Читать книгу The Kneipp Cure - Sebastian Kneipp Kneipp - Страница 13

The foot-bath can be taken cold or warm.

1. The cold foot-bath

consists in standing in the cold water as far as the calves of the legs or higher, for 1 to 3 minutes.

In diseases they serve principally for leading the blood down from head and chest; but they are generally taken in connection with other applications, sometimes in cases in which whole or half-baths cannot be endured by the patient for different reasons.

When taken by healthy people, they aim at giving freshness, and strength; they are especially advisable for country-people in summer-time, if after a hard and fatiguing day's work, they are unable to sleep at night. These baths take away weariness, bring on rest and good sleep.

2. The warm foot-bath

can be taken in different ways.

a) A handful of salt and twice as much wood-ashes are mixed with warm water of 25° to 26° R. Then the foot-bath is taken for about 12 to 15 minutes.

Sometimes, but always by special order, I give such a foot-bath with a temperature as high as 30° R.; but then a cold foot-bath of half a minute's duration must always follow.

The foot-baths are very useful in all cases where vigorous and cold remedies cannot well be used on account of weakness, fragility, want of vital warmth, etc.; as little or no reaction takes place, i.e. the cold water cannot produce sufficient warmth for want of blood.

These foot-baths are suitable for weak, nervous people, for those who have poor blood, for very young, and very old people, mostly for women, and are efficacious against all disturbances in the circulation of the blood, against congestions, complaints of head or neck, cramps, etc.

They lead the blood to the feet, and have an appeasing effect. But I do not recommend them to people who suffer from sweating feet.

With our country-people these warm foot-baths are well noted, and their effect acknowledged by the general use of them.

b) A sanative foot-bath is that made from hay-flowers.

Take about 3 to 5 handfuls of hay-flowers, pour boiling water upon them, cover the vessel, and let the whole mixture cool to the warmth of 25° to 26° R., the most comfortable for a foot-bath.

It is of no consequence, whether the hay-flowers remain in the foot-bath, or whether the decoction only is used. Poorer people use the whole to save time and trouble.

These foot-baths operate by dissolving, evacuating, and strengthening; they are of good service for diseased feet, especially sweating feet, open wounds, contusions of every kind (whether arising from a blow, a fall, etc. or bleeding or black and blue with blood), for tumors, gout in the feet, gristle on the toes or putridity between them, for whitlows and hurts, caused by too narrow shoes, etc. In general, it may be said that these footbaths are of excellent service for all feet the juices of which are more morbid, and more inclined to putridity, than safe and sound.

A gentleman suffering to a great extent from gout in his feet, was freed from pain in an hour by one of these foot-baths, together with a foot-bandage dipped in the decoction.

c) The foot-bath with oat-straw is closely connected with the preceding one.

The oat-straw is boiled for half an hour in a kettle, and a foot-bath of 25° to 26° R. is prepared with the decoction, which is to be taken for 20 to 30 minutes.

According to my experience these foot-baths are unsurpassed as regards the dissolving of every possible obduration on the feet. They are useful against gristle, knots etc.; against results of gout, articular disease, podagra, corns, nails grown in and putrid, and against blisters caused by walking. Even sore and suppurating feet, or toes wounded by too sharp foot-sweat, can be treated with these foot-baths.

A gentleman had cut his corn, and the toe became inflamed; a poisonous ulcer seemed to threaten with pyemia. The foot was healed in four days by taking daily 3 foot-baths with oat-straw, and applying bandages, dipped in the decoction, reaching to above the ankles.

A patient was in danger of having all his toes rotted off; they were swollen and of a dark blue color; he, too, got frightened about pyemia; but the foot-bath and foot-bandages cured him in a short time.

In many cases I prescribe these foot-baths to be taken like the warm whole baths, (See respective passage on „The warm full-bath") changing three times, and concluding with the cold bath.

A constant exception to this rule, however, is made with regard to the warm foot-bath of 25° to 26° R. with admixture of ashes and salt, (mentioned under a). The object of this is, to draw the blood more powerfully downwards, and there to distribute it. But, if after this warm foot-bath a person were to apply a cold bath or ablution, to end with, he would thereby drive the blood which had been strongly led down to the feet, back again; and it would by no means flow again so plentifully to the feet as it had done by means of the warm water with ashes and salt. The first desired effect would in this manner be, at least partly, destroyed, and the aim frustrated. Therefore the warm foot-bath with ashes and salt is never followed by a cold one.

d) I wish to mention here a special kind of footbaths which are more of a solid than a fluid nature. If there is a possibility of using them, do not reject them! I have used them often, very often, with great success. Take malt grains, when still warm, and put them into a foot-bath. The feet penetrate easily into them and soon feel comfortable in the salutary warmth. This bath can last for 15 to 30 minutes. Those who are suffering from rheumatism, gout, and such like, will best find out its sanitary power.

There is one remark to be made concerning all the foot-baths. For persons affected with varices, the footbath ought never to reach higher than the beginning of the calf, and never exceed the temperature of 25° R.

Foot-baths with warm water only, without anything being mixed with it, I never take or prescribe.