As shown above, the abdominal pack must reach down as far as possible, and if a patient is unable to stand both packs, the moist part of the abdominal pack may be omitted, and only the regular pack over the sexual organs and the woollen part over the abdomen applied.

In case the cross piece is for the purpose of cooling and contracting, it must be frequently renewed.

Women should accompany the ablutions mornings and evenings with injections of lukewarm water at 71 degrees to 82 degrees, and men should make ablutions of the sexual parts 5 to 6 times a day with water at 64 degrees to 71 degrees.

The cross pack has the advantage of gradually putting back into normal position, the female organs, if they are in any way displaced.

These packs will help to cure cases of leukorrhoea and gonorrhoea, locally too, without operations or the application of poisons, especially if applied at an early stage.

LEG PACKS (26)

These are applied in a similar way to the abdominal pack.

A towel or linen is doubled, moistened, and placed upon the woollen cloth, so that the woollen material extends about two inches beyond the upper and lower edges of the towel.  These are laid together under one of the patient’s legs, covering it from the middle of the thigh to the ankle, turned up from both sides and fastened with three safety pins.  The other leg is packed in the same way, each one separately.

[Illustration:  No. 3]

In like manner partial packs of the calves or the feet are applied.  In all of these cases it is more expedient and comfortable to use “knit” packs.  Cotton stockings of suitable length from which the foot has been removed, should take the place of the linen or towel in the packs previously described.  They are moistened and covered with woollen stockings of corresponding length.  The foot parts are to be used only for foot packs in a similar way.  The woollen stocking should be as loose and comfortable as possible.  In case of bent legs (through gout or otherwise) the moistened linen is wrapped around the leg like a bandage, and then a woollen bandage is wound over it.

In cases of severe fever the wrists are also packed, no woollen cover, however, being necessary in this case.

The leg pack has, in the first place, a diverting and consequently a calming effect.  It is, therefore, of the highest value, next to the abdominal, cross, neck and shoulder packs, in all feverish and especially all chronic cases of disease where congestion in the head and breast, with consequent dizziness, headache, insomnia, pains in the lungs and heart, must be removed; moreover, in chronic cases, they assist in the effects of the abdominal pack.

Foot packs, that is, wet stockings, have a very favorable action upon headache, toothache and earache, and are best applied during the night.  If they excite the patient too much, they may easily be taken off during the night; otherwise they should be followed by a cold ablution of the feet in the morning.  Nervous patients are usually unable to stand the wet stockings, which only work well if the feet become warm quickly, which, as a rule, is not the case in feverish illnesses.