Peculiarities In Massage

Light friction of a part reduces surface tempera ture. In 10 experiments on healthy adults, whose armpit temperature on both sides was equal, and whose free snrface temperature on the surface of both forearms was before massage 88 degrees P. or more, it was found, on subjecting the left forearm to gentle upward friction, that while the temperature in both armpits and in the untouched free surface of the opposite limb remained constant, the temperature of the left forearm feil in all cases more than two degrees and in three cases nearly fonr degrees. After firm frictiou, rolling, squeezing and kneading of the skin of the limb in all cases, the free cutaneous temperalure rose to 95 degrees, but the armpit tei: pera ture remained the same on both siiios, while in seven cases an interestini, phenomenon was noticed on the oppo&ite side - viz, the right limb sensibly perspired and the free surface temperature of the untouched forearm feil to 84 degrees during the time that the firm friction of the left limb was m progress. In regard to light friction it has been impossible to detect any effect on the patient's sense of locality or on the temperature sense. After firm friction of a part for five minutes comes a decided increase of the sense of touch, and the sense of localitv has in most instance3 been appareutly improved.