The Use Of Water In Healing The Body

Later Roman physician Galen and Celsus also advocated specific baths as an integral part of their remedies to bombat illness. History tells us that many countries such as India, Turkey, Russia and Finland as well as the American Indians all used water therapy. It is interesting to note that during the eighteenth century there was a great revival of the use of water as medicine among some Italian, German and Englishclergyman and that the dedicated Scottish physician and surgeon, Dr James Currier, wrote an important book, The Effects of Water, Cold and Warm, as a Remedy in Fever and Other Diseases.

Vincent Preissnitz, a Silesian farmer, laid the foundation of modern water therapy. Vincent was only a teenager when he mangled his fingers, and as he watched with amazement, a neighbour showed him how to use continuous, wet cold compresses to cure and restore the functions of his injured fingers.

Shortly after this episode, Vincent was loading hay into a cart on a hill when the horses bolted and the heavy cart rolled over his body. To all appearances he was crippled for life - at least that was what the doctors told him. But Preiddnitz remembered the lesson of his fingers. He daringly forced his caved-in ribs into a more natural position, and again tried cold compresses to relieve his pain.

The combination of rest, copious drinking, and wet cold wrappings worked beyond his wildest dreams. He fully recovered. In fact, his cure was so spectacular that the word was soon spread of this extra-ordinary farmer who could perform miracles with water.

Preissnitz did not write down his procedures, rather they were written up by those who observed his methods, but it wasn't until Sebastian Kneipp that water therapy became international.

Kneipp was born in 1821 in Bavaria. He was a weak and frail youngster and as he grew he found his repeated illnesses interfered with his activities. Once, when he was convalescing, he read about water treatments. Determined to strengthen himself, and became free of his many repeated this water treatment every day, and in a short time became markedly stronger. He soon developed extra-ordinary stamina, vigour and strength, which he maintained through a long and active life as a priest. Cold water therapy made him the renowned Charles Atlas of his day. He developed and improved some of Preissnitz's techniques. He was a practising herbalist and he combined many herbal therapies with water techniques.

The uses of water

Water's three forms - liquid, steam or ice - can be used in a wide variety of temperatures can also be used combined with different pressure. It can be used internally by drinking it, or by forcing streams of water into orifices, as in enema, douche, bidet, or nose or ear bath. And water can be used externally in the form of full or partial baths; showers, even in minute spots of the body; single or double compresses, or various body compresses or packs; hot water bottles, frozen ice bandages, or wrapped ice; steam in several ways; and various simultaneous or alternative combinations.

Because water can be used in so many ways, it has an astonishing variety of health uses. There are over 500 ways that you can let water heal you body. Some of these ways: as a restorative tonic, for injuries, to relieve pain, for minor burns. Also to reduce fever, to induce perspiration, as a diuretic, as an eliminative, as an antiseptic, as a laxative, as an emetic, to raise body temperature, as a stimulant, as an anesthetic, as a sedative, as a anti spasmodic, to relieve thirst, for buoyancy and for mechanical effects.

Some types of water application involve hot and cold water, tonic friction, sponging, ice massage, packs, showers and steam. An example of one treatment is the alternative hot and cold bath. This creates new circulation pathways throughout your entire body. First, it calms anxiety, then stimulates new bursts of energy, and is used for insomnia, pulmonary congestion and pelvic pain.

More factors that influence healing

White blood cells (WBCs) play a major part in the role of fighting against germs and infections. There are over 300 trillion of these cells ready to fight for us. The number and energy with which they attack an enemy can be stimulated by the simple remedies of hot and cold water applications, exercise, fresh air, sunshine, and proper rest and diet.

Water therapies can produce cures that are not possible with herbs. Cold water stimulates and hot water relaxes. Together, they are like a universal pump that makes our blood flow. Circulation produces cures. Herbs cannot cure us if our blood cannot circulate them. The body uses a principle of medicine called leuco-taxis. This is where the activity and motion of the WBCs increase in response to heat. For every degree of temperature (farenheit), the speed of which your WBCs travel is doubled. When your body temperature is raised using water, the WBCs kill things faster, eat them faster, travel faster.

Water therapy can be used for sore throats, congestion anywhere, any circulation problems, relieve migraines as well as special treatments for cancer and serious diseases plus countless more. As a matter of fact it can be used anywhere you have pain, inflammation and disease, or can even be used as a preventive for disease.

By Kaye Sehm

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