THE CURIOSITIES OF Common Water: OR The Advantages thereof in Preventing and Curing many DISTEMPERS.

Gather'd from the Writings of several Eminent PHYSICIANS, and also from more than Forty Years Experience.

By JOHN SMITH, C. M.

To which are added, Some RULES for Preserving Health by Diet.

LONDON, Printed for J. ROBERTS, in Warwick-Lane; A. DODD, without Temple-Bar; and J. Fox, in Westminster-Hall. M.DCC.XXIII.

(Price One Shilling.)

THE CURIOSITIES OF Common Water.

FOR the Benefit of Mankind in general, I have taken pains to give the World an Account of what I have found written in the Works of the most eminent Physicians concerning the Good that Mankind may receive from the Use of Common Water, and of the Informations I have had con­cerning [Page 4]the Benefits thereof from others by word of mouth; and of what I have discover'd by my own Experience from frequent Tryals during a time that hath intervened from that of thirty to seventy four Years of Age: which is sufficient to confirm the stupendous Effects thereof in many Particulars, that shall be mentioned as my own Discovery with respect to this excellent Remedy, which will perform Cures with very little Trouble, and with­out any Charge, and is also to be had wherever there are any Habitations, which is what can hardly be said of any o­ther thing: so that in some sense, Water may truly be stiled An Universal Reme­dy, since the Diseases it either prevents or cures may have this Remedy applied to all Persons, and in all Places where Men do inhabit.

The first Commendation of Common Water that I shall mention, is that which is written concerning it by Dr. Manwa­ring, in his Method and Means of enjoy­ing Health; wherein he saith, that Wa­ter is a wholesome Drink, or rather the most wholesome—being appointed for Man in his best State: which doth strong­ly argue that Drink to be the most suit­able for human Nature—answering all the Intentions of common Drinks, for it [Page 5]cools, moistens and quencheth Thirst; 'tis clear, thin, and fit to convey the Nourish­ment through the smallest Vessels of the Body—and is a Drink that is a Rule to itself, and requires little Caution in the Use of it, since none will be tempted to drink of it more than needs: And that in the Primitive Ages of the World, Wa­ter-Drinkers, he says, were the longest Livers by some Hundreds of Years— nor so often sick and complaining, as we are.

Dr. Keill, when he treats concerning the Stomach, in his Abridgment of the Anatomy of Human Bodies, saith, that Water seems the fittest to promote Di­gestion of the Food which we eat; all spirituous Liquors having a Property by which they hurt, rather than help Di­gestion; the sad Effects of which they are sensible of, he saith, who by a long use thereof have lost their Appetite, hard­ly ever to be restored without drinking Water, which seldom faileth of procuring a good Appetite and a strong Digestion.

Dr. Prat, in his Treatise of Mineral Water, shews it to be his Judgment, that if People would accustom themselves to drink Water, they would be more free from many Diseases; such as Tremblings, [Page 6]Palsies, Apoplexies, Giddiness, Pains in the Head, Gout, Stone, Dropsy, Rheuma­tism, Piles, and such like: Which Dis­eases are most common among them that drink strong Drinks, and which Water generally would prevent. Moreover, he also saith, that Water plentifully drank strengthens the Stomach, causeth an Ap­petite, preserves the Sight, maketh the Senses lively, and cleanseth all the Pas­sages of the Body, especially those of the Kidneys and Bladder.

'Tis said also by Dr. Duncan, in his Treatise of hot Liquors, that when Men contented themselves with Water, they had more Health and Strength; and that at this day those who drink nothing but Water, are more healthy, and live longer than those who drink strong Liquors, which raises the Heat of the Stomach to Excess, whereas Water keeps it in a due Temper. And he adds in another part of the Book, that by hot Liquors the Blood is inflamed; and such whose Blood is in­flamed, live not so long as those who are of a cooler Temper: a hot Blood being commonly the Cause of Fluxes, Rheums, ill Digestion, Pains in the Limbs, Head­ach, Dimness of Sight, and especially of Hysteric Vapours. He also imputes the Cause of Ulcers to a hot Blood, and de­clares, [Page 7]that if Men kept their Blood cool and sweet, by a moderate cooling Diet, they would never be troubled with Ul­cers, or other Breakings out.

Sir John Floyer also, in the Preface to his Treatise of Cold Baths, does affirm, that Vapours both in Men and Women are caused by hot things, and that by leaving off strong Liquors and a hot Diet, and by drinking Water, he had procured to himself a better Health, and more Hardiness, than he had enjoyed for many Years. And in the Body of that Book he affirmeth, that drinking of Water in the Morning, cools the Blood, prevents Defluxions, and washes off the bilious and salt Recrements by Urine; and that drinking Water after Dinner, cools and stops the too high Fermentation of the Stomach, which is the Cause of breeding Wind or Belching after Meat: to the Truth of which, the Author of this Ac­count can bear a full Testimony, who being for many Years afflicted with this belching up of Wind after Meat, did at length prevent the same, by drinking Water after eating, instead of other Drink, which in time did cool that Hypochon­driack Heat, from whence those Belchings did proceed.

Having read over an old Book written by one Sir Tho. Eliot, entitled, The Ca­stle of Health, he there declared from his own Experience, that in the County of Cornwall, tho it was a very cold Quar­ter, the Poorer Sort, which in his time did never, or but very seldom drink any other Drinks but Water, were strong of Body, and lived to a very great Age; to which Relation that of Sir Henry Blount is very agreeable who affirmed, in his Book of Travels into the Levant, (where under the Turkish Government the Use of Wine was forbid, and where the com­mon Drink is Water) that he then had a better Stomach to his Food, and digested it more kindly than he ever did before or since.

And in the Treatise of the Vanity of Philosophy, written by Dr. Gideon Har­vey, it is affirmed by him, that it is not Heat that causeth a good Digestion, but a proper Ferment or Liquor provided by Nature, to dissolve the Food into a Sub­stance like unto Pap made with fine Flower: which Dissolvent, he saith, is much depraved by hot spirituous Liquors, and therefore he commends Water above all other Drinks to promote Digestion.

Water-drinking is also said by Dr. Al­len to be good to prevent two deplorable Distempers, the Gout and the Hypochon­driack Melancholy; for, says he, the Gout is generally caused by the too great drink­ing of fermented Liquors, and is never said to have assaulted any Drinker of Water; and he saith also, that Melan­choly Hypochondriack is kept off longest by drinking Water instead of strong Drink. To which let me add, that I once knew a gouty Gentleman, who, to avoid his drinking Companions in London, re­tired to New Brentford, where I then lived; in which Town, by a very tempe­rate Diet of one Meal a day, and drink­ing only Water, he lived two whole Years free from Pain: but being visited by one who came that way, and invited to drink but one Bottle of Claret between them, he fell next day into a terrible Fit of the Gout, which held above a Month after; of which being recover'd, he by the same Course continued well till I left the Place, which was about a Year and a half after.

The good Properties of Water are fur­ther manifested in preventing the breed­ing of Gravel in the Kidneys; for Zechias, in Consult. 17. as he is quoted by Salmon, affirms, that nothing doth so much abate [Page 10]the Heat of the Kidneys, and free them from those Recrements which cause Pain in the Back, one great sign of Gravel, as Water does: but he adviseth to drink it warm, by the Use of which, he saith, the unnatural Heat in time will be so extin­guished, that no more of that Matter causing Gravel will be produced in the Body. Which Assertion, by Experience I have found to be true: for observ­ing much Gravel to be voided by me, as also abundance of Matter floating in the Urine like Bran, with a great number of Recrements like Cuttings of Hair, some above an Inch long; which Substances were found in all the Water I made in above twelve Months; for which I could get no Remedy: I was advised to drink Water, which in about half a Year did entirely free me from those Symp­toms which some imputed to Witchcraft out of Ignorance; so that from that time to this present I never have been troubled with it.

Water also is commended as efficacious to prevent the breeding of the Stone in the Bladder, for it hath been observed, that in some who have been cut for the Stone, that new Stones have been ingen­der'd, so that some young Persons have been cut several times. Now to prevent [Page 11]this, the drinking Water hath been ad­vised with Success; for by this that in­temperate Heat in the Body was abated, which did occasion the Distemper. Some have advised to drink it warm, and others cold, and in particular Van Heydon, a Physician of Ghent in Flanders, in his Book, entitled, Help for the Rich and Poor; which he saith, in p. 49. is suffi­ciently insinuated by Piso and Alexander, who do assure us, that the taking a Draught of cold Water in the Morning, hath done so much good, that several af­ter the voiding of a Stone never had any more Stones grow in them.

Which Experiment may give light to the Discovery of a way to cure the Stone without cutting; for if the growing of new Stones can be prevented by drinking Water, let it be hot or cold, it may pre­vent a Stone from growing bigger when begun; and if the aiding Matter to in­crease a Stone new begun, can be pre­vented, Nature in time may waste that which is begun, especially if some Drops of sweet Spirit of Nitre be added to all the Water drank, which will powerfully help to cool, and is known to be an ad­mirable Mover or Provoker of Urine, and will waste a Stone, and make it crumble like Fullers Earth, if applied to a Stone [Page 12]taken from the Body. Or the Water may be sweeten'd with Honey, which is now much in use among the Gentry, as I am informed by an ingenious Apothecary; who told me, that among them at present Pump-Water and Honey was in great re­pute to give ease in Gravel: and there is so near an Affinity between Gravel and the Stone, that what is proper for one, will be suitable to both, and will prevent the growing of both.

Water is also stiled in Sennertus's Works the Balsam of Children, the drinking of it by the Mother being one of those things whereby Children may be strengthen'd in the Womb, and will prevent those In­juries that are done them by drinking strong Liquors; which Sampson's Mother was not allowed to do, for she was com­manded not to drink Wine or strong Drink, Judg. 13.4. But I will not say, if all Women should do this, their Chil­dren shall be as strong as Sampson was; yet this I will say, if they would do this, they would find their Children more free from Distemper and Frowardness, and so much more easy to nurse and bring up, and be less liable to an immature Death; the want of which Abstinence from strong Drinks is the Cause why so many rich People find it hard to bring up Children, [Page 13]in comparison to what is done by the Poor: for these last are born of Mothers, who not only are prevented from being Gluttons by their want of Dainties, which are deceitful Meat, Prov. 23.3. but they seldom taste Wine or strong Drink: whereas the Rich not only feed high, and so engender foul Blood, but they also drink strong Drinks, which in most Constitutions do over-heat the Hu­mours of the Body, and that Blood by which their Children are nourished du­ring their Pregnancy. Which Injury to unborn Infants would be prevented, if the Mother would be temperate in Diet, and drink Water, especially at Meals, by which the Blood of the Mother would be kept cool and clean; which must needs communicate a healthful Substance to the Child within her, and prevent all those Distempers which Infants do bring with them into the World.

And here it may be proper to add, what by divers Experiments hath been found to be true, that the drinking Water by Nurses while they give suck to Chil­dren, will wonderfully increase Milk in those that want it, as every one will find, who can be persuaded to make use there­of. I have advised many to make use of it, who have found that by drinking a [Page 14]large Draught of Water at Bed-time, they have been supplied with Milk suf­ficient for that Night, when before they wanted it, and could not be supplied by any other means: And besides, they who have found their Children restless by reason of too much Heat in their Milk, do find them much more quiet after their Milk is cooled by Water-drinking.

By drinking Water also, the want of Food for a time may be suffered without starving; for I have been informed by a credible Friend, who was an Officer at Sea, that being sent down to Stafford to take care to see some Men conveyed on Ship-board, that had deen press'd by Act of Parliament for the Sea-Service; he found in the Prison, where they were kept, a lusty Fellow, who had declared he would starve himself rather than go to Sea, and taking particular notice there­of, he found upon due Enquiry, that for twenty days he had refused to eat any manner of Food, only he drank each day about three Pints or two Quarts of Wa­ter, hoping thereby to get himself dis­charged: but when he found his Preten­sions to be in vain, and that in about two days they should all march for London, he condescended to eat some Food, begin­ning with a little, and in the March he [Page 15]was observed to travel as well as the best Man. I find also an Account in Dr. Car's Letters, of a certain crack-brain'd Man, who, at Leyden, when the Doctor resided in that University, pretended he could fast as long as Christ did; and it was found that he held out the time of forty Days without eating any Food, only he drank Water and smoak'd Tobacco. And I once had a sad Complaint from a poor old Woman of the Greatness of her Want, affirming that oftentimes she had not ea­ten any Food for two or three days; upon which I asked her, if she did not then suffer much Uneasiness in her Stomach: she said she did, but found a way at last to assuage her Hunger, by drinking Wa­ter, which did satisfy her Appetite.

Water is also of great use to strengthen weak Children, for we are informed by Dr. Joseph Browne, in his Treatise of Cures performed by Cold Baths, that the Welsh Women do preserve their Children from the Rickets, by washing them Night and Morning in cold Water, till they are three quarters of a Year old, p. 79. And 'tis said by Sir John Floyer, in his Treatise of Cold Baths, that a La­dy in Scotland, who had lost several Chil­dren through Weakness, did by the Ad­vice [Page 16]of a Highland Beggar-Woman pre­serve those she had afterwards, by wash­ing them daily in cold Water. And I my­self did advise a Neighbour, whose Child began to be ricketty, to treat the Child in the same manner; but she, instead of washing, dipt it over head and ears every Morning, it being then in the Summer­time: the Event of which was, the Child became strong, and had a good Counte­nance, tho before it was in the Face very pale and wan. Which shews how great the Power of Water is, when used out­wardly, to invigorate the Spirits, and strengthen Nature.

It is also a known Custom, to prevent the Swellings that follow Bruises in the Faces of Children, by immediately ap­plying thereunto a Linnen Cloth four or six times double, dipt in cold Water, and new dipping it as it begins to grow warm; for the Cold repels or prevents the flow­ing of Humours to the Part, which other­wise would cause great Swelling, and after turn blackish: and if upon neglecting to do so, a Swelling should succeed, it may be discussed by fomenting Night and Morn­ing, for an hour at a time, with Water as hot as can be endured; for that will give vent to the Humours to transpire [Page 17]through the Skin, or dissolve them, so as to make them capable of returning back.

Moreover, by means of Water all Sickness at the Stomach may be cured, which is done thus: Take four Quarts of Water, make it as hot over the Fire as you can drink it; of which Water let a Quart be taken down at several Draughts; then wrap a Rag round a small Piece of a Stick, till it is about the Bigness of a Man's Thumb, tie it fast with some Thread; and with this, by endeavouring gently to put it a little way down your Throat, provoke yourself to vomit up again most of the Water: then drink another Quart, and vomit up that, and repeat the same the third and fourth time. You may al­so provoke Vomiting by tickling your Throat with your Finger, or the Feather-End of a Goose-Quill; but the Cloth round a Skuer maketh one vomit with most ease, which is done with no Trou­ble when the Stomach is full. And by this way of Vomiting, which will be all performed in an hour's time, that vitious and ropy Phlegm in the Stomach, which causeth the Sickness, will be cast up, so that the Party in that time will be free from all that inward Disturbance, if you use the Remedy at the first; but if the Sickness hath continued for a time, it [Page 18]will require the same Course once or twice more, which may be done in three or four Hours, one after another, with­out any other Inconvenience, besides that of being a little sore in the Breast the next Day, which will soon go off by the Force of Nature. Which Remedy, by forty Years Experience, I look upon to be infallible in all Sickness at the Sto­mach from what Cause soever, and for all Pains in the Belly which seem to be above the Navel; for these are all in the Stomach, as by long Experience I have found: which Pains are generally counted the Cholick; but it is not so, for true Cholicks are always below the Navel, in the Gut, Colon. And by this means I have eased very great Pains caused by eating Mussels that were poisonous; and it is also a certain Cure for all Surfeits or Dis­orders that follow after much eating; so that the Lives of Multitudes might be saved by this means, who for want of expelling what offends, do often die in Misery: For by thus cleansing the Sto­mach at the first, the Root of Diseases proceeding from Surfeiting, unwholesome Food, or any viscous Humours from a bad Digestion, are prevented; the Sto­mach being the Place in which all Dis­tempers do at first begin. No Man was more subject to Sickness than myself be­fore [Page 19]thirty Years of Age; but since I found out the way of vomiting with Water, which is now above forty Years, I never have been sick for two Days together: for when I find myself ill to any great degree, I betake myself to this way of vomiting, which in an hour's time re­stores me to Ease, and perfectly removes my Illness; and the same Benefit all my Family find in it, as do others also whom I can persuade to try the Experiment; which is such, that no Physician what­ever can advise a better to the King himself, should he fall sick. For, in the first place, 'tis not a nauseous Remedy, it does not make the Patient sick, as the best of all other Vomits do; and then 'tis a Vomit which is at our own Com­mand, since we can leave off when we please: and it infallibly works a Cure to all sick Stomachs.

Some few indeed pretend they are not able to vomit by this means; now if they cannot vomit, let them take a Pint of Water when they find themselves ill from eating, and do so every three or four Hours, eating no more till they are hungry; and they will find the Water di­gest and carry off what was offensive. The ingenious Dr. Cheyne, in his Trea­tise of the Gout, doth affirm that warm [Page 20]Water drank freely in a Morning fasting, and at Meals, ( and I say cold Water is as good) hath been a sovereign Remedy for restoring lost Appetites, and strengthen­ing weak Digestions, when other more pompous Medicines have failed. And he adviseth Gouty Persons, after Excess either in Meat or Drink, to swill down as much fair Water as their Stomach will bear, before they go to bed, where­by they will reap these Advantages, ei­ther the Contents of the Stomach will be thrown up, or both Meat and Drink will be much diluted, and the Labour and Ex­pence of Spirits in Digestion much saved. And indeed I have found by long Expe­rience, that nothing causeth so good a Di­gestion as fair Water; but this requires time to free us from the Uneasiness that an ill Digestion causeth, whereas Vomiting is an immediate Remedy, and frees a Man from it upon the spot.

We are told by Sir John Floyer, in his Treatise of Bath and Mineral Springs, that Vomiting with Water is very useful in the Gout, Sciatica, Wind, Shortness of Breath, Hypochondriack Melancholy, and Falling-Sickness; which Distempers are generally derived from evil Matter con­tained in the Stomach, as is likewise Gid­diness in the Head and Apoplexies, with [Page 21]which myself once seemed to be threat­ned; for after eating a plentiful Dinner, I was seized with Giddiness, and the Sight of my Eyes became so depraved, that things seemed double, which was accom­panied with a strange Consternation of Spirit; and having read, that Apoplexies generally seize after eating, I immediate­ly called for Water, and not daring to stay till it was warmed, I drank it cold, and by the help of my Finger provoked Vomiting: upon which I did immediate­ly overcome the Evils I was threatned with, the Symptoms before mentioned being the same as did precede the Fit of an Apoplexy in another Person, as himself afterwards told me, who died of it the third Fit.

As for People who are troubled with Shortness of Breath, 'tis certain from Ex­perience, that Vomiting with warm Wa­ter three or four times will afford certain Relief. And the same may be prevented by drinking nothing but Water after­wards, either cold, or warmed with a Toast: for upon doing this, the Difficulty of Breathing will apparently abate; which Water, if you please, may be boiled with Honey. And I knew one, who by this means, as he was advised by me, lived comfortably in this City two or three [Page 22]Winters, but having undertaken Business which did occasion drinking strong Drinks, was the next Winter carried off by the Distemper: Wine, Ale, or Brandy, being as bad as Poison to People troubled with Shortness of Breath.

Some People are taken with violent Vo­miting, and the Excess thereof in some hath been so great, as to endanger their Lives, yea, cause Death: in which Case Water will be very helpful; for if a Pint of it warmed be drank after every Vo­mit, it will prevent that violent Straining, wherein lieth the Danger of all Vomiting, because to strain violently when but little will come up, does endanger the break­ing of some inward Vessel. And besides this, the offending Matter will be sooner loosen'd from the internal Part of that Bowel, the Stomach, and cast out, upon which the Vomiting will sooner cease: For after this manner the famous Syden­ham, a most honest Writer, did overcome the Cholera Morbus, or Vomiting and Looseness, so common in his Time, and was found by the weekly Bill to kill more than now die of Convulsions; for his way was to boil a Chicken in four Gallons of Water, which made a Broth not much differing from Water, of which he order'd large Draughts to be given, and some of [Page 23]it to be taken by Clyster, till the whole Quantity was spent, if the Vomiting did not stop before; which did so take off the Sharpness of the Matter offending, and wash it out, that the Party in a little time became well. And the same was the Practice of Sigismundus Grasius, who commends pure Water in a Vomit­ing and Looseness to be drank in large Quantities; for thereby, he saith, the corrosive or sharp Humours will be so weaken'd, that they will no more offend: and he faith it may be drank cold, if the Patient be strong, otherwise let it be warmed.

And in Common Fluxes without Vomit­ings a Quart or more of warm Water drank, will so weaken the Sharpness whereby the Distemper is caused, that it will soon be overcome, and the Gripings eased; and in the Bloody Flux, which is the most dangerous of all Fluxes, the in­genious Cornelius Celsus adviseth a large Drinking of cold Water as the best of Remedies: but then no other Substance must be taken till the Disease is cured. And another great Physician, by Name Lusitanus, affirms, Cent. 1. Obser. 46. that he knew one, who, being in the Summer-time afflicted with this bloody Flux, did drink a large quantity of cold [Page 24]Water, and did thereby recover. This large quantity therefore of Water in these Fluxes, doth so correct the Sharpness of the Humour offending, that it can have no power to cause Pain, or corrode the Vessels, and cause bloody Digestions or Stools.

Water also is a Drink that conduceth above all things to cure Consumptive People, for the Digestion being weaken'd, is the Cause of producing a hot, fretting Nourishment; which is injurious to the tender Substance of the Lungs, and which constringes and stops up the Lymphatick Vessels, thro which the Nourishment is to pass to all the Parts; so that by de­grees the Body for want of due Supplies consumes: which Obstructions, and that Acrimony that causeth them, will be o­pen'd and sweeten'd by the plentiful Use of Water; if taken before the Lungs be­come ulcerous. Which Cure of Consump­tions by Water is recommended in the Writings of Dr. Couch, who in his Praxis Catholica tells us, that he knew a Man cured very soon of a Consumption by drinking pure Water. And 'tis said by another, that some have been cured of Consumptions by drinking no other Drink but Water, avoiding all Malt Li­quors and sharp Wines: for Wine or [Page 25]any other strong Liquor is pernicious in this Distemper.

Some there are who are much troubled with flushing Heat in their Face, and o­thers with a Heat in the Back; in both which Cases, Water, used as common Drink, is the best Remedy, with a spare cooling Diet: and 'tis also excellent for such as have red Blotches in their Face, which proceeds from a hot fretting Blood, which, by Water-drinking, and a mode­rate Diet, will be kept under: for as Dr. Duncan, before quoted, doth affirm, those who keep their Blood cool and clean, are never troubled with Breakings out, like many others, who may be known to be Drinkers of hot Drinks, and use a hot full Diet, by their Faces.

Water is also commended by the Lear­ned for the Cholick; thus Riverius af­firms, that in the Cholick large drinking of Water hath been found to be an excel­lent Remedy; and 'tis said by Fortis, that when he practised at Venice, he often gave cold Water in the Cholick with good Success. With whom an English Physician, Dr. Wainwright, in his Me­chanical Account of the six Non-natu­rals, concurs; for he saith that Water-Drinkers are never troubled with the [Page 26]Cholick, and that many thereby have been cured when all other Remedies failed.

And in the Small-Pox, Water hath also been proved to be an excellent Drink. Salmon, in his Synopsis Medicinae, saith, that in this Distemper you may safely give the Sick fair Water, of which, says he, they may drink liberally to quench Thirst; the want of which plenty of Drink hath been the Death of many a Patient. Which Opinion of his was right, as by Experience I have found in two of my own Children, when sick of this Distem­per; to whom, after I had given a gentle Vomit of Emetick Tartar, I gave no other Drink but Water, and they both recove­red safely, and were not in the least light-headed, as two others before were in the same Distemper, when treated otherwise: and I remember that one Dr. Betts being consulted in a Case where the Eruptions did not come out kindly, did order two Quarts of cold Water to be drank as soon as could be, upon which they came out according to expectation, and the Party did well.

'Tis also certain, that in what we call burning Fevers, Water is found to be a safe and effectual Remedy. It is said by [Page 27]Dr. Primrose, in his Popular Errors, that many great Physicians have commended the drinking cold Water in Diseases, and they attribute to it the chief Place in Fevers, where the Sick must drink large­ly; for thus taken, it will quench all Heat, pag. 374. And Galen is said, by an English Author, to reprove Crasistratus for denying cold Water in burning Fe­vers; and says, that this is a Remedy for any Fever, provided it be drank in great abundance: with which Opinion I find Dr. Oliver to agree, who, in his Es­say on Fevers, says, That in Fevers we must drink oftner than Thirst calls for it, and such Draughts as are plentiful; and the Drink he prescribes, is either cold Water or Barley-Water. Dr. Wainwright af­firms also, that Water is proper in Fe­vers, and that the Antients gave as much of it as the Patient could drink. And by another 'tis said, that if you give the Patient nothing but Water for three Days, that in the third Day the Fever will be cured generally; but if it is not, give for Food a little Barley-Broth, and the Fever will not exceed the seventh Day. And by another we are informed, how one in a Fever, that was past Hope, being forbidden to drink Water, which he greatly desired, did find means, in the Absence of his Nurse, to get a large [Page 28]Pot-full, which he drank off, and lay down again, being well cooled; after which he fell into a Sweat, and so was cured. And I find that Dr. Cook of Warwick, in his Book of Observations on English Bodies, does prescribe, for the Cure of Fevers, first a Vomit, and afterwards as much cold Water as the Patient can drink; and he saith, that if he sweat upon it, the Sweat must he continued as long as can be. And 'tis said by another, that 'tis an excellent Remedy in Fevers to drink a Quart of hot Water, and sweat upon it, being covered warm. There is also one Dr. Quinton, who, in his Book of Obser­vations, writes, That to one in a malig­nant Fever, whose Pulse was so low it could scarcely be felt, there was three Quarts of Water given, at several Draughts, to make him vomit; but it did not ope­rate that way, yet the Event was this, that it did refresh him, much raised his Pulse, brought him into a breathing Sweat, and passed off by Urine: which Lowness of the Pulse my own Experience hath often found to be raised by drinking Water plentifully. And I know a Woman, who tho' she in a Fever had the Advice of two Doctors, yet became distracted: I bid the Nurse give her a Pint of cold Water, which she drank up, and in three or four Minutes came to her right Senses; [Page 29]and desiring to drink more, she recovered. And I have observed, that when, in Fe­vers, the Patient can relish no other Drink, yet Water is always drank with pleasure, as it also will always be after the eating sweet things, that spoil the Relish of o­ther Drinks; which is one Excellence pe­culiar to Water, and shews it to be most agreeable to the Nature of Mankind, tho' now so much slighted.

And as for the Gout, which Dr. Harris saith, in his Anti-Empirice, is gotten ei­ther by high feeding, or drinking much Wine, or other strong Drink; it may be cured, as that Author doth affirm, by a very spare Diet, and drinking Water: ac­cording to what is said also by Sir Theo­dore Mayhern, who, in his Medicinal Counsels, adviseth to leave off all strong Drinks in this Disease, and drink only Water. And Van Heydon saith also, in his Treatise of Help for the Rich and Poor, that there is not any greater Reme­dy for the Gout than drinking Water, not only by young but old Men; many of whom, he saith, have drank cold Water for many Weeks, which hath succeeded so well, though they were far gone in Years, that they found great Ease there­by, without that Offence to the Stomach, or Hindrance of Digestion, which some [Page 30]did seem to fear. And he also commends the large drinking of Water in the Scia­tica, or Hip-Gout, he having often cured this Distemper, by this means, in less time than could reasonably be expected; and the same myself have found to be effec­tual in a like Pain in the Shoulder, which had continued very bad for three Months. For, being taken with a Fever, I drank in one Day about four Quarts of Water; which though it did not make me sweat, because I lay not in my Bed, yet it cured me so that I slept well that Night; and in the Morning, when I rose, I did find that the Pain in my Shoulder was not felt, neither did it ever return. And the same Success I have had in the Pains of other Parts, whereby I judge, that in all Pains whatever the drinking of Water is proper, as well as in the Gout; and ac­cordingly I find cold Water advised to be drank largely for the Cure of the Head­ach from hard Drinking; that Pain pro­ceeding from the same Cause the Gout does, namely from Heat, as all Pains do.

It is said also by Dr. Wainwright, that in the Itch, Scurvy, Leprosy, and in all hot inflammatory Distempers, such as Pleurisies, Rheumatisms, and St. Antho­ny's. Fire, Water is a proper Remedy; but he adviseth to drink it hot in some Ca­ses, [Page 31]as doubtless ought to be done in Pleuri­sies. He also saith, that Water is proper in Head-aches, Catarrhs, Vapours, Falling-Sickness, Dullness of Sight, Melancholy, Shortness of Breath, Scurvey in the Mouth, and Windiness in the Stomach: And, for Wind in the Stomach, I, by long Experience, have found it the best Reme­dy, who, in the former part of my Life, through a disorderly Diet, and drinking strong Drink like others, was never free from windy Belchings, and sometimes ve­ry sickish Qualms after Meals; from which at length I was delivered, by drinking only Water at Meals, so that for above forty Years I have been seldom troubled: and if I find myself troubled, a Pint or more of cold Water, in less than half an Hour, will set me free, by drinking of it.

And that Water is the best Remedy for the Mischiefs that come by Hard Drink­ing, Experience teacheth; there being no­thing that so effectually frees from those nauseating and reaching Qualms the next Morning, as the drinking a Pint or more of fair Water; which effectually allays the Inflammation of the Bowels, occasioned by strong or hot Drink, which spoils the Strength of the Stomach, as it doth the Strength of all other Parts; nothing being a greater Enemy to the Vigour of the [Page 32]Nerves and Sinews, since by much drink­ing, Men make themselves unable to stand or go: Which Effect would never follow, if Liquors, that abound with Spi­rits, were strengthening; and if they were strengthening, the Fibres of the Stomach would not be so weakened, after drinking strong Drinks, as to make Men sick: which Sickness will soon be recovered by the drinking cold Water, this being also the best Remedy, if taken largely, for that Heat of Urine which is often occasioned by Hard-drinking.

In Colds, Water is the best of all Drinks to prevent Floods of Rheum from the Nose and Mouth, as my long Experience testifies, and the drinking thereof will prevent Coughs; for a Cough will seldom succeed a Cold, if Water is used from the first as common Drink: and if, through Neglect, a Cough should become trou­blesome, the Use of Water, avoiding all Wine and strong Drink, will contribute much to the Cure. Some order the Wa­ter to be drank warm, but others say that to drink it cold vastly excells the using of it hot in a Cough. 'Tis said by Van Hey­don, that some may think it strange to ad­vise Water in such Diseases, which most do account to proceed from Crudity or Indigestion; but, he says, that in any Dis­ease [Page 33]where the Case is dangerous, the Use of Water is the only Friend to Na­ture; cold Water being a Preventer ra­ther than a Cause of Crudity, since, by all Experience, it is proved to be a Pro­moter of a good Digestion: And at this time I know a Woman, 78 Years of Age, who for this ten Years hath had a great Cough, and spits much tough Phlegm, that hath this present Winter 1722, been persuaded to leave off all strong and small fermented Liquor, and drink only Wa­ter at Meals, and sometimes a Dish or two of Tea; and hath found herself much less subject to cough than before, and scarce coughs at all in Bed.

It is the general Opinion of most Physi­cians, that Wine and Strong-Drinks are not proper for Children, and that the smaller and cooler their Drink is, the bet­ter it will be with them; and that no­thing conduceth more to the Health of Children than drinking Water, which will prevent the Foundation of those Diseases that are caused in many by Strong-Drink, and do shew themselves in their more advanced Age, wherein ma­ny also do suffer much by the ill Custom of making them Gluttons, by constantly cramming their Stomachs with Food, many being thereby destroyed among the [Page 34]Children of the Rich before they come to the Years of Maturity; when the Chil­dren of poor Country People, who fare hard, and very often drink Water, stand their Ground till full grown: for fewer Children die in the Country than in great Cities, where Luxury in Diet doth more abound; which is one Reason why so few Housekeepers in London were born in it, the great Supply of Inhabitants being from the Country, Children being brought up more hardy there than in London, where great Numbers are killed by over-pleasing their Palates. Which Mischief would be, in a great measure, prevented by their being accustomed to drink Wa­ter; which, by Experience, is found to make young Children free from that Frow­ardness which is commonly caused by a sharp, and hot, or feverish Blood, which ingendereth Wind, and causeth Pain and Gripes: for there is no Pain but is the Consequence of Heat, if it is not caused by Blows and Bruises.

Water, I have found, by long Experi­ence, to be of excellent use in Burns and Scalds; for in all Burns and Scalds that are slight, if the Part is plunged imme­diately into cold Water, the colder the better, the Pain will instantly be ta­ken off; and it will fetch out the Fire, if [Page 35]continued so long, as will be required to do it by any other Remedy. And if the Burn be so considerable, that other Reme­dies must be applied, none of which will take off the Smart of themselves in less than two or three Hours; yet if you ap­ply cold Water presently, after other Ap­plications are made to the Part, the Pain immediately will cease, till the Re­medy becomes effectual: so that the Ease Water will give in such Cases, makes it of good Use. Which Remedy, as it hath not been discovered till now, appears to transcend all other Remedies in this Case; because, in a moment, the great Smart will be eased, if the Water is cold, and will be felt no more if the Part afflicted be kept immersed in it till the Fire is extin­guished, either by the Water, or the Me­dicine applied. Besides, it is a Remedy every where ready at hand, which can­not be said of any other; which generally requires so much time to get it ready, that much Pain will be endured, if Bli­sters do not arise, which do much increase the Trouble. If the Part burnt, or scalded, cannot be dipt in Water, you may apply Water to it, with double Lin­nen Cloths dipped therein, and new dipt as they grow warm; by which means I have cured Burns and Scalds in the Face [Page 36]without blistering, when applied imme­diately before Blisters did arise.

I once knew a large Ulcer in the Foot, made by the running of melted Brass in­to the Shoe, that was kept in hand by a Surgeon nine Weeks, without any pro­bability of healing, because of the great Inflammation that attended it; but the Party being a Lover of Angling, was persuaded to go with some others to Hackney River: some of them went bare­legg'd into the Water, to come at a cer­tain Hole where much Fish was some­times found. The Sport was so good that the lame Man, having pulled off his Stock­ings and Plaisters, went in also, where he staid above two Hours, and coming out again he found the Ulcer, which appear­ed very red and angry when he went in, did look pale; he put on his Dressings, and came home, and in lese than a Fort­night his Ulcer healed up: which doubt­less was occasioned by the abating of the Inflammation by the Coldness of the Water. And I have had an Account also from an Acquaintance, that was Surgeon to a Merchant Ship, that their Gunner, at a time when the Captain treated some Friends on board, going to charge a Gun that just before had been fired off, the Car­tridge he was ramming down took fire, [Page 37]whereby he was blown into the Water, and had some of his Fingers torn off, and it was about an Hour before a Boat could be got to take him up: but they found that the Coldness of the Water had al­most stopt the Bleeding, and the Cure was effected so speedily, that other Surgeons wondered at it; which he imputed to the Water, which kept back the Humours, by its Coldness, from flowing to the Part at the first: so that there was no Impedi­ment, from Inflammation, to hinder heal­ing; for the chief Impediment to healing, is Inflammation in Wounds or Ulcers.

And as for Strains and Sprains in the Joints, cold Water affords the best and most speedy Remedy, as Van Heydon af­firms; who saith, That by bathing in cold Water all harm so received may, by this Remedy, be cured more safely and more speedily than by any other, with­out Loss of Time, Cost, or Trouble; for no more is to be done, than, as soon as can be, to put the Part into a Tub of cold Water for about two Hours, which will prevent all Swelling and Pain, by repelling or keeping back the Humours that otherwise would flow to the Part. And if it should be the Shoulder, or any other Part, which is so hurt, that cannot well be immersed in Water after this [Page 38]manner, Water may be applied, by dip­ping Towels folded up into it, and lay­ing them to the Part, as is done, in effect, to the wrenched Joints of Horses; about which, if you wind oftentimes a thick Rope made of Hairs, and then cast upon it divers times a Pail of cold Water, the Wrench will be cured; which Experi­ment is now commonly practised by those concerned about Horses.

Bathing in cold Water hath also been found to be a good Remedy to strengthen Weakness in the Joints, as Sir John Floyer, in his Treatise of Cold Bathing, hath shewed; and which by Experience I found to be true in a certain Woman, who complained of great Weakness and Pain in her Ankles: I advised her to dip the Part in cold Water every Morning for about a quarter of an Hour, and to do the same at Night; and in about twenty Days she became as strong in that Part as she was in the other. And Sir John tells us of a Boy who could not stand, his Limbs were so weak, that by bathing in cold Water, perfectly recover'd his Strength in a little time.

Great Pain in the Head hath been also cured by this means; for we are told by Van Heydon, that one Sir Toby Mathews [Page 39]had for twenty Years been troubled with great Pain in one side of his Head, and a great Defluxion of Rheum from his Nose; but he at last was cured, by apply­ing cold Water to the Part every day for about a quarter of an hour: upon read­ing of which, I tried the Experiment up­on myself, who for a long time had been trouble with the running of much clear Water from my Nose, with great spitting of thin Rheum: for I let a Water-Cock run upon the Mould of my Head every Morning, by which, in about six Weeks time, I was eased of my Trouble. And since that I had a credible Information of a certain Servant-Maid, who was af­flicted greatly with a Rheumatism and an intolerable Pain in the Head, who be­ing put into St. Thomas's Hospital, her Nurse was order'd by the Doctor to ap­ply to her Head Towels four times dou­ble, dipt in cold Water, changing them as they became warm, which she was to continue doing four or five Hours; in which time she was freed from that Pain in the Head, and was afterwards cured of the Rheumatism by other Means.

The Want of Sleep in Fevers may be cured likewise by the Application of cold Water: for to a near Relation, who could not sleep for three Days and three Nights, [Page 40]I order'd a Towel to be several times folded up, then to be dipt in Water, and a little wrung out an [...] so laid upon her Forehead, and to be new dipt as it grew hot; which in about two Hours time so cool [...]d her Head, that she fell into a Sleep, and conti [...] in it five Hours: and I or­der'd the farce to be done the next Night, with the s [...]me effect. And we find that Dr. Co [...]kbu [...]n, in his Treatise of Sea Dis­eases, d [...]d order for the want of Sleep in Fevers, to dip a Towel, four times dou­bled, in Oxycrat, which is six parts Wa­ter, and one part Vinegar, to be bound about the Head and Temples; which, he saith, will cause Sleep with wonderful Success: but Water only will have the same effect, as I often have proved.

And that the Use of cold Water in Swoonings is of great effect, common Ex­perience teacheth; for if a Dish or Cup of cold Water is thrown strongly upon the Face, the Person in an instant will recover his Senses, tho for a time he seemeth dead, and perhaps might not have reco­ver'd in some cases, if cold Water had not been so applied: such Faintings being sometimes deadly, which proceed from pos­sonous Vapours ascending up to the Brain from a foul Stomach; for such Effects there are, as I have found by Experience, [Page 41]who, in my young Days, did swoon away twice; at both which times I was sensi­ble of a Collection of Wind in my Sto­mach, from whence I plainly felt a Fume or Vapour ascend to the Head, that in an instant deprived me of all Sense: but be­ing both times in the Company of a Per­son who had seen the thing tried, he dash'd some cold Water against my Face, which I remember made me start, as if I had been suddenly a waked. And I am apt to think, that some die in such a Fit, when none are near to help them; and especially when so taken in their Sleep, which, I believe, none need fear who live temperately, or that eat no Suppers: none who have refrained from Suppers, having been ever found to die in Sleep.

Dangerous Bleedings at the Nose have also been cured with cold Water largely drank, syringing cold Water up their Nostrils, and applying Towels round their Necks dipt in cold Water, changing them as they grow warm; for 'tis said by a good Writer, that this will so cool the Heat of the Blood, and by the Coldness of the Water syringed up the Nose, so contract the Mouths of the bursted Veins which bleed, that it will put a stop to the Bleeding. Such Bleedings have also been stopt by dashing cold Water often [Page 42]into the Face, as a French Writer hath affirmed, whose Name was Flamand; and the same also is affirmed by Cook, in his Marrow of Surgery.

Cold Water is an absolute Cure for all small Cuts in the Fingers or other Parts; for if when cut, you close the Cut up with the Thumb of your other Hand, keeping it so closed for a quarter or half an Hour, this will infallibly stop the Bleeding: after which, if you double up a Linnen Rag five or six times, dip it in cold Water, and apply it to the Part, binding it on fast. This, by preventing Inflammation and a Flux of Humours, will give Nature time soon to heal it without any other Application, as is seen in the common Practice of Surgeons when they let a Man blood; for all the Appli­cation they make to the Vein so cut, is a Pledget of Linnen dipt in cold Water, and bound on with a Fillet: for all Wounds without loss of Substance will heal of themselves, if Inflammation is prevented, and the Lips of the Wound are kept close together.

We also are told by Van Heydon, that in his time some were of an opinion, that a Person bit by a mad Dog might be pre­served from that Symptom, call'd, The [Page 43]Fear of Water, which generally follows and proves so mortal, by applying cold Water to the Place bitten: And this, he says, they conceive to be no unlikely thing, if there is any credit to be given to what Cornelius Celsus writes, who saith, that the only Remedy in this case is to throw the Party who is in this Condition, or hath the Fear of Water upon him, into a Pond or River, and when plunged over Head and Ears, to keep him in the Wa­ter till filled with it, whether he will or no; and by this means both his Thirst and Dread of Water will be cured. For if this Immersion be of use when the Party is so far gone, why should it not be of greater force in preserving from it, if spee­dily applied and repeated? Now tho this is mention'd by him as a probable Opi­nion, yet Experience in our days shews, That the plunging the Patient into the salt Water either of the River of Thames, about Gravesend, or in the salt Springs in Cheshire, is an infallible means to pre­vent any Evil succeeding the Bite of a mad Dog; they must indeed be dipt so often, as to be almost drown'd before the Danger is over; but 'tis a question whe­ther the Saltness of the Water contributes any thing to this Cure, since Boer have, the present Professor at Leyden, affirms, That when Men bitten by a mad Dog are [Page 44]arrived to the Fear of Water, call'd an Hydrophobia, they may be cured, by blind­ing the Patient's Eyes, and throwing of him into a Pond of Water often, till he seems not to be afraid of it, or but very little, and then force him to drink large Quantities.

And we are told by Dr. Browne, that a Person troubled with the Falling Sick­ness, by happening to fall into a cold Spring, (I suppose it was in the time of his Fit) was freed from his Distemper all his Life after: and he saith there is no need of preparing the Body for it in this, as in some other Cases. But the Patient, when plunged into a cold Bath, ought to continue in the Bath each time about three or four Minutes: for in plunging over head and ears at his first Entrance into a cold Bath, the Brain will be so sen­sibly affected, as to be relieved from the Distemper, which is a kind of Convul­sion proceeding from an Inflammation, or some other Cause; but we want more Experiments to confirm this Notion: Which Notion may be worth noting, that the thing may be tried in others, to see whether it will succeed as it did in this Person. For 'tis said by the ingenious Dr. Pitcairn, a Scotchman, some time Professor at Leyden, that there is no such [Page 45]thing as the Art of Physick, but Reme­dies were found out by chance, p. 264. of his Works; for if Physick were an Art as certain in its Rules, as the Rules are that belong to Musick, or to Watch-making, Physicians would as seldom be mistaken in their Prescriptions, as the others are in their Designs. But when Remedies happen to be discover'd, and prove often to be ef­fectual, the remembring that Remedy, to apply it in a like case, often brings Reputation to the Prescriber; and if it fails, some other Experiment must be tried, which, were Physick an Art, need not be done.

'Tis also said by the same Dr. Browne, that Madness and Melancholy, with all their Retinue, may find better Effects from the Use of bathing in cold Water, than from other violent Methods, with which People so afflicted are now treated; for, says he, that which will make a drunken Man sober in a minute, will certainly go a great way towards the Cure of a Madman in a month. Now 'tis most certain, to my own Knowledge, that if a drunken Man be plunged over head and ears in cold Water, he will come out of it perfectly sober: And some I have known, that in such cases have been recover'd by barely washing their Heads [Page 46]in cold Water. And the forementioned Opinion of Dr. Browne is confirmed by the Practice of Dr. Blair, who, in a Let­ter to Dr. Baynard, declares, That he cu­red a Man raving mad, who being bound in a Cart, stript of his Clothes, and blind­folded, that the Surprize might be the greater; he on a sudden had a great Fall of Water let down upon him from the height of twenty foot, under which he continued so long as his Strength would permit: and after his Return home, he fell into a Sleep, and slept twenty-nine Hours, and awaked in as quiet a State of Mind as ever, and so had continued to the time of the writing that Letter, which was twelve Months.

Which Relation seems to make that a more probable Truth, which was related in a Letter from Sir John Floyer to Dr. Browne, and printed by that Doctor; wherein it is said, that in Normandy they immerse Fools, or dip them in cold Wa­ter, to cure them: a hot Brain being the Cause, perhaps, of several Disorders in the Understanding, and is in great part found to be true, in the ridiculous Behaviour of some drunken Men, which, when their Heads are become cool, abhor what they before did do or say. Now if such Dipping would cure Fools among us, great Num­bers [Page 47]might be made more happy than they are.

Dr. Browne, in his Discourse of Cold Baths, affirms likewise, that to bathe in cold Water hath been found to be the quickest, safest, and pleasantest Cure for the King's Evil; and he tells us, in p. 85. of a Yorkshire Gentleman, who was grievously afflicted with this Distemper, having great Ulcers in the Glands of his Neck, which were so much inflamed, as to bring him very low; but being advised by Dr. Baynard to bathe in the Cold Bath, he in a Month's time was perfectly cured, his Ulcers being healed up, con­trary to the Opinion of the most learned Physicians.

We also find mention, in the Description of the Scottish Islands, of an odd Remedy commonly made use of there for the Cure of the Jaundice; which is this: They strip the Party naked, lay him upon the Ground on his Belly, and pour unawares upon his Back a Pail of cold Water. And also Pains in the Joints, as Dr. Curtis tells us, will be cured, by holding the Part under the Stream of a Pump or Cock; and fomenting with cold Water is commended as good to assuage hot Swel­lings. And I know a Person who had [Page 48]often been subject to blood-shot or in­flamed Eyes, who afterwards, upon the beginning of the same Distemper, took, by Advice, a Ball of linnen Rags, dipt them in cold Water, and applied them to the Part, cooling them by new dipping as oft as they grew hot: which Applica­tion was continued three Hours, in which time the Humour was so repelled, as to be troublesome no more; for the Party, to my knowledge, hath had no sign of that Distemper since, tho the same had been very troublesome many times be­fore.

It is also advised by Dr. Gideon Har­vey, to wash the Eyes well twice a day in cold Water, as the best Remedy to prevent Defluxions on them, and preserve the Eye-sight, which it greatly comforts. And this I have found true for many Years, my Eyes being often apt to be dim and stiff on a sudden, so that I could scarce open my Eye-lids; which, upon washing for a minute with fair Water, hath been felt no more till a good while after. Be­sides which Benefit to the Eyes, Authors say it is also good to preserve the Memo­ry, if the whole Forehead be washed twice a day; which is a certain Cure for itching in the Eyes, as Authors tell us.

Some People are troubled with a Callo­sity, or Hardness of the Bottoms of their Feet, which is so troublesome, as to be a hindrance to their easy walking; for which a Cure is prescribed by Dr. Cook, that is, to soak them well in warm Wa­ter, till the Hardness is soften'd, and then scrape it off with the Edge of a Knife: and if the Feet burn with any unnatural Heat, the bathing often in hot Water will cool them, by giving vent to what offends.

And the plentiful drinking of Water is commended in the Scurvey, by Dr. Pit­cairn, to dissolve the Scorbutick Salts, and carry them out by Urine, whether they are Acids or Alkalies; and myself having formerly been extremely troubled with the Scurvey, which often made me faint and weak, and my Pulse so low as scarce­ly to be felt, I found at last that the Pulse would infallibly rise upon drinking a Pint or more of cold Water, and in a little time I should become brisk and strong: For I have often found that upon a Disorder of the Stomach, the Strength of the bodily Members soon would fail, and would easily be recovered when the Dis­order of the Stomach was removed; and have, by long Experience, found that [Page 50]nothing conduceth so much to bodily Strength as a Stomach in right Order, which requires Temperance and cooling Drink.

To what hath been already said, I will add an Account, taken from a credible Person, of a Man in the Parish of Shore­ditch, who was desperately ill of an Asth­ma, or Shortness of Breath, and deep Consumption, for which he had tried ma­ny Remedies to no purpose. At length he was advised by a Physician, being poor, to drink no other Drink but Wa­ter, and eat no other Food but Water-gruel, without Salt or Sugar; which Course of Diet he continued for three Months, finding himself at first to be somewhat better, and at the three Months end he was perfectly cured; but, for Se­curity-sake, he continued in that Diet a Month longer, and grew strong and fat upon it. But his Diet he had no mind to, till he was thorowly hungry, and then he eat with pleasure; in which perhaps consisted the best part of his Cure, it be­ing an Advantage to Health never to eat till Hunger calls for Food.

And I remember a young Woman, who was a Burnisher of Silver, who had a desperate Cough, for which she had [Page 51]taken many things of an Apothecary to no purpose; at length the Journey man told her, his Master said, he could do more: but, said the Fellow, I would advise you every Morning to wash about and behind your Ears, and upon your Temples, and on the Mould of your Head with cold Water; which she told me she did, and in about a Week's time was perfectly cured of her Cough.

There are divers other Cases where in the Use of Water hath done much good. I knew an antient Practiser in Physick, who told me, That in many Difficulties of making water, he had advised the Par­ty to put his Yard into Water as hot as he could endure it, which, in a Minute, did cause him to make water; and that Women have had the same Benefit by sitting over hot Water. And he often had advised them who were costive, and went to Stool with great difficulty, to set over a Pot with hot Water in it; which soon was attended with an easy Digestion, the Body drawing up the Vapour, which did provoke Expulsion without much strain­ing.

And it hath been observed, that froward Children have been made much more quiet, by washing their lower Parts eve­ry [Page 52]Morning with Water, to wash off the fretting Salts of their Urine, which usu­ally stick in the Pores of the Skin, and are fretful and uneasy, and nothing cures their Soreness about those Parts like it. Nor is there are any thing more effectual to cure Men, who are gauled with Ri­ding, than to wash themselves well, when they go to bed, with cold Water; and washing the bare Breast and Neck every Morning with cold Water, will make those hardy who before were apt at every turn to take Cold.

In short, Water, when rightly made use of, doth appear, from the Accounts be­fore-mentioned, very effectual to pre­vent and cure many Diseases, but more especially the inward Use thereof: for to use the words of the ingenious Dr. Cur­tis, in his Essay for the Preservation and Recovery of Health; The habitual Use of Water for common Drink pre­serves the native Ferment of the Sto­mach in due Order, keeps the Blood tem­perate, and helps to spin out the Thread of Life to the longest Extent of Nature; it makes the Rest at Night more quiet and refreshing, the Reason and Under­standing more clear, the Passions less dis­orderly; and, in case of eating too much, a large Draught of cold Water vastly [Page 53]exceeds any other Cordial to cause Dige­stion; Water being not so cold and lifeless, he saith, as many do imagine. Besides which Commendation of it by this Doc­tor, 'tis certainly a Drink that will not ferment in the Stomach, nor turn sour, as Wine and strong Malt Drinks will do, to the hindering of a good Digestion, which all Acidity in the Stomach cer­tainly doth, when it abounds there; and is best corrected by weakening or making it less sour, by drinking good Store of Water, as the Experience of above forty Years Practice hath assured myself and many others. For tho Water is counted a contemptible Drink, yet by beginning to make use of it at about thirty years of Age, before which I was often out of Or­der, and continuing the Use of it ever since, drinking very little Wine or strong Drink, I have attained to the Age of se­venty-four Years; when Thousands, in the mean time, who delight only in drinking strong Beer, Wine, and Brandy, have not lived half so long: which maketh good that Saying in the Scriptures, That Wine is a Mocker, and strong Drink is Ra­ging, and he who is deceived thereby is not wise; Prov. 20.1. since it no ways contributes to long Life; for 'tis certain that Thousands in the World live as long who drink no strong Drink, as any Drin­kers [Page 54]of it do. Some indeed, from an ex­traordinary Strength of Nature, have been hard Drinkers, and yet die old; but for one who does this, perhaps an hun­dred are destroyed by it before they come to half the time of Life: and generally we shall find that very strong and heal­thy Constitutions, at the long Run, are ruined by Riot and Excess, there being no certain Safety in any way of Living but that of Temperance and Moderation. Nature in some may, a long time, with­stand the Abuses offered to it, but at last it will yield to its Enemies; and those who live the longest in an intemperate Course, might, from the Strength of their Constitution, have lived much longer, had they eat less, and used themselves to drink more Water; which Drink, as it is most friendly, and longest will preserve the Life of a strong Constitution, so 'tis ab­solutely necessary for those that are weak and sickly, and are naturally subject to the Gout, the Stone, Shortness of Breath, Wind, Ill Digestion, and such like.

But the chief Use of Water in pre­serving of Health, is by using of it as a Vomit, as before was shewn, which is the most infallible Remedy that ever was found out for any Stomach-Sickness, or Pain there; for to vomit with warm [Page 55]Water will effectually remove it, and be a means to prevent great Fits of Sickness, and preserve the Lives of many Thou­sands to Old Age, by cleansing the Sto­mach from that tough, slimy, or corrupt Matter that offends, and is the Cause of all mortal Diseases; especially of an Apo­plexy, which tho' counted a Disease of the Head, yet hath its Original from a foul Stomach, which nothing doth so ef­fectually cleanse as Vomits: according to that of Dr. Curtis, who saith, That Vo­miting, with warm Water, or Carduus Tea, is very beneficial to bring up that which fluctuates in the Stomach, and that tough ropy Phlegm which sticks fast to the Wrinkles and Foulds of that Bowel, and which Purges do often pass over, and cannot remove. Which way of Vo­miting, with warm Water, is ten times more easy and pleasant than that which is effected by the Use of a nauseous Tea made of Carduus, which Physicians do sometimes advise; and 'tis also such as can do no harm by Violence, as other Vo­mits made from Antimony sometimes do.

And here it may not be amiss to relate what I some Years ago discovered, in order to Mens freeing themselves from Sickness that may happen after eating; for being invited to dine at a certain Table, where [Page 56]there were several good Dishes of Meat, I was over-persuaded to eat more than I should do, and in a little time after Din­ner found myself begin to be sick. I went out, and in a private Place attempted to vomit, by tickling my Throat with my Finger, but could not vomit as I designed to do; only by this means I raised up two or three mouthfuls of thick tough Phlegm, upon which I found myself better, and my sick Qualm went off. I took the Hint it gave me, and have done the same several times since, and find that the get­ting up the Phlegm, which like Yest up­on Beer works up to the Mouth of the Stomach, a Man may free himself from some kinds of Sickness after eating. And I remember it is an Advice given by one Vaughan, in a Book long since printed, intitled, Directions for Health, for Men who feed high, to put their Finger in their Throat when they rise in the Morn­ing, to make themselves puke, or avoid the Phlegm which can be raised, as an excellent way to preserve Health; and 'tis said also to be an absolute Preservative from the Gout.

I will conclude with this Note, That in such Distempers where Water-drinking will be available for a Cure, the same must not be drank sparingly, but plenti­fully, [Page 57]as to ease the Gripings in a Looseness or Flux: for if but a Pint of Water should be drank, Ease would hardly succeed; but drinking in about an hour's time a Quart or three Pints, the Sharpness and evil Quality of the Humour offending will be so far diluted or weakened, that immediate Ease will follow. If the Sea­son be too cold to drink cold Water, you may warm it a little upon the Fire, or put a hot Toast of Bread into every Pint; and the same is true in Fevers, or in Pains from Gravel or the Cholick; for a small Quantity will not be effectual in these Cases: which ought carefully to be noted, for in a Fever a little Water will rather in­crease the Burning, which large Draughts; often drank, will soon take off. Rest, Fast­ing, and drinking much Water, after a Vomit or two, is a Course that ne­ver yet hath failed to Cure Fevers, by clearing the Stomach of that sordid Fil­thiness which causeth the Distemper; for a happy Issue will certainly follow such a Course, if the Fever is simple, and not complicated with other Distempers, which will resist all Remedies: and in many Cases nothing can prevent Mortality, as is evident by the Death of the best Physi­cians as well as others.

I will add to what hath been said, one Experiment more, that is very material: And that is, being very hypochondriacal, and of a melancholy Temper, I have of­ten been strangely dejected in Mind when under Grief, for some Misfortunes, which sometimes hath been so great, as to threa­ten Danger to Life; in which Fits of Grief I always found the Parts within my Breast uneasy, and sometimes they have continued long: but now I have found a good Remedy, for upon drinking a Pint of cold Water, I find ease in two or three Mi­nutes, so that no Grief seems to afflict. Which Experience I discover for the sake of others in the same Circumstances, be­ing verily persuaded that the Seat of Grief is in the Stomach, which sympathizeth with the Mind, and thereby becomes the Cause of that uneasy Sensation and Pain perceived there; for which, cold Water I have found to be the best Remedy in myself, and I believe others may find the same Benefit, who will make use thereof upon the like Occasion.

There is also another Experiment that I have often seen of good effect; and that is, that if Persons subject to what is cal­led Vapours, or that are afflicted with Fits, commonly call'd The Fits of the [Page 59]Mother, will but drink Water when they find their Fits approach, it will imme­diately yield Relief. There is in this case a mealy Julep prescribed by Dr. Bates, which is to take a Spoonful of fine Wheat Flower, an Ounce of fine Sugar, and a Pint of Water, brew them toge­ther, and drink it off: This is pleasanter than Water alone; but Water of itself will be as effectual, or rather better.

Some perhaps may desire to know how to distinguish good from bad Water; and the way to do this, is by the Taste and Scent: for if it have no Taste nor Smell, being purely fresh, not salt, nor sweetish, nor ill-scented, 'tis good, provided it be pure and clear; of which kind is the com­mon Water used in London, when well settled, or in fair Weather. As for those who are curious, and will be at the Charge, they may procure the best Water for Drink by Distillation, either in an A­lembick, or in a cold Still used in draw­ing any cold Water from Herbs, for no earthy or metallick Substance, nor any kind of Salt, will rise in Distillation: so that the Water so distilled will be pure and admirable to drink when cold, and will keep as long from stinking as any of the cold-distilled Water in the Apotheca­ries Shops; according to what Dr. Quincy [Page 60]hath affirmed about it in his Dispensa­tory.

Those who have not the Convenience of Distillation, may boil it a little as they do for Tea; for then, when kept a while after it is cold, in will become more fine, by suffering any Mixture contained in it to settle to the bottom of the Vessel wherein it is contained, and that will ren­der it still more pure.

Since the collecting together the fore­mentioned Accounts, I have met with a Book written by Dr. Boerhave, the pre­sent Professor of Physick at Leyden in Holland, who affirms, that drinking Wa­ter made very warm is a good Remedy to pacify griping Pains in the Stomach; and that 'tis proper to bathe Wounds in the Face with it, when they come to be just healed, so that the Place be kept con­tinually wet, which I conceive is best done by applying often linnen Cloths wet; and binding them on till they begin to be dry, will prevent Scars: And he saith, that warm Water is better to atte­nuate or thin the Blood than cold Water.

There is also published a Book of Ex­periments made with Water, by Dr. Han­cock, a Divine, call'd Febrisugum Mag­num; [Page 61]wherein he saith, that drinking a Pint or a Quart of cold Water in Bed, will raise a copious Sweat, and cure all burning Fevers, which at once taking hath done the business: it will raise a Sweat without much more Covering than ordinary. And he further affirms, that the same taken at the beginning of the cold Fit of an Ague, and sweating upon it, at two or three times, taking will cure that Distemper. A large Quantity of hot Water, I know, hath been advised to hin­der the cold Fit, but the Party was not order'd to sweat.

And he saith he hath had long Expe­rience of curing common Colds with cold Water; and this is done by drinking a large Draught of Water at going to bed, another in the Night, and another in the Morning: which, he saith, will soon thic­ken and sweeten, and digest that thin sharp Rheum, that provokes Coughing to no purpose; for the Rheum, when thin, is hard to be brought up, but when thic­ken'd, it will come up easily, and the Cough will soon go off. Which agrees with what I before affirmed from my own long Experience.

He also affirms from his own Expe­rience, that using sometimes to take a [Page 62]Walk of eight or ten Miles in a Morning, he found that Water gave twice as good Breath for that purpose as Wine or Ale; and if it would do this for a Man who had no Asthma, he doubts not but it would do the same in one troubled with one. And he also affirms Water to be the best Remedy for a Surfeit, to the truth of which I can testify by long Ex­perience.

He also affirms, that drinking cold Wa­ter hath been found good in Rheuma­tisms, and that to one so afflicted he had advised to drink it as he lay in his Bed, and it took off the Fit; but if hot Water attenuates the Blood most, as Boerhave affirms, 'tis then best to drink of it warm daily to a good quantity: for, as Pitcairn observes, 'tis then the best Dissolver of all kinds of Salts in the Body, which it will carry off in the Urine, if drank plen­tifully; for by Urine all Salts are eva­cuated.

And it is his Opinion, from the long Experience he hath had of the Effect of Water in keeping the Stomach in order, and making it tight and strong to perform its Operations, and digest all Humours, that it will cure the Gout in the Stomach; and perhaps it may do it better than [Page 63]Wine, which I have known to fail. And I do not wonder that the same Liquor which is the principal Cause of the Gout in other Parts, should not be a help in that Part, but rather kill, as it often is found to do.

In short, he affirms, and that with great reason, that Sweating in Fevers by drinking cold Water, is more natural than to do it with hot Sudorificks, which often do harm in the beginning of Fevers, ex­cept good store of cooling moistening Li­quors are drank with them, they being more apt to inflame, than cool and quench Heat in the Body; and for that reason it hath not been often advised by Physicians, because they were ignorant of this cold way of Sweating to cure Fevers.

Which Cure, he said, did succeed in one who was his Relation, at the fifth Day after his falling sick; to whom he gave a Dose of Water after he was in bed, and he sweated profusely for 24 Hours, and thereby was cured. Half a Pint, he saith, is enough for a grown Child: a Pint to a Man or Woman, tho if they drink a Quart, it will be better. In Scarlet-Fevers, Small-Pox, Measles, tho the Water will not cause Sweat, yet it will so quell and keep under the Fever, that the Eruptions will [Page 64]come out more kindly, which is a Confir­mation of what before was said about Dr. Betts's prescribing two Quarts of Water when the Small-Pox did not come out kindly.

And he sets down an Account of the Author of the Free-Thinker, concerning a Woman, who in the last great Plague fell ill of that Distemper, who got her Hus­band to fetch her a Pitcher of Water from Lamb's-Conduit; she drank plentifully of it, but did not avoid the Cold, and so did not sweat, however she was cured. And he gives us another Relation of an Englishman formerly Resident at Morocco, that fell ill of the Plague at that Place, and getting Water to drink, fell into a vi­olent Sweat, and recover'd: from whence he concludes that Water is good in the Plague.

I will here add to what the Doctor hath said concerning the Cure of Fevers, That if the Fever be accompanied in the beginning with any Illness at the Stomach nauseating or vomiting, it will be the su­rest and safest Practice to clear the Sto­mach first, by vomiting with warm Wa­ter, as before hath been prescribed; for I cannot believe it possible for the Stomach to be cleared from foul Humours by [Page 65]sweating: it may do, if no great sense of Disorder is perceived there, but it will certainly be safest to cleanse the Stomach first, which is the Place where all Dis­eases are originally begun; for then sweating with cold Water afterwards may turn to good account. Indeed I have not made any trial of it since the Doctor's Book was published, but I have a very good opinion of his Experience upon all the Accounts therein given concerning the Benefit of Water, having had so much Experience thereof in my own Practice for above forty Years; for so long it is since I first began to collect those Ac­counts, and make those Experiments, which are herein made publick for the Be­nefit of all.

And thus, for the common Good of Mankind of all Ranks and Degrees, I have collected together all the Accounts I have observed in Physick-Books relating to the Use of common Water in preventing and curing Diseases; to which I have added some Experiments, which by numerous Trials I can warrant as sure and certain, especially that of curing any Sickness in the Stomach upon the Spot, by vomiting with warm Water: which is an Experi­ment, that, if put into common Practice, would prevent many thousand Fits of [Page 66]Sickness in a year among Mankind, and a great number of untimely Deaths; for it takes away the Cause of all Stomach-Sickness, which is the Root of, or first Beginning of most of the Evils that afflict the Body.

I shall conclude all with this Advertise­ment, That if this finds a kind Acceptance, the Author intends to publish a Collection he hath made out of the best Writings relating to Physick, of such Receipts as are most commended in all Distempers, and made up of the fewest Ingredients, and easiest to be had, all reduced under their proper Heads; which, I doubt not, will prove very useful on many accounts, be­yond any Collection of that nature. The Collection was begun above forty Years since for my own use, without any design originally to make them publick; but since we are not born for ourselves only, I am persuaded to let others partake of the Be­nefit of my Labour, if I can do it with the Prospect of any suitable Encourage­ment, from the kind Reception this may meet with among those who desire Health, whi [...]h is best attained to by the most un­compounded Remedies in times of Sick­ness.

Some RULES for pre­serving Health by Diet, collected from Physical Authors.

IN a little Treatise, entitled, Kitchin-Physick, written by Dr. Cook, the Author declares, he can hardly be told of any Disease which he cannot relieve or cure, by a proper Diet, p. 3 [...]. And in the same Book we find his Opinion to be this, That all tender sickly People, and all aged and decrepid Persons, ought to eat often, and but a little at a time, because weak and wasted Bodies are to be restored by little and little; and by moist and liquid Food also, rather than by solid, because moist and liquid Diet does nourish soonest, and digest easiest.

Those, he saith, that eat much, and get little Strength by eating, shew, that they have used themselves to too full a Diet; and the more you cramb such Bodies, the less they thrive by it, but rather grow worse and worse: because by much feeding you do but add to the bad Humours wherewith the Body is already filled, which should rather be wasted by purging a little, and using a spare Diet.

And a spare Diet he describes to be this, That we never eat at once till the Appe­tite is fully satisfied, and never to eat till you have an Appetite; and Men never have a true Appetite till they have a De­sire to eat any ordinary Food, or that a Piece of Bread will please the Relish of the Tongue: And he adviseth to keep constantly to a plain Diet; for those, he says, enjoy most Health, and live longest, that avoid Curiosity and Variety of Meats and Drinks, which only serve to entice to Gluttony, and so work our Ruin.

Another saith, that liquid Meats are better for weakly People than solid, and the less Food the sick Person eats, the sooner he will recover; for 'tis a true Saying, The more you fill foul Bodies, the more you hurt them. The Stomach being the Place where Diseases begin, when that Part therefore is weak, and out of order, and cannot make a good Digestion, raw or [Page 69]crude Humours must needs be bred, and bad Humours cannot produce good Blood.

All Men do find by Experience, that in the Morning before they have eaten, they are light and pleasantly easy in their Bo­dies; but after they have indulged their Appetites with Plenty of Food, they find themselves heavy and dull, and often sleepy: which sufficiently shews that those full Meals are prejudicial to the Welfare of the Body; for a moderate Meal would have continued the Ease and Lightsomness they before found in themselves, and would have refreshed any Faintness that Emptiness might occasion. And he cer­tainly, who useth the most simple Meats and Drinks, avoideth the Snare of pro­voking his Appetite beyond the Necessities of Nature; whereas Variety enticeth to a fresh Desire of every Dainty, till at last the Stomach is gorged, and made uncapa­ble of performing a good Digestion; and this produceth those Crudities, which are the Cause of all Diseases.

'Tis generally observed, that the most unhealthy among the Gentry are those who feed high upon the most delicious Dain­ties, and drink nothing but the strongest and most spirituous Liquors; whereas the Poor, who want this delicate Fare, and never eat of their own plain Diet to Ex­cess, are seldom sick, except they have [Page 70]such unsatiable Appetites as to eat too much, which a Man may do of the plain­est Diet, whose Belly is his God.

Dr. Pratt adviseth to sup sparingly; for to sup sparingly, he saith, is most health­ful, because of the Experience of an infi­nite Number of Persons who have re­ceived the greatest Benefit from light Suppers. For the Stomach being not over­burdened, the Sleep is more pleasant; and from sparing Suppers the breeding of those Humours are prevented, which cause Defluxions, Rheumatisms, Gouts, Dropsies, Giddiness, and Corruption in the Mouth from the Scurvey is prevent­ed; and from light Suppers a Freedom from Sickness and Reaching in the Morn­ing is obtained, and Concoction is made perfect, which prevent Obstructions.

Another saith, It is well known, that many Indispositions are cured by Fasting, or a very spare Diet; for what is taken into the Stomach being no more than can be well digested, the chylous Juice, so prepared, is conveyed into the Lacteal Vessels, and from thence into the Blood: so that Nature being duly supplied with well-prepared Nourishment, the corrupted Blood will get free from that Corruption in time, by throwing it out, through the Pores of the Skin, by Perspiration, and supply itself with the purer Juices; and [Page 71]in this way Consumptions and Scurveys, and other Chronical Distempers, will be overcome.

That Men in Health may prevent Dis­eases, 'twas advised, that one Meal should not be eaten, till the other, which was eaten before, was passed off clean out of the Stomach; which never is done till the Appetite of Hunger is found to call for another Supply: by means of which con­stant Observation, the Food will be con­verted into good Chyle, and from good Chyle, which is a milky Substance, good Blood will be bred, and from good Blood generous Spirits will be produced, out of which a healthy Constitution will ensue; but, on the contrary, too great a Quanti­ty of Food being taken for pleasure only, which the Stomach cannot well digest, the Chyle will be raw and corrupt, which will foul the Blood, and render the Body disorderly and unhealthful.

Others say, that Abstinence and Sobri­ety free from most Dieases, especially Ca­tarrhs, Coughs, Wheesings, Giddiness, Pain in the Head and Stomach, sudden Death, Lethargies, Gout, and Sciatica, an ill Digestion being the Cause of all these; it also prevents Pain in the Spleen, Stone, and Gravel, and a dry Itch; it makes the Body vigorous and nimble, maintains the five Senses in a good State, preserveth the Memory, quickens the [Page 72]Wit, and quencheth all undue Lust in Mankind.

Two Meals a day is sufficient for all Persons after fifty Years of Age, and all weak People; for the omitting of Suppers, does always conduce much to the Health of the Weak and Aged: since if no Sup­per be eaten, the Stomach will soon free itself from all tough slimy Humours wherewith it is slabbered over on the In­side, and thereby the Appetite will be renewed, and Digestion made more strong and vigorous. Moreover, all that are troubled with Sweating in the Night, any ill Taste in their Mouths, belching, and troublesome Dreams, must avoid Sup­pers; for in Sleep the Fibres of the Sto­mach relax, and are not able to contract themselves so strongly, as when awake, to embrace the Food, and by Trituration reduce it into a Pap fit to pass out into the other Bowels, called the Guts, out of which the Nourishment is sent to other Parts.

'Twas said by Dr. Curtis, that though those, who use a spare Diet, cannot well bear long Labour; yet such People, when their Exercise is suitable to their Strength, do live longer than those of a robust Constitution, that think large feeding adds Strength; especially such as being strong, use no Exercise proportionable to it, to consume the Superfluities which a [Page 73]full Feeding doth occasion; which is the Case of Men of great Estates, who live longest to enjoy them, and do good with them, the more temperate they live.

This Temperance doth consist in not letting the common Custom of Meals in­vite you to eat, except your Appetite concur with those Times. We must not indulge the Cravings of a depraved Ap­petite, as those do who eat to please their Fancy, and not the Necessities of Nature; and when we do eat, we must not think that the more plentifully we eat, we shall be more strengthened, for it will not prove so: a little well digested will make the Body stronger, than the being glutted with Superfluity, most of which will be turned into a corrupt Juice, and must be cast out, or else Sickness will ensue.

It is the Opinion of learned Men, that the early Distemper of the Body, called the Rickets, proceeds from the Fault of their Mothers, in making them Gluttons from their Cradles, gorging them with Food till they loath it, out of a mistaken Opinion, that this is the way to make them thrive and grow strong: which Excess is not only the Cause of this Disease, but of the immature Death of many; and in others it lays the Foun­dation of many Distempers, which afflict them afterwards who live to Years of [Page 74]Maturity; and as they gorge them with Food, so they vainly think to cherish them with strong Drink, than which no­thing can be more pernicious to the Health of Children; whose Diet should be little and often, and their Drink cool­ing: As it also should be when they ar­rive at the time of becoming new Chil­dren in Old Age; that is, in an helpless State, which should be prevented as much as can be, by a cooling moistening Diet, in opposition to the hot, and dry, and withered State of their second Childhood; for 'tis then Heat and Dryness that are the Cause of most of their Miseries, and the wasting of the Substance that fills the Parts with Moisture, and keeps the Body plump.

It was the Opinion of Dr. Pitt, who was formerly Physician to St. Bartholo­mew's Hospital, that Fasting, Rest, and drinking Water would cure most Disea­ses; and there seemeth to be a great deal of Reason in what he asserted. For Fasting will give time to the Stomach to unload itself of the Cause of Distem­pers, the Cause of all Diseases being be­gun in that Bowel only; to which clean­sing, the drinking of Water plentifully will much contribute, which also will keep the Action of the Stomach upon the Hinges, by filling of it when empty, at which time there will be need of Rest, [Page 75]for thereby the Body will be less fit for Business: tho the mere drinking of Wa­ter, which affords Nourishment sufficient for the Growth and Support of all Ve­getables, will, in some measure, supply the want of Food, as hath been shewn in the Example of two, who were sup­ported a long time by nothing else. In short, the best way for a sick Man to recover, is to eat no Food till he finds an Appetite, according to that Saying,

Spare Diet will the most Diseases cure,
If a due Time you can the same endure.

And fasting from Food may be continued long enough to be a Remedy for many Diseases, by the Assistance of common Water; by the drinking of which hot, in a due Quantity, without a total Fasting, two Persons, I am informed, were reco­vered out of Consumptions, by which they were extremely weakened, and that in about six Weeks time; as was another by drinking Milk and Whey, equal Parts, made blood hot, without using any o­ther Diet, which is thought to be far more effectual than Asses Milk.

But besides a spare Diet, good cool dry Air is also very helpful to preserve Men in Health, for it mixes with the Blood, and without it the Motion of the Blood and Spirits can never be preserved, as ap­pears [Page 76]by Diving-Vessels, in which Men cannot live when the Air therein is made hot by their own Body and Breath: And is proved also by an Experiment of Dr. Crone's, who stifled a Chicken, till it seem'd quite dead; and yet by blowing cool Air into the Lungs, with a small Pair of Bellows, it revived. Hence it ap­pears, that the common Custom of ma­naging sick People is very pernicious, and so far from helping them to recover, that 'tis sufficient to make a healthy Person sick; for were a Person, who was not sick, confined for three or four Weeks in a Room, made hot like a Stove, and confined to his Bed, with the Curtains drawn, and all the Windows close shut, and perfumed with the nauseous Fumes of Physick, which will almost make a fresh Man sick when he just enters into it; we can never think that this is the way to recover one that really is sick, and wants the fresh Air to cherish his Blood; a fresh open Air being the principal means to strengthen the Body, make a good Appe­tite and Digestion, and render the Spi­rits brisk and lively: which Advantage should be allowed to all but Childbed Women, and those who are afflicted with the Small-Pox; for the fresh Air can be prejudicial to no other, whose Bodies are clothed warm, either in Bed, or sitting up.

FINIS.

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