96. Tar-water moderately infpiffates with its 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 deftroys the ulcerous acrimony of the humours, and as a deobftruent it opens and cleans the veffels, reftores their tone, and ftrengthens the digeftion, whofe defects are the principal caufe of fcurvy 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 caufes, 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 họt antifcorbutics, where the juices of the body are alcalefcent, increase the difeafe. And four fruits and vegetables produce a like effect in the fcurvy, caufed 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 trials 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 volatile acid (a) with a fine volatile oil, 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,

ftruent

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 fuccessfully in one that I fufpected to be fo. And I And I apprehend it would be very ferviceable in such disorders. For although Doctor Gibbs, in his treatise 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 contains an acid, yet as it is a foap (a), it refolves instead of coagulating the juices of the body.

99. For hyfterical and hypochondriacal 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 use, that often leave people worfe than they found them.

100. In a high degree of fcurvy a mercurial fa livation is looked on by many as the only cure. Which, by the vehement fhock 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 attend. ing fuch a course do very defervedly make people afraid of it. And though the fenfible fecretion therein be fo great, yet in a longer tract of time the use of tar-water may produce as great

(a) 58.

a discharge 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; especially if it be true, that in common life infenfible perfpiration is to nutrition, and all fen-` fible 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 might be fafely removed or relieved by the fole ufe of tar-water; and thofe 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 diforder in the nervous fyftem fhall imitate all diftempers, and occafion, in appearance, an afthma 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 strengthening 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 fuccessful.

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

repeated attention, efpecially 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 mifinformed, 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 unexercised and unemployed. To get rid of thefe, it is faid, there are who betake themfelves to diftilled fpirits. And it is not improbable they are led gradually to the ufe of those poisons 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 difguifed, yet coming from the apothecaries, are confidered only as medicines.

104. The foul of man was fuppofed by many ancient fages, to be thruft into the human body as into a prifon, for punishment of paft offences. But the worst prifon is the body of an indolent Epicure, whofe 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, whofe 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 oeconomy darkens and confounds the intellect. It produceth vain terrors 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.

(b) 86.

G

105. The

305. The hardness of stubbed vulgar conftititions, renders them infenfible of a thousand things, that fret and gall thofe delicate people, who, as if their skin was peeled off, feel to the quick every thing that touches them. The remedy for this exquifite and painful fenfibility is commonly fought from fermented, perhaps from diftilled, liquors, which render many lives wretched, that would otherwife have been only ridiculous. The tender nerves, and low fpirits of fuch poor creatures, would be much relieved by the use of tar-water, which might prolong and cheer their lives. I do therefore recommend to them the use of a cordial, not only fafe and innocent, but giving health and spirit as furely as other cordials deftroy them.

106. I do verily think, there is not any other medicine whatfoever, fo effectual to reftore a crazy conftitution, and cheer a dreary mind, or fo likely to fubvert that gloomy empire of the fpleen (a), which tyrannizeth over the better fort (as they are called) of thefe free nations; and maketh them, in fpight of their liberty and property, more wretched Дlaves than even the fubjects of abfolute power, who breath clear air in a funny climate. While men of low degree often enjoy a tranquillity and content, that no advantage of birth or fortune can equal. Such, indeed, was the cafe, while the rich alone could afford to be debauched; but when even beggars became debauchees, the cafe was altered.

107. The public virtue and fpirit of the British legislature never fhewed itfelf more confpicuous in any act, that in that for fuppreffing the immoderate ufe of diftilled fpirits among the people, whofe ftrength and numbers conftitute the true wealth of a nation: though evafive arts

(a) 103.

will