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SIRI S:

A CHAIN of

PHILOSOPHICAL REFLEXIONS

AND

INQUIRIES

Concerning the VIRTUES of

TAR WATER,

And divers other Subjects connected together and arising one from another.

BY THE

Right Rev. Dr. GEORGE BERKELEY, Lord Bishop of CLOYNE,

And Author of The Minute Philofopher.

As we have opportunity, let us do good unto all men. Gal. vi. 10. Hoc opus, hoc ftudium, parvi properemus et ampli.

Hor.

The SECOND EDITION, Improved and Corrected by the AUTHOR.

DUBLIN Printed,

LONDON Re-printed,

For W. INNYS, and C. HITCH, in Pater-nofter-row and C. DAVIS in Holbourn. MDCCXLIV. [Price Two Shillin gs.]

A CHAIN of

PHILOSOPHICAL REFLEXIONS

AND

INQUIRIES, &c.

F

OR INTRODUCTION to the following piece I affure the reader, that nothing could, in my present fituation, have induced me to be at the pains of writing it, but a firm belief that it would prove a valuable present to the public. What entertainment foever the reasoning or notional part may afford the mind, I will venture to fay, the other part feemeth fo furely calculated to do good to the body, that both must be gainers. For if the lute be not well tuned, the musician fails of his harmony. And in our present state, the operations of the mind, fo far depend on the right tone or good condition of it's inftrument, that any thing which greatly contributes to preferve or recover the health of the body, is well worth the attention of the mind. Thefe confiderations have moved me to communicate to the public the falutary virtues of tar-water; to which I thought myself indispensably obliged, by the duty every man owes to mankind. And, as effects are linked with their caufes, my thoughts on this low, but useful theme led to farA 2

ther

ther inquiries, and those on to others remote, perhaps, and fpeculative, but, I hope, not altogether ufelefs or unentertaining.

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N certain parts of America, tar-water is made by putting a quart of cold water to a quart of tar, and ftirring them well together in a veffel, which is left ftanding till the tar finks to the bottom. A glafs of clear water being poured off for a draught is replaced by the fame quantity of fresh water, the veffel being fhaken and left to ftand as before. And this is repeated for every glafs, fo long as the tar continues to impregnate the water fufficiently, which will appear by the fmell and tafte. But as this method-produceth tarwater of different degrees of ftrength, I chufe to make it in the following manner: Pour a gallon of cold water on a quart of tar, and stir and mix them thoroughly with a ladle or flat ftick for the fpace of three or four minutes, after which the veffel muft ftand eight and forty hours that the tar may have time to fubfide, when the clear water is to be poured off and kept for ufe, no more being made from the fame tar, which may still serve for common purposes.

2 This cold infufion of tar hath been used in fome of our colonies, as a prefervative or preparative against the fmall-pox, which foreign practice induced me to try it in my own neighbourhood, when the fmall-pox raged with great violence. And the trial fully answered my expectation: all thofe, within my knowledge, who took the tar-water having either efcaped that diftemper, or had ie very favourably. In one family there was a remarkable inftance of feven children, who came alf very well through the finall-pox, except one young

child

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