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female Masseuse, the plurals being Masseurs and Masseuses. The verb which expresses the performance of the procedure is Masser. It is, therefore, proper to speak of a patient as being Masséed or of Masséeing a patient. I certainly would not advise you to speak either of Massageing or Massacreing a patient. The latter is certainly expressive in describing the violent performances of some of the untrained exponents of the art."

CHAPTER V.

THE PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION OF MASSAGE.

RESPECTING the physiological action of Massage, it is necessary to speak with caution. Here, as is so often the case, practice has preceded theory. The art of Massage has been acquired, but we know little of its mode of action. We find that we cure our patients, but hardly know exactly how these results are obtained. It is easy to theorize, but we want carefully observed facts and accurately recorded experiments. Fortunately we have something to guide us, and we turn with pleasure to the painstaking observations of Gopadze, Zabludovski, and Von Mosengeil. Dr. Gopadze's experiments were made on four medical students who were kept in the hospital, and subjected to systematic Massage for twenty minutes or more daily. The operation commenced with effleurage, beginning at the extremities and working upwards. This was followed by pétrissage, friction, and tapotement, ending up

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with a second effleurage. In each case the appetite was decidedly improved, the patient—or victim— taking more food than usual, not only during the week that the operations were performed, but during the subsequent week as well. The amount of nitrogenous transformation during the continuance of the Massage was augmented in all four cases, and the quantity of nitrogen assimilated was increased independently of the food taken. In the Massage week two of the subjects gained slightly in weight, whilst the other two lost, but in the week following that in which Massage was resorted to, all four gained notably. It was found that the temperature in the axilla fell for above half an hour after each rubbing, but never more than half a degree. It then rose steadily, and an hour later resumed the normal or perhaps remained the fraction of a degree lower than at the commencement of the séance.

The respirations were always increased in frequency, and were deeper and fuller. The effect on the pulse varied with the kind of Massage employed. With surface effleurage carried on lightly, the pulse became more frequent, but under the in

fluence of pétrissage it was rendered slower. In both cases, however, it was fuller, and the effect persisted for an hour or even longer.

Zabludovski's observations were made on himself, his housekeeper and his maid-servant, and lasted for eighteen days. He noticed that there was a general improvement in bodily vigour, and that mental activity was greatly increased. The appetite, too, improved, and they all slept well at night. The Massage of the abdomen proved most efficacious in promoting the action of the bowels.

thesis at St.

The experi

Dr. Ivan Stabrovski's paper on the "Influence of Massage on the Exhalation from the Lungs and Skin," published in the form of a Petersburg, is a sound bit of work. ments were carried on in the wards of Professor Manasseïn, the distinguished editor of the Vrasch. Of the fourteen patients on whom observations were made, nine were in good health, whilst the remaining five were convalescent from various acute illnesses. Each series of experiments continued over a period of ten consecutive days, each séance

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lasting an hour. Curiously enough, the results seem to have been somewhat discordant if not absolutely contradictory. In five cases there was an increase in the pulmono-cutaneous exhalation and a diminution in the quantity of urine. This increase occurred shortly after the Massage, so that when this was practised in the morning the perspiration was increased during the day, but became normal during the night. Similarly the quantity of urine fell during the day and rose again at night. In the remaining six cases both the urine and the exhalation from the skin and lungs were increased during the period of Massage.

Dr. Eccles, in a paper presented to the Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society of London, has shown that effleurage stimulates the skin muscles, produces dilation of the superficial vessels and insensible perspiration, excites the skin reflexes, and acting through the cutaneous nerves, increases the rapidity of the circulation and heart's beat. Pétrissage forces the lymph out of the muscles, increases the velocity of the blood current through the part, temporarily decreases the size of a limb and in