94. But thus much is certain, the cure of the fcurvy is no more to be attempted by strongly active medicines than (to use the fimilitude of an ingenious writer) a thorn in the flesh, or pitch on filk to be removed by force. The vifcid humour must be gently refolved and diluted, the tone of the veffels recovered by a moderate ftimulation, and the tender fibres and capillary veffels gradually cleared from the concreted stuff, that adheres and obftructs them. All which is in the apteft manner performed by a watery diluent, containing a fine vegetable foap. And although a compleat cure by alteratives, operating on the fmall capillaries, and by infenfible difcharges, muft require length of time, yet the good effect of this medicine on cachectic and fcorbutic perfons, is foon perceived, by the change it produceth in their pale difcoloured looks, giving a florid healthy countenance in lefs time than perhaps any other medicine.

25. It is fuppofed by phyficians, that the immediate cause of the fcurvy lies in the blood, the fibrous part of which is too thick and the ferum too thin and fharp and that hence arifeth the great difficulty in the cure, because in the correfting of one part, regard must be had to the other. It is well known how extemely difficult it is to cure an inveterate fcurvy: how many scorbutic patients have grown worfe by an injudicious course of evacuations: how many are even rendered incurable by the treatment of inconfiderate phyficians: and how difficult, tedious and uncertain the cure is in the hands even of the best, who are obliged to use fuch variety and change of medicines, in the different stages of that malady: which nevertheless may be cured (if I may judge by what I have experienced) by the fole, regular, conftant, copious ufe of Tar-water.

96.

96. Tar-water moderately infpiffates with it's balfamic virtue, and renders mild the thin and fharp part of the blood. The fame, as a foapy medicine, diffolves the grumous concretions of the fibrous part. As a balfam it destroys the ulcerous acrimony of the humours, and as a deobftruent it opens and cleans the veffels, restores their tone, and ftrenghtens the digeftion, whofe defects are the principal cause of scurvy and cachexy.

97. In the cure of the fcurvy, the principal aim is to fubdue the acrimony of the blood and juices. But as this acrimony proceeds from different causes, or even oppofite, as acid and alkaline, what is good in one fort of fcurvy proves dangerous, or even mortal, in another. It is well known, that hot antifcorbutics, where the juices of the body are alcalescent, increase the difeafe. And four fruits and vegetables produce the like effect in the fcurvy, caused by an acid acrimony. Hence fatal blunders are committed by unwary practitioners, who, not diftinguishing the nature of the difeafe, do frequently aggravate, inftead of curing it. If I may truft what tryals I have been able to make, this water is good in the feveral kinds of fcurvy, acid, alcaline, and muriatic, and I believe it the only medicine that cures them all without doing hurt in any. As it contains a volatil acid (a) with a fine volatile oyl, why may not a medicine cool in one part and warm in another be a remedy to either extreme (b)? I have obferved it to produce a kindly genial warmth without heat, a thing to be aimed at in all forts of fcurvy. Befides the balfam in Tar-water fheaths all fcorbutic falts alike and its great virtues as a digefter and deob

(a) 7.

(b) 72.

fuent

ftruent are of general ufe in all fcorbutic, and I may add in all chronical cafes whatsoever.

98. I cannot be fure that I have tried it in a fcrophulous cafe, though I have tried it fuccesfully in one that I fufpected to be fo. And I apprehend it would be very ferviceable in such disorders. For although Doctor Gibbs in his treatife of the King's Evil derives that disease from a coagulating acid, which is alfo agreeable to the opinion of fome other phyficians, and although Tar-water contain an acid, yet as it is a foap, (a) it refolves inftead of coagulating the juices of the body.

99. For hysterical and hypocondriacal disorders fo frequent among us, it is commonly supposed that all acids are bad. But I will venture to except the acid foap of Tar-water, having found by my own experience and that of many others, that it raiseth the fpirits, and is an excellent antihyfteric, nor lefs innocent than potent, which cannot be faid of thofe others in common ufe, that often leave people worse than they found them.

100. In a high degree of fcurvy a mercurial falivation is looked on by many as the only cure, Which by the vehement choque it gives the whole frame, and the fenfible fecretion it produceth may be thought to be more adequate to fuch an effect. But the diforder occafioned by that violent process, it is to be feared, may never be got over. The immediate danger, the frequent bad effects, the extreme trouble and nice care attending fuch a courfe do very defervedly make people afraid of it. And though the fenfible fecretion therein to be fo great, yet in a longer tract of time the ufe of Tar-water may produce as great

(a) 58.

a dif.

a difcharge of fcorbutic falts by urine and by perfpiration, the effect of which laft, though not fo fenfible, may yet be greater than that of falivation; efpecially if it be true, that in common life infenfible perspiration is to nutrition, and all senfible excretions, as five to three.

101. Many hyfteric and fcorbutic ailments, many taints contracted by themselves, or inherited from their ancestors, afflict the people of condition in these islands, often rendering them, upon the whole, much more unhappy than those whom poverty and labour have ranked in the loweft lot of life; which ailments may be fafely removed or relieved by the fole ufe of Tar-water; And those lives which feem hardly worth living for bad appetite, low fpirits, reftless nights, wafting pains and anxieties, be rendered eafy and comfortable.

102. As the nerves are inftruments of fenfation, it follows that fpafms in the nerves may produce all fymptoms, and therefore a disorder in the nervous fyftem fhall imitate all diftempers, and occafion, in appearance, an aíthma for inftance, a pleurify, or a fit of the ftone. Now whatever is good for the nerves in general, is good against all fuch fymptoms. But Tar-water, as it includes in an eminent degree the virtues of warm gums and refins, is of great ufe for comforting and ftrengthening the nerves, (a) curing twitches in the nervous fibres, cramps alfo, and numbnefs in the limbs, removing anxieties and promoting fleep, in all which cafes I have known it very fuccefsful.

103. This fafe and cheap medicine fuits all circumstances and all conftitutions, operating eafily, curing without disturbing, raifing the fpirits without depreffing them, a circumftance that deferves

(a) 86.

repeated

repeated attention, especially in these climates, where ftrong liquors fo fatally and fo frequently produce thofe very diftreffes they are defigned to remedy; and, if I am not misinformed, even among the Ladies themselves, who are truly much to be pitied. Their condition of life makes them a prey to imaginary woes, which never fail to grow up in minds unexercifed and unemployed. To get rid of these, it is faid, there are who betake themfelves to distilled fpirits. And it is not improbable, they are led gradually to the ufe of thofe poifons by a certain complaifant pharmacy, too much used in the modern practice, palfy drops, poppy cordial, plague water, and fuch like, which being in truth nothing but drams disguised, yet coming from the apothecaries, are confidered only as medicines.

104. The foul of man was fuppofed by many ancient fages, to be thrust into the human body as into a prifon, for punishment of paft offences. But the worst prison is the body of an indolent Epicure, whose blood is inflamed by fermented liquors (a) and high fauces, or render'd putrid, fharp, and corrofive, by a ftagnation of the animal juices through floth and indolence; whofe membranes are irritated by pungent falts, whose mind is agitated by painful ofcillations of the nervous (b) fyftem, and whofe nerves are mutually affected by the irregular paffions of his mind. This ferment in the animal economy darkens and confounds the intellect. It produceth vain terrours and vain conceits, and ftimulates the foul with mad defires, which, not being natural, nothing in nature can fatisfy. No wonder, therefore, there are fo many fine perfons of both fexes, fhining themfelves, and fhone on by fortune, who are inwardly miferable and fick of life.

(a) 66.

G

(b) 86.

105. The