Читать книгу The Care of Children - Sebastian Kneipp Kneipp - Страница 8

Section 3. Applications of Water.

If every career, of whatever rank, has its own difficulties which often make heavy calls on human nature, a very special burden rests on the Mothers of famines.

Thus it is that the Wife whose organism is undoubtedly weaker than that of her husband unfortunately often succumbs far too early.

I therefore impart to the Mothers a good piece of advice viz. "Regard water as your medicine chest."'

Use water sensibly and you will be able to pursue your calling with much more elasticity and strength, you will be spared many infirmities and your life will be much easier. Also your mental qualities will keep their strength binger, for the effect of water reaches even these and makes them stronger and more enduring.

As I write these lines I seem to hear as with one voice the cry of many mothers "I should like to know what I have to do, I want to be a good housemother, to fulfil my duties faithfully, and to be capable of following my calling. "

To all who ask for my advice I would say water is the first of purifying agents. And as cleanliness should be a predominating virtue in the household I say "Mothers wash your whole bodies twice or thrice a week on rising."

This ablution must be done in a minute and the body left to dry of itself. This is not much to require and has good results. Another way of bracing and strengthening oneself is for the Mother to take weekly two or three half-baths lasting only a second or two. She should go into the water up to under the arms, count one, two, three and out of it again.

Such a bath braces the system, strengthens and keeps the blood circulating properly and produces much natural warmth.

Above all it protects the lower part of the body, keeps it active and secures it from many infirmities.

It certainly does not seem much to require of a Mother that she should take three such simple half-baths in a week. They may be taken when she rises in the morning, or at any time more convenient to her, except for the two hours immediately after the midday meal.

To bathe before going to bed is not quite advisable as it sometimes prevents sleep.

Oil the other hand it has a good effect if the hath is taken in the night getting out of bed for it and going back to it immediately after it.

I also recommend from time to time the wearing of a shirt or chemise dipped in warm hay-flower water and then wrapping the body in a blanket. This cleanses the body from decomposed juices. Such a shirt might be used once every fourteen days.

I should like to impose on Mothers the practice of going bare-foot, at least partially, as a sacred duty, because by it the body is braced, the blood drawn from the head, and the heat, which is formed in the body by work, is diminished. Those who go barefoot constantly rarely suffer either headache or toothache.

The Mother who is mostly occupied with manual labor can easily walk barefoot morning and evening during her work.

Now however comes the question: Should the Mother use water also in certain conditions? And to this I answer, it is exactly in those conditions that water is such an excellent remedy viz. in the form of whole washings and half baths.

If the Mother takes three or four half baths in the week, they will keep her in the host and strongest condition – the baths however should never last longer than two or three seconds.

Whole washings I recommend also to be taken two or three times a week.

Other applications, including the shirt, I do not advise in these certain conditions of women, they are in no way necessary.

It may be that a mother will say: "I am quite healthy, there is nothing the matter with me, am I also to try the water-cure?" I answer this with another question: "Is it good to wash the face and hands daily?" Certainly.

Then it is equally good to wash the whole body.

One cleanses the rooms of the house often, even though they be not very dirty, in order to prevent their getting so. The body deserves the same treatment if one would avoid the rise of disease. By the applications of water many evils are conquered which would otherwise break out later.

Many thousands of people complain of nerves. This would not .be the case if they went bare-foot and used water.

My advice, however, is especially valuable to mothers who, if they follow it, will certainly have cause to thank me.