Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Supplement, Volume 2.djvu/941

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pafllons, during t!ie courSe of taking thefe waters. Violent anger, grief, or terrors and frights, have been known to occafion more mifchief at Such a time than they would other wile have done; and all people arc to abfrain as much as may be from venery during the time, left it too much debilitate the body, already weakened by the dis- charges occaSioned by the wafers by Stool and urine. Suppers mould be moderate during the courfe, and the wine drank at that meal Should be diluted with water : it is al- ways very advifeable in this cafe alio to walk for fome time after fupper, that the Sleep may be more quiet, found, and refrefhing. And the cold air of the night, especially if it be a damp feafon, is cautioufly to be avoided, left it occa- fion catarrhs and other diforders ; for this reafon, it is pro- per to Sup early all the while.

Symptoms attending the taking thefe waters. Thefe are of many kinds, and differ greatly from the fame waters drank at the fame feafon, in peribns of different habits and consti- tutions. One of the moft common, is a binding of the bowels; and from this there often arife pains in the bowels, colics and vomitings, with other the like diforders. Peo- ple of melancholy, hypocondriac, and hyfteric habits, are more Subject than any others to this complaint from them : this is a Symptom eafily removed by any of the mild cathar- tics, and nothing in particular is more proper for that pur- pofe than a decoction of Sena, tamarinds, and rhubarb, to be taken a few fpoonfuls at a time, as occafion mall re- quire. A fmall dofe of the cooling falts may alfo be taken, but all the hot and refinous purges are apt to occafion hy- percatharfes. On the other hand, fome arc thrown into a diarrhoea by them, and this is often a falutary fymptom ; and while the patient's ftrcngth is unhurt, and he is not found to Suffer any great inconvenience from it, this is by no means to be checked, for very often the patient is greatly relieved by a copious difcharge of _ the noxious humors this way, and by a continuance. in the fame courfe, becomes absolutely cured by this means : but when the perfon is perceived to be greatly weakened by this fymptom, and it is attended with naufeas, vomitings, and pains in the bowels, It muft be carefully checked or reffrained. This is often done by drinking the fame waters in a fmaller quantity, and warm inftead of cold ; but if this do not prove Sufficient, fmall draughts of cinnamon-ww/tr are to be allowed, and, if neceflary, fmall dofes of diafcordium every night. In cafes where the waters lake this turn violently, it is proper to abftain from them for fome days, and then to take to them again with great caution, and in fmall quantities. Some perSons, at their Suit entering on a courSe of the miner al-zvaters, arc thrown into vomitings by them; and thefe are Sometimes Salutary, Sometimes merely Symptoma- tic. If it be falutary, the perfon is always the better for it, and the noxious humors are very happily attenuated and discharged this way by the waters ; in this cafe, all the cau- tions neceSSary is not to drink too much of them at a time, and Sometimes, between whiles, to take .a little of fome bitter tincture. But if, on the contrary, the patient is greatly weakened hy this vomiting, the method is to drink fmaller quantities, and to eat and drink more Sparingly at meals. Sometimes this Symptom ariSes from a redun- dance of bile, or of pituitous humors from the ftomach and bowels, not having been emptied by a purge before the entering on the courfe : in this cafe a gentle purge- is to be given, and after that the common Strengthening and hitter itomachics, and the waters are afterwards to be cautioufly taken in fmall quantities.

When the patient is attacked with violent colic pains, and the common method of eating candied orange-peel., and the carminative Seeds, does not take effect, a gentle purge is to be given to evacuate the humors which occafion them, and after this, tincture of cardamum feeds, or fome other fuch carminative, ufually takes effect. In cafes where the pains are more violent and obftinate, a glyftcr of camomile flowers boiled in milk, with a ljttle Sugar, may be given at times, and the waters afterwards muft be drank in Small quantities, and always warmed.

If an immoderate flux of the menfes or haemorrhoids Should happen during the time of taking the waters,, j.t will be proper to abftain from the ufe of them on that occafion for a few days ; but if thefe evacuations are in a moderate de- degree, the waters may be continued, only taking them in fmaller quantity, and not quite cold. Sometimes intermit- tent fevers come on while perfons are drinking the waters ; but thefe are not to be regarded as any very bad cafe ; for if the ufe of the waters be continued, and the carminatives and bitters of the common kind taken at times with them, they are ufually Soon cured. Pains of the gout, rheuma- tifm, Sciatica, and teeth, alfo Sometimes return upon people accuftomed to them, while they are in a courSe of the wa- ters; but thefe are not to be greatly regarded, for they u- fually go off again very eafily, only by continuing the ufe of the waters, and require no peculiar cure: only, during the time the pains laft, fome comforting cordial may.be taksn at times; and if they arc violent, a few drpps; of Iau- Append. Vol, II.

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danum may be taken every night going to reft, or a few' grains of the ftorax pill. See Heifier, foe; cit. 'aib and BriJlol-'W ates.. Dr. Guidot pretends that the Bath and Brifiol-waters are of the fame virtues, but in a different degree ; that both are impregnated with the Same principles, but the Bath-waters containing a much greater Sbare of them, and therefore capable of doing that in a little time which thofe of Brijlol could only do in a much longer. But this Seems to be far from a true ftate of the cafe. The due Secretions of the blood, and their proper distribu- tions, are as neceflary to the preSefvation oS liSe, as the cir- culation itSelf ; and the greateft part of difeafes take their origin from the glandular fecret'iohs being either too much increafed or diminished. The blood is Sometimes too thin, and then a too great quantity of its Serous part is Separated either by the glands of the Skin, guts, or kidneys, as in colliquative Sweats, fluxes oS the belly, and diabetes. Some times the blood is too thick and viScous, and by this means occaflons obftrudfions, not only in its own canals, but in the glands ; and then the Secretions are as much lefs than they Should be, as in the former inftance they were greater, and hence ariSe as long a train of diSeaSes. In Some caSes there is alfo a too great fullnefs of blood, and in others a deficiency, both which hinder the proper Secretions. In thefe different cafes the Bath and Brijlol-waters have their Several ufes : the Bath-waters are beneficial when the fecretions are diminifhed, the Brificl-zuaters when they are too much increafed : the Bath-zvaters powerfully attenuate, the Brijlol not lefs powerfully incraflate : the Bath-waters are fpirituous, and help in deficiences of the blood ; the Brifiol-waters are cooling, and fupprefs plenitude with its feveral confluences, fuch as inflammations, haemorrhages, C3V.

The Brifiol-waters are Suppofed by many a modern difco- very, and their ufe but of late date, but this is a very erro- neous opinion. Dr. Venncr, near eighty years ago, has written profefledly of them, and given them their true cha- racter, and proper commendations in all the difeafes in which they are at this time found effectual, the diabetes only ex- cepted, in which their ufe has not been known fo long- They were not indeed much frequented at that time, nor of fome years afterwards; but that was merely from the want of the neceflary accommodations at the place. Dr. Maplet, in the year 1639, writes largely of their virtues, particularly in diforders of the urinary bladder and kidneys, and adds great praifes of their external efficacy in curing cancerous ulcers ; but with all this praife, they never came into an univerfal repute, till their character was eftablifhed by Dr. Mead and Dr. Lane.

The difeafes in which the Brifiol-waters are found mofc fuccefsful, are internal haemorrhages and inflammations, Spitting of blood, dyfenteries, and immoderate fluxes of the menfes, and purulent ulcers of the vifcera. Hence they are given in consumptions, Scurvies, rheumatiSms, diabetes, flow fevers, atrophy, gleets, and even in Scrophulous caSes, with verv happy effects : and in all theSe caSes the Batb-zvaters are not only improper, but hurtful ; for they rouSe and. quicken the circulation, whereas theSe allay the heat, and reftrain the too rapid motion of the blood. Bath-zvaters feem to be adapted to the disorders of the ftomach, guts, and nerves; Brijlol to thofe of the lungs, kidneys, and bladder. Bath.-waters are at variance with a milk courfe, and- the Brifiol-waters can never be judicioufly directed, but where milk may be joined with fuccefs. This is fo great a truth, that it holds good even in cafes of the diabetes, in which milk is of great fervice, and has been prefcribed al- moft from the earlieft times.

The Brifiel and Bath-waters are both prefcribed by different phyflcians in dropfies. No one can doubt, but that diure- tic and drying medicines are of fervice in this difeafe, and a,s the Brifiol-waters poSfeSs thefe virtues in a much greater degree than the Bath, they are certainly the moft advifeable, unlefs in cafes where a jaundice is joined with the dropSy ; in which caSe the Bath-waters claim the preference, from their great efficacy in opening obstructions of the vifcera, where there is no formidable inflammation. The efficacy of the Brifiol-ivaier in the diabetes, has pro- cured 'ft the name of a fpecific in that difeafe ; and it cer- tainly much better deferves that title than moft of the me- dicines which have, at one time or other, been honoured with it, for it cures this terrible difeafe almoft infallibly, and that in a very fbort time, and without any fenfible eva- cuation. " The patient in this cafe may drink it in as large quantities as he pleafes. The time for drinking the Brifiol- waters medicinally, is from April to September. The Bath-waters may be drank the whole year, but the colder months are much the beft for them, or at leaft the very heat of Summer is leSs eligible than any other SeaSon ; and perhaps the beft months Sor them are April, May, Septem-

. ber, and October.

Buxton-W at ers, the watersof medicinal Springs near Buxton in the Peak of Derbyfhire.

TheSe waters are the hotteft of any in England, except tho r e G g of