Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1884 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XVI. MASSAGE OF THE HEAD, FACE, EYES, EARS, AND THROAT. ITS EFFECTS UPON MUSCULAR ASTHENOPIA, HYPEREMIA OF THE RETINA, BLEPHAROSPASM, AND GLAUCOMA -- UPON CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY PROCESSES OF THE ANTERIOR SEGMENT OF THE EYE AS EMPLOYED BY EUROPEAN OCULISTS, ETC. Othello.--" I have a pain upon my forehead, here." Desdemona.--"Let me but bind it hard, within this hour it will be well." Iago.--"My lord has fallen into an epilepsy; this is his second fit; he had one yesterday." Cassio.--"Rub him about the temples." Iago.--" No, forbear." To most people massage of the head is highly delightful, more agreeable indeed than on any other part of the body to which it is applicable, and in various disturbances as beneficial as it is pleasant. To account in great part for this increased comfortable sensation, we need only remember the acutely sensitive condition of the terminal filaments of the fifth pair of nerves, and that they will show signs of sensibility under circumstances to which spinal nerves would elicit no response. But massage of the head is seldom attempted, for manipulators are so accustomed to grasping muscular masses that, when they cannot do this, as on the skull, they are apt to think that nothing can be accomplished. Even Estradere is of the opinion that massage of the head is of little use, for no other reason evidently than that he is at a loss to know how it can be done. When manipulation of the head is attempted, it is usually, I might say almost always, in a way that would be better described by the word shampooing than by any other. Save with moisture for the purpose of cleanliness such a procedure had better be omitted, indeed, most people would object to such dry rubbing on account of its "setting their nerves on...
