[Footnote 25: In the extreme constipation of certain hysterical women, good may be done by placing one conductor in the rectum and moving the other over the abdomen so as to cause full movement of the muscles. This means must at first be employed cautiously, and the amount of electricity carefully increased. It is doubtful if any movement of the intestinal muscle-fibres is thus caused, but that it is a useful method of stimulation in obstinate cases may be taken as proved.]
[Footnote 27: The management of the morphia or chloral habit becomes much more easy under a milk diet, massage, and absolute rest, and I can with confidence commend their use in these difficult cases. Massage in the morning is liked, and general surface-rubbing without muscle-kneading at night very often proves remarkably soothing, while the rest in bed cuts off many opportunities to indulge in the temptation to secure the desired drugs.]
[Footnote 28: I have found that this may be usefully replaced by one of the numerous peptonized foods described in the pamphlets issued by the manufacturers of the peptonizing powders. The ready-made peptonized preparations vary very much, like some of the beef extracts, but a trial will discover which of them is best fitted for an individual case.]
[Footnote 29: Nerve Prostration and Hysteria.]
[Footnote 30: It is worth mentioning that where ataxic patients have to use canes, a crutch-cane with a base some six or eight inches long and well shod with roughened rubber is far more useful and safer than the ordinary stick.]
End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Fat and Blood, by S. Weir Mitchell