHERAPY. 99 have been published by Dr. Storoscheff, of Moscow.* Examinationduring the process showed more or less
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