The abdominal pack should be applied on infants and children whenever
they show signs of illness in any way, and naturally, in cases of summer
complaints, measles, scarlet fever, diphtheria, whooping cough,
pneumonia, typhoid fever, in which cases a pack should be applied
during the entire course of the illness with slight intermissions only.
As in acute diseases, it is also applied in chronic ones. (See
descriptions to follow). Its early application will often serve to
prevent serious sickness.
The abdominal pack reaches from the level of the base of the breast bone
to the hips. It is made from a piece of linen crash about 12 inches in
width which must cover the space from 6 inches below the arm-pits to the
hips, while its length must be such that it can encircle the body,
overlap upon the abdomen and be secured with tapes at the left side. A
further piece of soft linen is needed to pass between the legs, to be
fastened to the former, back and front, with safety-pins. The next
requirement is a piece of woollen cloth, or blanket, folded double or
treble as required, in breadth, about 6 inches wider than the linen
crash and of equal length, with a shorter woollen strip for between the
thighs, attached like the linen, back and front. For children a linen
towel etc. with the accompanying woollen coverings, will be found, as a
rule, sufficient; for infants, a properly folded piece of old linen.
The linen as well as the woollen material must be properly folded before
the pack is made, and measured, so that the patient need not be kept
waiting while the pack is being placed on the body.
[Illustration: No. 1]
The above cut shows how to apply the abdominal pack on an adult patient.
The linen is saturated in two parts of water with one part of vinegar,
at 64 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit, well wrung out, and is placed on the
woollen material in such a way that the latter extend about 2 to 3
inches on the upper and lower edge. The pack is now placed around the
back of the patient, who sits in bed or is held in position by another.
The patient's shirt is lifted and he is laid down on the moist linen,
which is then quickly raised on both sides and folded over the abdomen.
The same is done with the woollen material, which is then fastened
tightly in the middle, the upper and lower corners with three safety
pins. Then the shirt is pulled down and the patient is warmly covered.
In individual cases it is advisable sometimes to divide the pack into a
back and front compress of greater proportions.
In such cases the woollen cloth, which is used for the abdominal pack is
placed underneath the patient as before. A towel is folded 6 to 8 times,
so that it will grow warm slowly and thus may remain on the body for a
longer time. This is placed under the back of the patient. Then two
properly folded towels, which are not wrung out very thoroughly, are put
on the abdomen, and tucked down a little on both sides. The woollen
cloth is thereupon fastened so as to keep the compresses in place, the
arrangement being otherwise exactly as before. In such cases the back
compress only needs to be changed every 2 to 3 hours, even in case of
severe fever. The front towels may be changed several times in the
meantime.
Since this system permits the application of the pack without disturbing
the patient and making him sit up too often, it is very desirable in
cases of severe illness.
The undivided pack is often very uncomfortable for patients suffering
from respiratory complaints.
It is better to treat very excitable patients with front compresses
only.
When the stomach pack only is prescribed, as in catarrhal and nervous,
stomach or liver complaints, which pack may be worn during the night as
well as the day, a long, wide mesh shawl, with a bandage, 7 to 8 inches
in width at each end, is most servicable, as it will reach around the
body 4 or 5 times. In order to exclude the air as much as possible, the
moist compress is first applied, and then the shawl is placed around the
body in such a way that each succeeding turn covers the previous one to
about one-half, in bandage form.