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tains the virtues of the best chalybeat and fulphurcous waters; with this difference, that thofe waters are apt to affect the head in taking, which tarwater is not. Befides there is a regimen of diet to be observed, efpecially with chalybeat waters, which I never found neceffary with this. Tarwater layeth under no reftraint either as to diet, hours, or employment. A man may study, or exercise, or repofe, keep his own hours, pafs his time either within or without, and take wholesom nourishment of any kind.

65. The use of chalybeat waters, however excel-, lent for the nerves and stomach, is often fufpended by colds and inflammatory disorders; in which they are acknowledged to be very dangerous. Whereas tar-water is so far from hurting in those cafes, or being discontinued on that account, that it greatly contributes to their cure (a).

66. Cordials, vulgarly fo called, act immedi ately on the ftomach, and by confent of nerves on the head. But medicines of an operation too. fine and light to produce a fenfible effect in the primæ viæ, may, nevertheless, in their paffage through the capillaries, operate on the fides of thofe fmall veffels, in fuch manner as to quicken their ofcillations, and confequently the motion of their contents, producing, in iffue and effect, all the benefits of a cordial much more lafting and falutary than those of distilled fpirits, which by their cauftic and coagulating qualities do incomparably more mis chief than good. Such a cardiac medicine is tar-water. The tranfient fits of mirth, produced from fermented liquors and diftilled fpirits, are attended with proportionable depreffions of fpirit in their intervals. But the calm chearfulness arifing from

(a) Sect. 7.

this water of health (as it may be justly called) is permanent. In which it emulates the virtues of that famous plant Gen Seng, fo much valued in China as the only cordial that raifeth the spirits without depreffing them. Tar-water is fo far from hurting the nerves as common cordials do, that it is highly useful in cramps, fpafms of the vifcera, and paralytic numbness.

67. Emetics are on certain occafions adminiftred with great fuccefs. But the overstraining and weakening of nature may be very juftly apprehended from a course of emetics. They are nevertheless prescribed and fubftituted for exercife. But it is well remarked in Plato's Timæus that vomits and purges are the worst exercise in the world. There is fomething in the mild operation of tar-water, that seems more friendly to the economy, and forwards the digeftions and fecretions in a way more natural and benign, the mildness of this medicine being fuch that I have known children take it, for above fix months together, with great benefit, and without any inconvenience; and after long and repeated experience I do esteem it a moft excellent diet drink fitted to all feafons and ages.

68. It is, I think, allowed that the origin of the gout lies in a faulty digeftion. And it is remarked by the ableft physicians, that the gout is fo difficult to cure, because heating medicines aggravate it's immediate, and cooling it's remote cause. But tar-water, although it contain active principles that strengthen the digeftion beyond any thing I know, and confequently must be highly useful, either to prevent or leffen the following fit, or by envigorating the blood to caft it upon the extremities, yet it is not of fo heating a nature as to do harm even in the fit. Nothing is

more

more difficult or disagreeable than to argue men out of their prejudices; I fhall not therefore enter into controverfies on this fubject, but, if men dif pute and object, fhall leave the decifion to time and trial.

69. In the modern practice, foap, opium, and mercury bid faireft for univerfal medicines. The first of thefe is highly spoken of. But then those who magnify it most, except against the use of it in fuch cafes where the obstruction is attended with a putrefactive alkali, or where an inflammatory dif pofition appears. It is acknowledged to be very dangerous in a phthifis, fever, and fome other cafes in which tar-water is not only fafe but useful.

70. Opium, though a medicine of great extent and efficacy, yet is frequently known to produce grievous diforders in hysterical or hypochondriacal perfons, who make a great part, perhaps the greatest of those who lead fedentary lives in these inlands. Befides, upon all conftitutions dangerous errors may be committed in the use of opium.

71. Mercury hath of late years become a medicine of very general ufe. The extreme minuteness, mobility, and momentum of it's parts, rendering it a most powerful cleanfer of all obftructions, even in the most minute capillaries. But then we fhould be cautious in the use of it, if we confider, that the very thing which gives it power of doing good above other deobftruents, doth alfo difpofe it to do mifchief. I mean it's great momentum, the weight of it being about ten times that of blood, and the momentum being the joint product of the weight and velocity, it must needs operate with great force; and may it not be justly feared, that fo great a force entring the minuteft E

veffels,

veffels, and breaking the obstructed matter, might alfo break or wound the fine tender coats of those fmall veffels, and fo bring on the untimely effects of old age, producing more, perhaps, and worse obftructions than thofe it removed? Similar confequences may juftly be apprehended from other mineral and ponderous medicines. Therefore, upon the whole, there will not perhaps be found any medicine, more general in it's use, or more falutary in it's effects than tar-water.

72. To fuppofe that all diftempers arifing from very different, and, it may be, from contrary causes, can be cured by one and the fame medicine must seem chimerical. But it may with truth be affirmed, that the virtue of tar-water extends to a furprising variety of cafes very diftant and unlike (a). This I have experienced in my neighbours, my family, and myself. And as I live in a remote corner among poor neighbours, who for want of a regular phyfician have often recourfe to me, I have had frequent opportunities of trial, which convince me it is of fo juft a temperament as to be an enemy to all extremes. I have known it do great good in a cold watery conftitution, as a cardiac and ftomachic; and at the fame time allay heat and feverish thirst in another. I have known it correct coftive habits in fome, and the contrary habit in others. Nor will this feem incredible, if it be confidered that middle qualities naturally reduce the extreme. Warm water, for inftance, mixed with hot and cold will leffen the heat in that, and the cold in this.

73. They who know the great virtues of common foap, whofe coarfe lixivial falts are the pro(a) Sect. 3, 4, 5, 6, 21, &c.

duct

duct of culinary fire, will not think it incredible that virtues of mighty force and extent should be found in a fine acid foap (a), the falts and oil whereof are a moft elaborate product of nature and the folar light.

74. It is certain tar-water warms, and therefore fome may perhaps ftill think it cannot cool. The more effectually to remove this prejudice, let it be farther confidered, that, as on the one hand, oppofite caufes do fometimes produce the fame effect, for inftance, heat by rarefaction and cold by condenfation do both increase, the air's elafticity: fo on the other hand, the fame caufe fhall fometime. produce oppofite effects: heat for inftance thins, and again heat coagulates the blood. It is not therefore ftrange that tar-water fhould warm one habit, and cool another, have one good effect on a cold conftitution, and another good effect on an inflamed one; ncr, if this be fo, that it should cure oppofite diforders. All which juftifies to reafon, what I have often found true in fact. The falts, the fpirits, the heat of tar-water are of a temperature congenial to the conftitution of a man, which receives from it a kindly warmth, but no inflaming heat. It was remarkable that two children in my neighbourhood, being in a courfe of tar-water, upon an intermiffion of it, never failed to have their iffues inflamed by an humour much more hot and fharp than at other times. But it's great ufe in the fmall pox, pleurifies, and fevers, is a fufficient proof that tar-water is not of an inflaming nature.

75. I have dwelt the longer on this head, because fome gentlemen of the faculty have thought fit to

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