Hydrotherapy
The Herb Bath
Hydrotherapy-the use of water for treatment of illnessis particularly
popular in Europe, where health spas have elabourate facilities for all types
of "water cures." Often these include the use of mineral water or
of mineral and herbal bath additives to enhance the natural healing power
of the water or to produce particular effects on the body. But you don't have
to go to a European health resort to take healing baths: with a few simple
supplies, you can enjoy their benefits right at home.
Full or partial herb baths come in all shapes and sizes, from the bathtub
to the eye cup. Basically, they are baths to which plant decoctions or infusions
have been added. Depending on the plants used and the temperature, such baths
can calm or stimulate the mind and body; open or close pores; relieve- inflammation,
itching, or pain; and exert various other beneficial effects.
To make a decoction for adding to a full bath, anywhere from a few ounces
to several pounds of plant parts may be tied or sewn into a linen or other
cloth bag and then boiled in a quart or more of water. For partial baths,
the only difference is that smaller quantities (usually about a third as much
as for a full bath) are used. When taking the bath, you can also put the bag
into the water to extract more of the properties, and you can use it as an
herbal "washcloth" to give yourself a brisk rubdown.
The Full Bath
Warm baths (90 to 95°F) are calming and soothing to the nerves. They can
also be helpful for bladder and urinary problems, mild colds, and low fevers.
Both hot (100 to 113°F) and cold (55 to 65°F) shock the system, causing
increased heart action (with the cold bath the heart slows down after the
initial shock). The hot bath followed by being bundled in bets will cause
profuse sweating and can thus be help for colds and fevers as well as for
eliminating body wastes retained because of improper kidney function.
With addition of the proper herbs, of course, you can create a bath for practically
any purpose you want: to soften, moisturize, or scent the skin, to remove
excess oil, to relieve itching, to stimulate or relax, to tighten or tone
the skin, to ease muscular aches, and many more. Choose your plant additives
by the properties described in Part 2 and experiment.
The Half Bath
The half bath is halfway between the full bath and, the sitzbath: you sit
in water up to the navel with the legs and feet under water but the upper
body out of the water. A cold half bath of 5 to 15 seconds (once a day) can
be helpful for headache, insomnia, nervous problems, overactive thyroid, flatulence,
and constipation. The warm half bath (about 95°F for 10 minutes) can be
used for low blood pressure and for menopausal problems. The warm half bath
often includes a vigorous brushing of the skin and may be ended with a brief
spray of cold water on the back.
The Sitzbath
The sitzbath, which is not too distantly related to the sitzmark so well known
in skiing, involves sitting in a relatively small amount of water. There are,
especially in Europe, bathtubs made especially for sitzbaths, but' any tub
large enough to sit in will do. To take a sitzbath, put enough warm or hot
herbal bath water in the tub so that it reaches your navel when you sit in
it. Prop your feet up on a hassock set beside the tub and then wrap yourself
with large towels or blankets so that you are completely covered from the
neck down.
If you are using a bathtub, put in about 4 inches of water, keep your knees
up, and splash the water onto your abdomen. Stay in the tub for 10 to 20 minutes,
then rinse with a short cold bath or shower. (Hardy souls take cold sitzbaths
too, but these last no more than a few minutes at a time.) Sitzbaths are beneficial
for the genito-urinary tract, the lower abdominal area, and the rectum. They
can be helpful for inflammations, pelvic congestion, cramps, hemorrhoids,
menstrual problems, and kidney and intestinal pains.
The Footbath
A footbath is a simple matter of putting the feet and calves into a deep pot
or tub filled with the herbal bath water. For chronically cold feet, a hot
footbath of about 15 minutes makes a good treatment; it has also been recommended
for bladder, kidney, throat, and ear inflammations. Cold footbaths (lasting
until the cold becomes uncomfortable or the feet feel warm) have been touted
for tired feet, constipation, insomnia, headache, nosebleed, and colds. (One
man made the papers not long ago by claiming that he cured his colds by immersing
his big toe in ice water for one minute.)
Alternating between hot and cold (1 to 2 minutes in the hot herbal bath, a
half minute in cold water, alternating for 15 minutes and ending with the
cold) is said to promote circulation in the legs, help prevent varicose veins,
and even be good for weak menstrual flow. It is also said to be helpful for
insomnia, headache, high blood pressure, and chronically cold feet.
The Eye Bath
Two basic methods of treating eye problems (sore eyes, inflammations,
etc.) with herb decoctions or infusions are available. One is to use an eye
cup - a small cup shaped to fit over the eye. The other method - suitable
especially for treating both eyes at the same time - is to use a bowl or basin
holding enough of the preparation to immerse the face in. With either method,
the bath consists of three or four applications, during each of which you
open and close your eyes several times while in contact with the liquid.
The Vapor Bath
Vapor baths are particularly suited to providing medication by inhalation,
but they can also be helpful in external applications. For an inhalant vapor
bath, you need a chair, a pot containing a steaming herb infusion or decoction,
something to set the pot on, and enough blankets to enclose you and the whole
works completely. Arrange the chair and the pot so that you can hold your
head over the pot to inhale the vapors. Have someone drape blankets all around
so that you and the pot are entirely enclosed. With your head over the pot,
breathe the vapor for 15 to 30 minutes. This is sometimes followed by a cold
sitz- or half bath lasting only a few seconds and then by 1 or 2 hours in
bed, warmly wrapped in blankets like a mummy. This vapor bath treatment is
good for colds, sinus and respiratory problems, and middle ear inflammations.
The sauna provides the ideal external vapor bath, but those of us who don't
happen to have one handy can improvise with a cane chair (or a chair that
has holes in the seat), two pots with steaming herb infusion or decoction,
a wooden grate, and enough blankets to enclose everything, including a person
from the neck or waist down. Place one pot under the chair, the other in front
of the chair so that you can comfortably rest your feet on the wooden grate
when it is placed on top of the pot. Sit on the chair, put your feet on the
grate, and have someone enclose you and the pots completely. You need to be
enclosed only from the waist down, but it may be easier to make a good seal
at the neck.
This vapor bath lasts about 20 or 30 minutes, perhaps followed by a cold half
bath of a few seconds. The final part of the treatment is bed, as with the
inhalant vapor bath. The external vapor bath is good for kidney and intestinal
pains, and for prostate problems. If you have cystitis or prostatitis, omit
the cold half bath.
Other Baths
The baths described are not the only ones possible, of course. You can easily
adapt these techniques to treat any part of the body locally by immersion
or vapor. Also, you can get the benefit of different temperatures by changing
the temperature during the bath: add hot water to increase, cold water to
decrease. In either case, though, the total amount of water in the bath should
stay the same, so that as much must be removed as is added.
Some Useful Bath Formulas
(Unless specified otherwise, amounts are for a full bath; for partial
baths use a third as much.)
1. To make a good eyewash;
dissolve ½ tsp. aloes and 1 tsp. boric acid in 1 cup water. OR steep
1 tsp. goldenseal, ½ tsp. myrrh, and 2 heaping tsp. boric acid in 1 pint
boiling-hot water. Add 1 tsp. of the infusion to ½ cup water and use.
2. For nervous tension, insomnia, and other nervous problems;
Steep 2 oz. balm leaves in 1 qt. boiling-hot water for 15 minutes. Add to
bath water.
3. For rheumatism, gout, skin problems, glandular swellings, and sweaty feet;
Boil 1 lb. dried-English walnut leaves in 1½ qt. water for 45 minutes.
Add the decoction to bath water.
4. For the nerves and for skin problems;
Add 7 oz. European angelica roots to 2 qt. cold water; bring to a boil, then
let steep for 5 minutes.
5. For insomnia and nervous problems;
Add 3 to 4 oz. fragrant valerian root to 1 qt. cold water; let soak for 10
to 12 hours, then bring to a boil and boil briefly. Add to bath water.
6. For skin problems, wounds, and varicose ulcers;
Steep 3 to 4 oz. German camomile flowers in 1 qt. boiling-hot water for 1
hour. Add to bath water.
7.For hemorhoids;
make a vapor bath by putting 1 or 2 handfuls camomile flowers and 3 qt. boiling-hot
water in a pail. Sit on the pail so that the top is closed off. See also German
camomile.
8. For leg ulcers, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, neuralgia, and sunburn;
Boil 2 to 2½ lb. chopped horse chestnuts in water. Add the decoction
to bath water.
9. For rheumatic and skin problems;
Steep ½ lb. juniper berries or 1 lb. fresh shoots in boiling-hot water.
Add the infusion to a full bath.
10. For varicose veins;
Boil 1 lb. male fern rootstock in water. Add the decoction to a footbath.
11. For nervous exhaustion;
Steep 3 to 4 oz. mother of thyme in 1 pint boiling-hot water for 10 minutes.
Add the infusion to bath water.
12. For colds, flu, and respiratory problems;
Put ½ lb. ground mustard in a cloth bag and boil in water. Add the decoction
to a hot footbath.
13. Rheumatic problems;
Put 1 to 2 lb. oat straw in 3 to 5 qt. cold water; bring to a boil and boil
for 30 minutes. Add the decoction to bath water.
14. For skin problems, varicose ulcers, and chilblains;
Use as a 20-minute daily sitzbath for hemorrhoids. Boil 1 lb.-oak bark in
5 qt. water for 2½ hours. Add the decoction to bath water.
15. To stimulate circulation, digestion, and general metabolic activity;
Steep 2 oz. rosemary leaves in 1 pint boiling-hot water for 10 minutes. Add
the infusion to bath water.
16. To stimulate circulation and for wounds, varicose ulcers, and skin problems;
Boil 1 lb. fresh shave grass thoroughly in 3 qt. water. Add the decoction
to bath water.
17. For rheumatic, digestive, and nervous problems;
Add 2 to 3½ 1b. young twigs or young green cones from the spruce tree
to 4 gallons cold water. Let stand for 12 to 24 hours, and then boil in the
same water for 2 hours. Add the decoction to bath water. It also makes a good
room freshener when used in a humidifier.
18. To stimulate circulation and for chilblains, low blood pressure, and general
tiredness.
Add 1 lb. chopped sweet flag root to 5 qt. cold water. Let stand for 2 hours,
then bring quickly to a boil and steep for 5 minutes. Add the liquid to the
bath water.
19. For rheumatic and asthmatic problems, cramps, bronchitis, bruises, swellings,
and sprains;
Steep 3 two 4 oz. thyme in 1 pint of boiling-hot water for10 minutes. Add
the infusion to bath water.
20. For skin problems;
Add 1 lb. wheat bran an lb. rye bran to 2½ qt. cold water. Bring to a
boil and boil for a short time. Add the decoction to bath water keep the bath
water at about 95°F.