FOR the Benefit of Mankind in general, I have taken Pairs 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 the Benefits thereof from others by Word of Mouth; and of what I have discovered by my own Experience, from frequent Trials during a Time that hath intervened from that of Thirty to Seventy four Years of Age: Which is sufficient to confirm the stupendious 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 where ever there are any Habitati­ons, which is what can hardly be said of any other Thing: So that in some Sense, Water may be truly sty­led, 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.

Excellency of Water. The first Commendation of Common Water that I shall mention, is that which is written concerning it by Dr. Manwaring, in his Method & 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 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 spiritous 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 Appe­tites, hardly ever to be restored without drinking Wa­ter, which seldom faileth of procuring a good Appe­tite and a strong Digestion. With which Dr. Baynard does agree in that Affirmation, ‘That Water liquifies and concocts our Food better than any fomented Li­quor whatsoever.’ Hist. of Cold Bathing, p. 440.

Dr. Prat, in his Treatise of Mineral Waters, 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, 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 [Page 5] 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 also said 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 & 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 Liquor 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, That if Men kept their Blood cool and sweet, by a moderate and cooling Diet, they would never be troubled with Ulcers, or other Breakings-out. Which Coolness of the Blood will be well perform'd by drink­ing a large Draught of Water in the Morning, which will carry off the bilious and salt Recrements by Urine. And if Water is drank also after Dinner, it will cool a hot Stomach, and prevent the rising of those Fermenta­tions which cause Winds and Belching after Meat. So that if Persons who are liable to these Disorders, will leave off strong Liquors and a hot Diet, and drink Water, they will procure better Health to themselves than they had before.

Sir John Floyer also, in his Treatise of Cold Baths, does affirm, pag, 109. Edit. 5. That Water-Drinkers are temperate in their Actions, prudent, and ingenious; they live safe from those Diseases which affect the Head; such as Apoplexies, Palsies, Pain, Blindness, Deafness, Gout, Convulsions, Trembling, Madness, and the drink­ing of Water cures the Hiccough, Foetor of the Mouth, and of the whole Body, it resists Putrefaction, and cools burning Heats and Thirsts, and after Dinner it helps [Page 6] Digestion. — And if the Vertues of Cold Water were seriously considered, all Persons would value it as a Great Medicine, in preventing the Stone, Asthma, and Hysteric Fits; and to the Use of this Children ought to be bred up from their Cradles. And in Page 434, he saith, That as Water is in chief the Universal Drink of the World — so it is the best, and most salubrious. And in Page 437, That he hath known where a Regu­lar Drinking of Spring-Water hath done considerable Cures, by Washing off the acrid, scorbutick Salts from the Blood, and strengthning the Coats and Fibres of the Stomach and Bowels, and hath brought on a good Appe­tite, and a strong Digestion.

Having read over an old Book written by one Sir Tho. Elliot, intituled, 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 agreable, 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 Flour, which Dissolvent, he saith, is much depraved by hot spiritous Liquors; and therefore he commends Water above all other Drinks to promote Degestion.

Gout and Hy­pochondriac Me­lancholly. Water drinking is also said by Dr. Allen to be good to prevent Two Deplorable Distem­per, the Gout, & the Hypochondri­ac Melancholly; For, says he, the Gout is generally caused by the too great Drinking of fermented Liquors, [Page 7] and is never said to have assaulted any Drinker of Wa­ter; and he sait [...] also, That Melancholly Hippochon­driac 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 recovered, he by the same Course conti­nued well till I left the place, which was about a Year and an half after.

Gravel. The good Properties of Water are further manifested in preventing the breeding of Gravel in the Kidneys; for Zechias, in Consul. 17. as he is quoted by Salmon, affirms, That nothing does so much abate 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 that 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 intirely free me from those Symptoms, which some out of Ignorance imputed to Witchcraft, so that from that Time to this present I never have been troubled with it.

Stone in the Bladder. Water also is commended as efficacious to prevent the breeding of the Stone in the Bladder, for it hath been observed, that [Page 8] in some who have been cut for the Stone that new Stones have been engendered, so that some young Persons have been cut several Times. Now to prevent 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 adding 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 Ful­ler's Earth, if applied to a Stone taken from the Body. Or the Water may be sweetned with Honey, which is now much in Use among the Gentry, as I am inform'd 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.

Beneficial in Child­bearing. Water is also styled in Sennertu's Works, The Balsam of Children, the drinking of it by the Mother being one of those Things whereby Children may be strengthened in the Womb, and will prevent those Injuries that [Page 9] 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. xiii. 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 Distempers 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 may Rich People find it hard to bring up Children, 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 xxiii. 3. but they seldom taste Wine or strong Drink; whereas the Rich not only seed high, but they also drink strong Drinks, which in most Constitu­tions do over-heat and corrupt 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.

Increases Milk in Women. 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 perswaded to make Use thereof. I have advised many to make use of it, who have found that by drinking a 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 [Page 10] quiet after their Milk is cooled by Water-drinking.

Stays Hun­ger. 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 Shipboard, that had been Pressed 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 was obser­ved to travel as well as the best Man. I find also an Ac­count in Dr. Car's Letters, of a certain crack-brained Man, who, at Leyden, when the Docter 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 smoaked 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 asswage her Hunger by drinking Water, which did satisfy her Appe­tite.

Strengthens weak Chil­dren. Water is also of great Use to strenghen 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. [Page 11] And 'tis said by Sir John Floyer, in his Treatise of Cold Baths, That a Lady in Scotland, who had lost several Children thro' Weakness, did, by the Advice of a High­land Begger Woman, preserve those she had afterwards, by washing them Daily in cold Water. And I myself did advise a Neighbour, whose Children began to be Rick­etty, to treat the Child in the same manner; but she, instead of washing, dipped it over Head and Ears every Morning, it being then in the Summer time: 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 & strength­en Nature.

Swellings from Bruises. It is also a known Custom, to prevent the Swellings that follow Bruises in the Faces of Chil­dren, by immediately applying thereunto a Linnen Cloath four or six times double, dip­ped in cold Water, and now 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 through the Skin, or dissolve them, so as to make them capable of returning back.

Sickness at the Stomach. 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 your self to vomit up again most of the Water, [Page 12] then drink another Quart, and Vomit up that, & 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 viscous 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 first; but if the Sickness hath continued for a Time, it 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 Natare. 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, or 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 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 [Page 13] in an Hour's Time rest [...]es 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 be 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 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 strengthning 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 & 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, Hypochondriac Melancholy, and Falling-Sickness; which Distempers are generally derived from evil Matter contained in the Stomach, as is likewise [Page 14] Giddiness in the Head, and Apoplexies, with 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, about a Year after.

Shortness of Breath. 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 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. So that no­thing but Water ought to be drunk in that Distemper.

Vomiting. 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 [Page 15] of some inward Vessel. And besides this, the offend­ing Matter will be sooner loosened from the internal Part of that Bowel, the Stomach, & 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 Loosness, 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 ordered large Draughts to be given, and some of 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 Loosness to be drank in large Quantities; for thereby, he saith, the currosive and sharp Humours will be so weakened, that they will no more offend: And, he saith, it may be drank cold, if the Patient be strong, otherwise let it be warmed.

Fluxes. And in common Fluxes without Vomiting, 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 the Bloody Flux, did drink a large Quantity of cold 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.

Consumpti­ons. 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 Lymphatic 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 which cau [...]eth 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 any other strong Liquor is pernicious in this Distemper, whose Original is affirm­ed by Dr. Coward to be always in the Stomach.

Flushes. Some there are who are much troubled with flushing Heat in the Face, and others with the 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 being full of Blotches.

Cholick. 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 [Page 17] 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 Cholick, and that many thereby have been cured when all other Remedies failed.

Small-Pox. And in the Small-Pox, Water hath also been proved to be an excellent Drink. Salmon, in his Synopsis Medicine, 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 to 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 Eruption 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.

Burning Fevers. 'Tis also certain, that in what we call Burning Fevers, Water is found to be a safe and effectual Re­medy. It is said by 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 Crosistratus 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 [Page 18] 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 Ancients 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 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 be 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. Quinion, 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; 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 [Page 19] 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 besides this it is a Drink that will not turn soure in the Stomach as all fermented Drinks will do to the Increase of Distempers already be­gun there.

Gout. And as or the Gout, which Dr. Harris saith, in his Anti-Empiric, 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, be 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 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 s [...]me my self have found to be effectual in a 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 Pairs 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 Head-ach from hard Drinking; that Pain proceeding from the [Page 20] same Cause the Gout does, namely, from Heat, as all Pains do, that are not from Bruises.

Inflammatory Distempers. 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, as doubtless it ought to be done in Pleurisie. He also saith, That Water is proper in Head-aches, Catarrhs, Vapours, Falling-Sickness, Dullness of Sight, Melancholly, Short­ness of Breath, Scurvy 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.

Hard Drinking. 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 & 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 Nerves and Si­news since by much Drinking, Men make themselves [...] 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 [...], as to make Men sick; which Sickness will soon be recovered by the drinking cold Water, this being also [Page 21] the best Remedy, if taken largely, for that Heat of U­rine which is often occasioned by Hard-drinking.

Colds. In Colds, Water is the best of all Drinks to prevent Floods or Rheum from the Nose and Mouth, as my long Experience testifies, and the drinking therefore 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 & strong Drink, will contribute much to the Cure. Some order the Water to be drank warm but o­thers say, That the drinking it cold vastly excells the using 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 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, Seventy-eight Years of Age, who for this Ten Years past hath had a great Cough, and spit much tough Phlegm, that this present Winter 1722, hath 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, tho' subject before to Cough very much in the Night; she also Drinks at Bed­time half a Pint of cold Water, and the same Quantity first in the Morning, and finds herself more comforted by it at so great an Age, than Wine hath at any Time af­forded.

Strong-Drinks hurtful to Children. It is generally the 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 [Page 22] 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 Mother's ill Custom of making them Gluttons, by con­stantly cramming their Stomachs with Food, many being thereby destroyed among the Children of the Rich be­fore they come to Years of Maturity; when the Chil­dren of poor Country People, who fare hard, 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 eat less, and 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 engender­eth Wind, and causeth Pain and Gripes: For there is no Pain but is the Consequence of Heat, or inward as well as outward Inflammations.

To what hath been said, may be added this Conside­ration, That when the best Physicians are baffled by some Distempers, they advise their Patients to use the Water of some Mineral Spring; tacitly acknowledging there­by, that all their Prescriptions may be excell'd by Wa­ter. They pretend indeed, to ascribe its Effects to some Minerals with which the Waters are Tinctur'd: But Dr. Baynard, in pag 438. of Sir John Floyer's Cold Bathing, tells of a certain Person who used to frequent Tunbridge, by which he found much Benefit; but being hindered from going thither one Season did drink the same Quanti­ties of Water taken from the Pump of a Spring in his own Yard, which did him as much Service: Whereupon he wrote thus on his Pump:

[Page 23]And, indeed, if we consider how many Diseases and Pains proceed from a sizey, thick Blood, which cannot pass as it ought to do through the finest Pipes that con­veys the Blood to the Parts, pure Water, without Mine­rals, drank to the Quantity of a Quart or three Pints in a Morning, will attenuate or thin the Blood sufficiently: Nothing, as Borchaave affirms, being a greater Diluter of thick Blood, than warm Water drank in great quan­tity. Which to thin the Blood may be best, tho' to strengthen the Stomach, 'tis best drank cold; having the same effect inwardly, in some Cases, as Cold Bathing hath outwardly, its Use outwardly being also great. For,

Burns and Scalds. Water, I have found, by long Experience, to be of excellent Use in Burns & 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 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 will immedi­ately 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 require 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 dipped in Water, you may apply Wa­ter to it, with double Linnen Cloths dipped therein, [Page 24] and new dipped as they grow warm? by which Means I have cured Burns and Scalds in the Face 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 bare-legg'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 read and angry when he went in, did look pale; he put on his Dressings, and came home, and in less than a Fortnight his Ulcer healed up; which doubtless was occasioned by the aba­ting of the Inflamation 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 their 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, whereby he was blown into the Water, and had some of his Fingers blown 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 first: So that there was no Impediment, from Inflammation, to hin­der healing; for the chief Impediment to healing, is In­flammation in Wounds or Ulcers.

Sprains. And as for Strains & Sprains in the Joints, cold Water affords the best and most speedy [Page 25] 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, as I have often found, that, as soon as can be, to put the Part into a Vessel 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 mannner, 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 Hay, 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.

Weakness in the Joynts. Bathing in cold Water hath also been found to be a good Remedy to strengthen Weakness in the Joynts, 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 Ancles: I advised her to dip the Part in cold Water every Morning for a quarter of an Hour, and 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 recovered his Strength in a little Time.

Pain in the Head. Great Pain in the Head hath been also cured by this Means; for we are told by Van Heydon, That one Sir Toby Matthews had for Twenty Years been troubled with great Pain in one side of his Head, and a great Defluction of Rheum from his Nose; but he at last was cured, by applying [Page 26] 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 troubled 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, dipped 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.

Want of Sleep in Fe­vers. The Want of Sleep in Fevers may be cured likewise by the Application of cold Water: For to a near Relation in a Fever, who could not sleep for three Days and three Nights, I ordered a Towel to be several Times folded up, then to be dipped in Water, and a little wrung-out, and so laid upon her Forehead, and to be new dipped as it grew hot; which in about two Hours time so cooled her Head, that she fell into a Sleep, and continued in it five Hours: And I order'd the same to be done the next Night, with the same Success. And we find that Dr. Cockburn, in his Treatise of Sea Diseases, did 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 cold Water only will have the same Effect, as I often have proved.

Swoonings. 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 [Page 27] in an Instant will recover tho' for a Time he seemeth dead, and perhaps might not have recovered in some Ca­ses, if cold Water had not been so applied; such Faint­ings being sometimes deadly, which proceed from poy­sonous Vapours ascending up to the Brain from a foul Stomach; for such Effects there are, as I have found by Experience, 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 In­stand deprived me of all Sense: But being both Times in the Company of a Person who had seen the Thing tri­ed, he dashed some cold Water against my Face, which I remember made me start, as if I had been suddenly awaked. 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 refrain'd from Suppers, having been ever found to die in Sleep.

Bleedings at the Nose. 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 Veins which bleed, that it will put a stop to the bleedings. Such Bleedings have also been stopt by dash­ing cold Water often 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.

Small Cutts. 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 [Page 28] it on. 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 be prevented, and the Lips of the Wound are kept close together.

Bitings of a mad Dog. 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 Sympton, call'd, The 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 & 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 the best 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 Boerhaave, the present Professor at Leyden, affirms, That when Men bitten by a mad Dog are arriv'd 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 [Page 29] often, till he seems not to be afraid of it, or but very little, and then force him to drink large Quantities.

Falling-Sickness. And we are told by Dr. Edw. 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 thing as the Art of Curing, but only the Practice, Remedies were found out by chance, p. 264. of his Works: for when Remedies thus happen to be discover'd, and prove often to be effectual, the remembring that Reme­dy, to apply it in a like case Practice, brings Repu­tation to the Prescriber; but if it fails, some other Experiment must be tried, which, were Physick an Art, need not be done, because the Rules of Art art certain, and Men depend upon them as such.

Madness and Me­lancholy. 'Tis also said by the same Dr. Browne, that Madness & 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 [Page 30] 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 in cold Water. Which fore-mentioned 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 wri­ting that Letter, which was twelve Months. Distracti­ons also in Fevers, of which there are divers Instances in the History of Cold Baths, has been cured by being plunged in cold Water. See pag. 226.

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 might be made more happy then they are by being so dipt.

King's Evil. 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 enflamed, as to bring him very low; but being advised by Dr. [Page 31] 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.

Jaundice. 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 as­swage hot Swellings. And I know a Person who had 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.

Defluctions. 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, & 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, so that I could scarce open my Eye­lids; which, upon washing for a minute with fair Water, hath been felt no more for 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 also is a certain Cure for itching in the Eyes, as Authors tell us. And indeed washing with Water will free Mankind from a troublesome Itching in any o­ther Part of the Body, let it be never so private, as Cook, in his Observations on English Bodies, doth ex­presly declare from Experience.

Callosity. 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.

Scurvy. And the plentiful drinking of Water is commended in the Scurvy whether hot or cold, 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 Scurvy, which often made me faint and weak, and my Pulse so low as scarcely to be felt, did find at last that the Pulse would infallibly rise upon drinking a Pint or more of cold Water, and in a little time I should again become brisk & strong: For I have often observed, that upon a Disorder of the Sto­mach, the Strength of the bodily Members soon would fail, and as easily be recovered when the Disorder of the Stomach was removed; yea, by long Experience, I have found that nothing conduceth so much to bodily Strength as a Stomach in right Order, which requires Temperance & cooling Diet to bring it into Order, when distempered.

Asthma. 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 [Page 33] mind to till he was thorowly hungry, and then he eat it 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.

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

Difficulty in making wa­ter. There are divers other Cases wherein the Use of Water hath done much good. I knew an ancient Practiser in Physick, who told me, That in many Difficulties of making Water, he 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 sit over a Pot with hot Water in it; which soon was attended with an easy Dejection, or Stool, the Body drawing up the Va­pour, which did provoke Expulsion of Excrements with­out much straining.

And it hath been observed, that froward Children have been made much more quiet, by washing their low­er Parts every Morning with Water, to wash off the 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 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 bear Breast every Morning with cold Water, will make those hardy who before were apt at every turn to take [Page 34] Cold. To which I will add this, that Sir Theodore Mayhern affirms in his Medicinal Counsels, that in most Diseases of the Head, there is nothing better than to bathe it with cold Water, which, in a desperate Pain in the Ears upon taking cold, I have found to be true; for the Pain seemeth to Vanish upon applying to it a­bout 30 Minutes, a Towel doubled up often, and wet in cold Water; and tho' it returned again some Hours after, yet Ease was obtained the same way, and the Cure perfected in four times doing: Which Cure of a Pain gotten with Cold, by a cold Application, will not seem so strange, when we consider that in the Northern Countries, Mortifications from Cold are no ways to be cured but by applying cold Snow.

In short, Water when rightly made use of, doth ap­pear from the Accounts beforementioned, very effectual to prevent & 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 & 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 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 my self and many others. For tho' Water is accounted a contemptible Drink, yet by beginning to make use of it at about Thirty Years of [Page 35] 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 delighted only in drinking strong Beer, Wine, and Brandy, have not lived half so long: which makes good that Say­ing in the Scriptures, That Wine is a Mocker, & strong Drink is Raging, and he who is deceived thereby is not wise, Prov. xx. 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 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 & 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.

Useful in Vomiting. But the chief Use of Water in preserving of Health, is by using of it as a Vomit, as before was shewn, which is an infallible and the most speedy Remedy that ever was found out for any Stomach-Sickness, or Pain there; for to vomit with warm Water will effectually remove it in one Hour, 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 [Page 36] 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 Folds 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, for want of drinking after each Vomit a Pint or more of Water-gruel, or warm Water, since you may stop when you please, by forbearing to drink more warm Water, when you vomit with Water.

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 there were several good Dishes of Meat, I was over-perswaded to eat more than I should do, and in a little time after Dinner found my self 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 my self 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 Phelgm, which like Yest upon Beer, works up to the Mouth of the Stomach a Man may free himself [...]rom 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 [Page 37] 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.

Gripings. 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, as (for instance) to ease the Gripings in a Loosness 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 in every Pint: and the same is true in Fevers, or in Pains from Gravel or the Cholick: A small Quantity will not be effectual in these Cases, for in the Cholick a Quart is necessary, which ought to be carefully noted, and in a Fever a lit­tle Water will rather increase the Burhing, 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 he Distemper; for a happy Issue will certain­ly follow such a Course, if the Fever is simple, and not complicated with sch other Distempers, which will re, sist all Remedies: for in many Cases nothing can pre­vent Mortality, as is evident by the Death of the best Physicians themselves, and by the Death of many, who consulted with them for a Cure, since many die under the Hands of the most able Doctors, as well as Quacks.

Grief. I will add to what hath been said, one Experiment more, that is very material, And that is, being very hypochondriacal, and of a melancholly Temper, I have often strangely dejected in Mind when under Grief for some Misfortunes, which sometimes have been so great, as to threaten Danger [Page 38] to Life; in which Fits of Grief I always found the Parts within my Breast very uneasy, and sometimes continu­ed long: but now I have found a good Remedy, for upon drinking a Pint or more 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 Stomach sympathizeth with the Mind, and this becomes the Cause of that uneasy Sensation and Pain perceived there; for which, cold Water I have found to be the best Remedy in my self, and I believe others may find the same Benefit, who will make use thereof upon the like Occasion, and it gives also Relief to People under Frights.

Vapours. 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 called, The Fits of the 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 it self will be as effectual, or rather better, as hath been often proved up­on Persons in those Fits.

How to distinguish Water. Some perhaps may desire to know how to distingush good from bad Water; & the way to do this, is by the Taste & 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 & 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; [Page 39] for no earthy or metallick Substance, nor any kind of Salt will rise in Distillation: so that the Water so distilled will be pure & 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 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, it 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: in short, all Water that will make a good Lather with Soap, is wholesome to drink without boiling, but none else.

Pains in the Sto­mach. Since the collecting together the forementioned Ac­counts, I have met with a Book written by Dr. Boerhaave, 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 till they begin to be dry, for this will prevent Scars: And he saith, that warm Water is bet­ter to attenuate, or thin the Blood, than cold Water.

Fevers. There is also published lately a Book of Ex­periments made with Water, by Dr. Hancock, a Divine, called Febrifugum Magnum; wherein he saith, that drinking a Pint or 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 [Page 40] been advised to take off the cold Fit of Agues, but the Party was not ordered to sweat. Which Discovery of the Reverend Doctor about Fevers, is confirmed by the following Accounts, which I received from a Wor­thy Gentleman. Mr. Ralph Thoresby, F. R. S. ^* to whom they were transmitted by Mr. Lucas, a pious and learned Gentleman of Leeds in Yorkshire who says that

Mr. Lucas adds, in another Letter to the same Gentleman,

All which Instances corroborate the new Way of curing Fevers, so lately discovered in this City by Dr. Hancock; who also saith, he has 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 & sweeten, and digest that thin sharp Rheum, that provokes Coughing to no purpose: for the Rheum, when thin, is hard to [Page 41] 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 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.

Rheuma­tism. 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 Boerhaave 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, it drank plentifully; for by Urine Salts are evacuated, as is evident by the Taste.

Gout in the Sto­mach. 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 tite 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 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, tho' the strongest Wine is drank.

I [...] short, [...]e 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 & quench Heat in the [Page 42] Body; and for that reason Sweating hath not been often advised by Physicians, because they were ignorant of this way of Sweating to cure Fevers, by drinking cold Water.

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 twenty-four 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. And in Scarlet-Fevers, Small-Pox, or Measles, tho' the Water will not cause Sweat, yet it will so quell and keep un­der the Fever, that the Eruptions will come out more kindly; which is a Confirmation of what before was said about Dr Bett's prescribing two Quarts of Water, when the Small Pox did not come out kindly; the Wa­ter affording Matter to fill them up, according to what the Author observes of a certain Person, in The Histo­ry of Cold Bathing, p. 347. that he could give an hun­dred Instances where People of all Ages have been lost, by being deny'd Drink in the Small-Pox — for it hinders the filling of the Pustules.

Plague. And Dr. Hancock lets 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; agreeable to what is related in Sir John Floyer's Book of Cold Baths, wherein it is said, That but two died of the Plague who lived over the Water upon London Bridge, p. 223. the Coolness of the Air being supposed to contribute to their Health who inhabited on the Water in that manner, their Blood being cooler than [Page 43] others: 'Tis said also, the Water-men escaped better than others.

I will here add to what the Doctor hath said before concerning the Cure of Fevers, that if the Fever be ac­companied in the beginning with any great 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 directed; for I cannot believe it possible for the Stomach to be cleared from foul Humours by 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 Accounts therein given concerning the Be­nefit of Water, having had so much Experience thereof in my own Practise 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 gathered together all the Ac­counts I have observed in Physick-Books, relating to the Use of common Water in preventing & curing Dis­eases; to which I have added some Experiments of my own, 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 Sickness in a Year among Mankind, and also a great number of untimely Deaths; for it takes away the Cause of all Stomach-Sickness, which is the Root 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 [Page 44] 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 ago for my own use, without any design originally to make them publick; but I am now perswaded 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, which is best attained to by the most uncompounded Remedies.