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Angina Pectoris

Sources: Papers On Health

In a variety of cases, more or less severe spasmodic

pains are felt in the chest. Angina Pectoris (literally, agony of the

chest) is one of the worst of these. All these pains, as a rule, may

be removed completely by treatment such as the following:--



Prepare a bed (long enough for the patient to lie at full length upon

his back), with a large thick sheet folded on the lower part of it.

Spread over this s
eet a blanket wrung out of hot water, so as to be

both moist (but not wet) and warm (see Fomentation). See that the

blanket is not so hot as to burn the patient and add to his pain. It

must be tested with the back of the hand, and be just as warm as this

can well bear. On this let the patient lie down, and wrap him up

tightly in it from the feet up to above the haunches. Have two or three

towels folded so as to be about six inches broad, and the length of

that part of the patient's spine above the hot blanket. Wring these out

of cold water. Place one over the spine, so as to lie close along it;

on this, place a dry towel to keep the damp from the bed, and let the

patient lie down on his back, so as to bring the cold towel in close

contact with the spine. When this towel becomes warm, another cold one

must be put in its place. After about half an hour's pack and eight

changes of the cold towel, the pain in the chest should be subdued for

the time. If the cold towel does not heat in five minutes, the

patient's vitality is low, and a hot cloth should be placed along the

spine, and renewed several times, and then another cold one; but as a

rule this will not be required. When taken out of the pack, let the

skin be washed with SOAP (see) and warm water; then a slight sponge

of nearly cold water, and a gentle rubbing with olive or almond oil.

Rub the back first, and gently "shampoo" all the muscles; that is,

knead and move the muscles under the skin so as to make them rub over

one another.



If the pain in the chest be of an inflammatory nature, the cold towels

must be applied over the place where it is felt, instead of on the

spine (see Inflammation.)



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