Massage : a primer for nurses / by Sarah E. Post.

  • Post, Sarah E., 1853-
Date:
1891
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Massage : a primer for nurses / by Sarah E. Post. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    are instruments-rollers and the like-which are sup- posed to take the place of the hand and by means of leverage to economise strength. As a tonic in nerv- ous conditions these do nicely, but when you come to the true surgical massage or anatomical massage for surgical conditions they are at fault. Not one of these instruments accommodates itself to the surf- ace as does the hand. Not one of them even imitates the essential motions of massage. Not one of them can take the place of massage, although any one of them may have a very veil earned place of its own. I know of noway of giving massage without the ex- penditure of the operator's own muscular force. An hour's massage is for the operator as much exertion as an hour's hard work in the gymnasium and the gsneral weariness which is produced is very much the same. We come to the question of dress. The massage operator should not be restricted at the waist, if she would be placed at the best advantage for her work. The corset and skirt bands which bind at the waist, should be avoided. It maybe superfluous to add that the utmostpersonal cleanliness is required ot the operator in massage. The daily bath and frequent changes of linen are imperative. Having prepared ourselves for the practice of mas- sage, we shall in our next lesson proceed directly to the motions of which it consists.