[p. 239]physicians who seek to astonish
the mob-for to such persons these things appear wonderful, for example,
if they see a man suspended or thrown down, or the like; and they
always extol such practices, and never give themselves any concern
whatever may result from the experiment, whether bad or good. But
the physicians who follow such practices, as far as I have known them,
are all stupid. The device, however, is an old one, and I give great
praise to him who first invented this, and any other mechanical contrivance
which is according to nature. For neither would I despair, but that
if succussion were properly gone about, the spine, in certain cases,
might be thereby rectified. But, indeed, for my own part, I have been
ashamed to treat all such cases in this way, because such modes of
procedure are generally practiced by charlatans.
Part 43
Those cases in which the gibbosity is near the neck, are less likely
to be benefited by these succussions with the head downward, for the
weight of the head, and tops of the shoulders, when allowed to hang
down, is but small; and such cases are more likely to be made straight
by succussion applied with the feet hanging down, since the inclination
downward is greater in this way. When the hump is lower down, it is
more likely in this case that succussion with the head downward should
do good. If one, then, should think of trying succussion, it may be
applied in the following manner:-The ladder is to be padded with leather
lined cushions, laid across, and well secured to one another, to a
somewhat greater extent, both in length and breadth, than the space
which the man's body will occupy; he is then to be laid on the ladder
upon his back, and the feet, at the ankles, are to be fastened, at
no great distance from one another, to the ladder, with some firm
but soft band; and he is further to be secured, in like manner, both
above and below the knee, and also at the nates; and at the groins
and chest loose shawls are to be put round in such a fashion as not
to interfere with the effect of the succussion; and his arms are to
be fastened along his sides to his own body, and not to the ladder.
When you have arranged these matters thus, you must hoist up the ladder,
either to a high tower or to the gable-end of a house; but the place
where you make the
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