child which could not be brought to drink tar-water as the reft had done. 3. Several were preferved from taking the smallpox by the use of this liquor: others had it in the mildeft manner, and others that they might be able to take the infection were obliged to intermit drinking the tar-water. I have found it may be drunk with great safety and fuccefs for any length of time, and this not only before, but also during the diftemper. The general rule for taking it is, about half a pint night and morning on an empty ftomach, which quantity may be varied, according to the cafe and age of the patient, provided it be always taken on an empty ftomach, and about two hours before or after a meal. 4. It feemed probable, that a medicine of fuch efficacy in a distemper attended with fo many purulent ulcers, might be alfo useful in other foulneffes of the blood, accordingly I tried it on feveral perfons infected with cutaneous eruptions and ulcers, who were foon relieved, and foon after cured. Encouraged by thefe Succeffes I ventured to advise it in the fouleft diftempers, wherein it proved much more fuccefsful than falivations and wooddrinks had done. 5. Having tried it in a great variety of cafes, I found it fucceed beyond my hopes; in a tedious and painful ulceration of the bowels, in a confumptive cough and (as appeared by expectorated pus) an ulcer in the lungs, in a pleurify and perpineumony. And when a perfon, who for fome years had been fubject to erysipelatous fevers, perceived the ufual fore-running fymptoms to come on, I advised her to drink tar-water which prevented the eryfipelas. 6. I never knew any thing fo good for the ftomach as tar-water: it cures indigeftion and gives a good appetite. It is an excellent medicine in an asthma. afthma. It imparts a kindly warmth and quick circulation to the juices without heating, and is therefore useful, not only as a pectoral and balfamic, but also as a powerful and safe deobftruent in cachectic and hyfteric cafes. As it is both healing and diuretic, it is very good for the gravel. I believe it to be of great ufe in a dropfy, having known it cure a very bad anafacra in a perfon whose thirft, though very extraordinary, was in a fhort time removed by the drinking of tar water. 7. The usefulness of this medicine in inflammatory cafes is evident, from what has been already obferved (a.) And yet fome perhaps may fufpect that, as the tar it felf is fulphureous, tar-water must be of a hot and inflaming nature. But it is to be noted that all balfams contain an acid fpirit, which is in truth a volatile falt. Water is a menftruum that diffolves all forts of falts, and draws them from their fubjects. Tar, therefore, being a balfam, its falutary acid is extracted by water, which yet is incapable of diffolving it's gross refinous parts, whofe proper menftruum is spirit of wine. Therefore tar-water, not being impregnated with resin, may be fafely used in inflammatory cafes and in fact it hath been found an admirable. febrifuge, at once the fafeft cooler and cordial. 8. The volatile falts feparated by infufion from tar, may be fuppofed to contain its fpecific virtues. Mr. Boyle and other later Chemifts are agreed, that fixed falts are much the fame in all bodies. But it is well known that volatile falts do greatly differ, and the easier they are separated from the subject, the more do they poffefs of its specific qualities. Now the most eafy feparation is by infufion of tar in cold water, which to fmell (a) Sect. 5. and and tafte fhewing it felf well impregnated, may be prefumed to extract and retain the moft pure volatile and active particles of that vegetable balfam. 9. Tar was by the ancients efteemed good against poisons, ulcers, the bites of venomous creatures, alfo for pthifical, fcrophulous, paralitic and asthmatic perfons. But the method of rendering it an inoffenfive medicine and agreeable to the ftomach, by extracting it's virtues in cold water, was unknown to them. The leaves and tender tops of pine and fir are in our times used for diet-drinks, and allowed to be antifcorbutic and diuretic. But the most elaborate juice, falt, and spirit of those evergreens are to be found in tar; whofe virtues extend not to animals alone, but also to vegetables. Mr. Evelyn in his treatise on forest trees observes with wonder, that ftems of trees, fmeared over with tar, are preferved thereby from being hurt by the invenomed teeth of goats and other injuries, while every other thing of an unEtuous nature is highly prejudicial to them. 10. It seems that tar and turpentine may be had more or less, from all forts of pines and firs whatfoever and that the native fpirits and effential falts of thofe vegetables are the fame in turpentine and common tar. In effect this vulgar tar, which cheapnefs and plenty may have rendered contemptible, appears to be an excellent balfam, containing the virtues of most other balsams, which it eafily imparts to water, and by that means readily and inoffenfively infinuates them into the habit of the body. 11. The refinous exfudations of pines and firs are an important branch of the materia medica, and not only useful in the prefcriptions of phyficians, but have been alfo thought otherwife con ducive ducive to health. Pliny tells us, that wines in the time of the old Romans were medicated with pitch and refin; and Jonftonus in his Dendrographia obferves, that it is wholesome to walk in groves of pine trees, which impregnate the air with balfamic particles. That all turpentines and refins are good for the lungs, against gravel alfo and obftructions, is no fecret. And that the medicinal properties of thofe drugs are found in tar water, without heating the blood, or disordering the ftomach, is confirmed by experience: and particularly that pthifical and asthmatic perfons receive fpeedy and great relief from the use of it. 12. Balfams, as all unctuous and oily medicines, create a nauseating in the ftomach. They cannot therefore be taken in fubftance, fo much or fo long, as to produce all those falutary effects, which, if thoroughly mixed with the blood and juices, they would be capable of producing. It muft therefore be a thing of great benefit, to be able to introduce any requifite quantity of their volatile parts into the fineft ducts and capillaries, fo as not to offend the ftomach, but, on the contrary, to comfort and strengthen it in a great degree. 13. According to Pliny, liquid pitch (as he calls it) or tar was obtained by fetting fire to billets of old fat pines or firs. The first running was tar, the latter or thicker running was pitch. Theophraftus is more particular : he tells us the Macedonians made huge heaps of the cloven trunks of thofe trees, wherein the billets were placed erect befide each other. That fuch heaps or piles of wood were fometimes a hundred and eighty cubits round, and fixty or even a hundred high that having covered them with fods of earth to prevent the flame from burfting forth (in which cafe the tar was loft) they fet on fire thofe huge and heaps heaps of pine or fir, letting the tar and pitch run out in a channel. 14. Pliny faith, it was cuftomary for the ancients, to hold fleeces of wool over the steam of boiling tar, and squeeze the moisture from them, which watery fubftance was called piffinum. Ray will have this to be the fame with the piffelæum of the ancients; but Hardouin in his notes on Pliny, thinks the piffelæum to have been produced fron the cones of cedars. What use they made of thefe liquors anciently I know not but it may be prefumed they were used in medicine, though at prefent, for ought I can find, they are not used at all. 15. From the manner of procuring tar (b) it plainly appears to be a natural production, lodged in the veffels of the tree, whence it is only freed and let lofe (not made) by burning. If we may believe Pliny, the first running or tar was called cedrium, and was of fuch efficacy to preserve from putrefaction, that in Egypt they embalmed dead bodies with it. And to this he afcribes their mummies continuing uncorrupted for fo many ages. 16. Some modern writers inform us that tar flows from the trunks of pines and firs, when they are very old, through incifions made in the bark near the root; that pitch is tar infpiffated; and both are the oyl of the tree grown thick and black with age and fun. The trees, like old men, being unable to perspire, and their fecretory ducts obftructed, they are, as one may fay, choaked and stuffed with their own juice. 17. The method ufed by our colonies in America, for making tar and pitch, is in effect the fame with that of the ancient Macedonians; as appears from the account given in the Philofophical |