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This is an effective treatment for one suffering from gastrointestinal indigestion, gall bladder tenderness, constipation or colitis. This treatment, applied every night and preceded by the fomentations described above, if persisted in, will cure obstinate constipation. No drug for laxative purposes should be taken, even if the patient goes for three or I’ ‘in days without a bowel movement. Nature will take care “I this. Patients who have depended on drugs entirely for 15 to 20 years have been cured with this treatment and have remained cured. It is the effect of increased circulation of the blood to the digestive organs that accomplishes this result. Materials Needed:
Strip of linen (or two layers of cheesecloth) 8 to 10 inches wide and long enough to pass around the body twice.
Piece of flannel 12 to 14 inches wide and about the same length as the linen (or gauze).
Piece of rubberized cloth or plastic large enough to cover entire area around body.
Procedure: (to be carried out at bedtime)
Wring the compress out of water at about 65° F. Wring very dry and apply quickly to the waist. Bandage should extend down past the pubic bones.
Cover this with the length of the flannel. Draw the edges of both layers snugly and pin with safety pins. (Persons with broad hips and narrow waists may wish to pass a narrow strip between the thighs and pin to the girdle to prevent slipping up.)
The best procedure is to apply the girdle at bedtime and leave it on until morning. If, after wearing it for several nights it should cause irritation, leave it off for a few nights. If it causes chilliness and does not warm up readily, cover it with another thickness of flannel, or wring it out more thoroughly. A good substitute for flannel is an old jumper or cardigan knitted from wool.
Warmth can be conveyed to a swollen, inflamed joint in the same way. Again, using cold water, wring out the four thicknesses of cheesecloth and bind them around the inflamed joint. Cover with plastic or Glad Wrap and two layers of woolen cloth or some other warm material. A relaxation of the tissues results from the warming action caused by increased circulation. Toxins are carried away in the blood stream, and healing results.
In the case of pains thought to be caused by the liver, a different kind of compress is applied. Here, fresh cow’s milk is used instead of water. The lactic acid in the milk is thought to be of value in changing the chemical balance in the patient’s favour. The hot compress is not used in conjunction with this. Dip the compress cloth in the fresh milk, wring out and place in position on the abdomen. Place a plastic cloth over it and add extra coverings of warm cloth, as before. In a case like this, more than one thing can aid and should be used in the treatment. Warm herb teas (sage, peppermint, etc.) can be drunk and vitamin C given to counteract the inflammation. These, along with the natural aid given to the body through the skilful use of the milk compress, will bring about a soothing of the tissues that will greatly assist in the restoration of the sick organ.
To draw away congestion from the stomach area and increase circulation to the feet, take a thin pair of cotton socks out of cold water and wring them out till they are very dry. Slip them on the feet, and over these pull on another pair of thick wool socks. Within a few minutes, the feet should warm up. If not, then put the feet in hot water and get them warm before reapplying the wet socks. Long socks as well as short ones may be used in this treatment. Long ones would tend to draw away congestion on a larger scale. This treatment is useful for increasing the circulation to the feet for anyone who suffers from chronic cold feet, even when there is no problem with the stomach.
To check vomiting, place a cold compress wrung out of ice water over the stomach, and one across the throat. If vomiting is severe, cover the stomach compress with a flannel bandage drawn very tightly. It is possible that in some cases you may find that applications of heat will give more relaxation. In this case, just use towels wrung out of hot water. Place them over the stomach and cover with a blanket.
In my own family during an epidemic of stomach flu, one of us found that heat relieved the pain and the other found cold to be more relieving. So, here again, you will need to study the particular patient’s reaction. Whichever way it is preferred, water is the active agent to be used in this case.
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