Re: Alexandra and her Health Part 2

[David_Newell]

I so agree with David on this.

[imperial angel]

Her position was indeed demanding, and this is a factor, of course. Nicholas most likely have ought to have married someone with personal qualities more suited to the position of consort. But he loved her, and when royal marriages are made for different motives, sometimes they can bring troubles of their own. Sometimes if royal marriage is not happy, there can be consquences for the country.
Would Nicholas have been happy with Helene of Orleans, or anybody else other than Alexandra?

[clockworkgirl21]

...Mother is lying on the couch and Vladimir Nickolayevich is doing the electrical treatment to her..."

That's a letter from Maria.

Anyone know anything about these electrical treatments?

[Sarushka]

Based on what I know about the Imperial Family, I would assume the following:
'Mother' is Aleksandra Fyodorovna
'Maria' is Maria Nikolaevna
'Vladimir Nikolaevich' is Dr. Derevenko

[clockworkgirl21]

I only took out the parts that had nothing to do with the treatments. She was just sitting there, writing was was happening around her to her father. All she said about this man giving the treatments was his name. So apology accepted, David_Pritchard.

"...Nickolai Dmitrievich Demenkov left on Saturday. I talked to him over the telephone. He was very happy to go. Do you remember, I sewed a shirt for him? I asked him about it and he said that he liked it very much and it was just his size... I am writing to you from Orchy's room. Mother is lying on the couch and Vladimir Nickolayevich is doing the electrical treatment to her..."

[Janet_W.]

I've also wondered about these "electrical treatments," although I believe the subject was brought up some time ago and answered . . . I just can't remember where!    Since Alexandra was Tsarina it makes sense she'd receive "cutting edge" treatments for her various aches, pains and illnesses. I do remember the rather startling x-ray photos of Nicholas and Alexandra's hands at this site, taken early in their life together when x-ray technology was still very new. So that tells you they were not exactly reluctant to try new things!

Since this thread is kept under the section for Alexandra and most of us are aware that she had a daughter named Maria, I don't think it entirely untoward for a quote from the latter, referring to "Mother," to be posted and used as the basis for a question.

[imperial angel]

I am sure she did recieve cutting edge treatment, and no doubt this was what the letter referred to.I think that is the best explnation of this I have ever come across, anyway. I wish we knew more, because the subject is intriguing. Alexandra did have sciatica, and she did not really have a good heart, so she might have had these kinds of treatmants. And also, the stress of Alexei's hemophilia contributed to the extent of her illness, that is stress did not help these ailments, but made them worse etc.

[lovy]

i dont think alexandra was a 'nutcase.' she was very emotional though, and suffered from sciatica.

[Laura Mabee]

I am open to hear what anyone has to say on this topic. I myself am quite interested what "electrical treatments" Alix took part in. The only electrical treatments Ihave heard of, has been electric shock. I personally doubt that if indeed Alix was getting some sorts of "electric shock" (to the degree I've heard about); she would not have let Grand Duchess Maria N. see her get these treatments.

Any information on this topic is happily accepted. Quite fascinating what you can find out through their letters.

[Robert_Hall]

  Whilst in the antique trade, we came upon may early "electrical treatment" devices. These early gadgets were harmless as far as I know, Some still worked so I tried them myself !  They usually consisted of glass tubes which a mild current was passed through.  I was into collecting early cosmetology  equipment and came upon a "scalp treatment, dated 1912 or nearby as I recall. It produced a mild tingle, which I suppose was to stimulate the scalp and hair growth. There were also muscle relaxing  gadgets, I think some for heart massage. Of course, these were all quack treatments but were popular because they were new and no one knew any better.
 As for electrical shock treatments- did they even practice that horror back then ? I thought it came about in the 1930's.
A patent office search would probably show exactly what was in use at the time.

[Russian_Duchess_#5]

It seems to me that Aleksandra believed in many quacks and quick remedies. Who knows what horrors she could have put herself through with those treatments?
They mustn't have been too bad, though, because Maria would not have been a witness, then.
But, Maria seems to be familiar with the treatment in her letter because she writes it as "the" treatment, which suggests familiarity, something typical.
If not, something that was talked openly about earlier, or even argued about.
Of course, if there had been an argument about that, suppose with Alix and Nicky, Maria would not have been an attending party.
In conclusion, this treatment seems to be a routine, that the family knew about, nothing dangerous or new.

Sofia

[GrandDuchess_Bella]

I agree. She was a very emotional person and did everything in her power to keep her family safe and happy. She tried to be what I would call 'Super Woman'. She was not insane in the least little bit. She did struggle with her emotions because of the rumors, the lies and of course Alexei. But hey, If you had a son with hemophilia that could die at any moment you would probably go to extreme lengths  to protect him wouldn't you?

[imperial angel]

I think all of us can try to understand how extreme situations can influence emotion. And that is what happened to Alexandra; she was strained and stressed and this was hard, as it would be for anybody, for more especially for someone in her position. Not a nutcase; just emotional and strong, and this breed of woman sometimes gets misinterpreted.

[imperial angel]

Yes, it seems to have routine, and was not so radical, as in those days in medicine many things were tried, sucessful or not.

[NAAOTMA]

The exhibit of Nicholas and Alexandra's personal possessions that toured the USA last year included her "electrical bathrobe" which featured wiring on the inside of the bathrobe. It was part of the health fad at the time that presented mild electrical current as having healing properties. No further explaination was given as to how it actually worked (or how it felt) on the exhibit placard.