Page:Willich, A. F. M. - The Domestic Encyclopædia (Vol. 1, 1802).djvu/223

Rh and we shall here only caution the reader against their improper use, on the authority of Dr., who says, in his excellent work "On the Effects of Air on Human Bodies," (8vo. 3s. 6d.) that he has seen two instances of malignant fevers produced by the hot air of a bagnio.

Although many cases are recorded by medical and other authors, from which it appears that dry-baths have often been found beneficial in removing obstinate pains in the limbs, and even curing that odious disorder which salivation cannot always remove, yet we have reason to doubt their efficacy, when unassisted by internal medicines. In such cases as rheumatism, gout, palsy, &c. where profuse perspiration is necessary, as it were, to expel the malignant morbid humours, there is no occasion for resorting to the precarious use of dry-baths; we would, therefore, preferably recommend the Prussian Vapour Bath, which was lately used in the army of that kingdom, with almost general success. It simply consists of a close wooden box, the lower part of which resembles a common night-chair, in which is placed a large vessel with boiling water: the upper compartment has only one aperture on the top, opening with two horizontal doors, having in the centre an excision large enough to admit a person's neck with ease. In such a box the patient is placed for one, two, or three hours, according to the nature of his case, and the degree of perspiration deemed necessary.—There can be no reasonable objection against this simple contrivance, which, with a few improvement, deserves to be adopted in the British army, and especially in the navy, where want of room, and other circumstances, might render it, on many occasions, extremely useful.  BATHS (Medicated), are those saturated with various mineral, vegetable, or sometimes animal substances. Thus we have sulphur and steel baths, aromatic and milk baths;—there can be no doubt, that such ingredients, if duly mixed, and a proper temperature be given to the water, may, in certain complaints, be productive of effects highly beneficial. We well remember the pompous reports published several years ago, by two notorious empirics, and attested by many of our first nobility, who permitted their names to be bandied about publicly, in consequence of wonderful cures said to have been performed by the most whimsical combinations of things and circumstances. Although we are not inclined to question the truth of these specious cures, yet, it is remarkable, that such extraordinary facts, if they were facts, should, in the course of a few years, so far from being improved upon, and rendered of practical service to suffering humanity, have been totally consigned to oblivion. Like fiery meteors, those mysterious masters of the healing art, their medicines and patients, all have disappeared. Such seems to be the universal fate of human pursuits, when involved in mystery; and as the practitioners thus engaged, carried on their secret trade in an empirical manner, without being able sufficiently to distinguish between the nature of different cases, and the constitutions of the unwary victims of disease, they had recourse (as quacks are always obliged to have) to an indiscriminate administration of their medicated baths; a 