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- Herausgeber: Science & Technology Publishing
- Kategorie: Ratgeber
- Sprache: Englisch
The Virtues of Common Water is a fascinating and insightful treatise originally published in the 18th century by John Smith, M.D., exploring the remarkable health benefits and curative powers of pure, simple water. Drawing on both scientific observation and practical experience, the book advocates for the use of common water as a natural remedy for a wide range of ailments, from chronic diseases to everyday complaints. Dr. Smith presents compelling arguments and numerous case studies demonstrating how water, when used both internally and externally, can restore health, prevent illness, and promote overall well-being. The book delves into the physiological effects of water on the human body, discussing its role in digestion, circulation, and detoxification. It challenges the prevailing medical practices of the time, which often relied on complex and expensive treatments, by emphasizing the accessibility, affordability, and safety of water therapy. Dr. Smith provides detailed instructions on the proper use of water for drinking, bathing, and other therapeutic applications, offering practical advice for individuals seeking to improve their health naturally. Throughout The Virtues of Common Water, readers will find a blend of medical knowledge, personal anecdotes, and philosophical reflections on the importance of simplicity and moderation in health care. The book also addresses common misconceptions about water, debunking myths and encouraging readers to reconsider their attitudes toward this essential element. With its clear prose and persuasive reasoning, The Virtues of Common Water remains a timeless and influential work, inspiring generations to appreciate the healing potential of one of nature’s most fundamental resources.
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Transcriber’s notes:
Apart from the corrections listed below, the text of this e-book has been preserved as in the original.
universa → universal Digeston → Digestion liqours → liquors hydochondriac → hypochondriac childdren → children loosenese → looseness watet → water appply → apply rhey → they absoltue → absolute or → of yest → yeast distilation → distillation mettalic → metallic Leediensis → Leodiensis sudirifics → sudorifics primative → primitive closs → close it → is decripedness → decrepidness
THEVIRTUESOFCOMMON WATER:
THE VIRTUES OF COMMON WATER:
THE VIRTUES OF COMMON WATER.
SOME RULES FOR Preserving Health by Diet,
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THE VIRTUESOFCOMMON WATER.
For the benefit of mankind in general, I have taken pains to give the world an account of what I have found written in the works of the most eminent physicians, concerning the good that mankind may receive from the use of Common Water; and of the informations I have had concerning the benefits thereof from others by word of mouth; and of what I have discovered by my own experience, from frequent trials, during a time that hath intervened from that of thirty to seventy-four years of age: which is sufficient to confirm the stupendious effects thereof; especially in the many particulars that shall be mentioned as my own discovery with respect to this excellent remedy, which will perform cures with very little trouble, and without any charge, and is also to be had wherever there are any habitations, which can hardly be said of any other: So that in some sense water may be truly stiled, an universal remedy, since the diseases it either prevents or cures may have this remedy applied to all persons, and in all places where men inhabit.
The first commendation of Common Water I shall mention, is that of Dr Manwaring, in his Method and means of enjoying health; wherein he saith, that water is a wholesome drink, or rather the most wholesome—being appointed for man in his best state; which doth strongly argue that drink to be the most suitable for human nature—answering all the intentions of common drinks; for it cools, moistens, and quencheth thirsts; ’tis clear, thin, and fit to convey the nourishment through the smallest vessels of the body—and it is a drink that is a rule to itself, and requires little caution in the use of it, since none will be tempted to drink of it more than needs: And that, in the primitive ages of the world, water-drinkers, he says, were the longest livers by some hundreds of years—not so often sick and complaining as we are.
Dr Keill, treating of the stomach, in his Abridgment of the anatomy of human bodies, saith, that water seems the fittest to promote the digestion of food; all spirituous liquors having a property by which they hurt, rather than help digestion; the sad effects of which they are sensible of, he saith, who by a long use thereof have lost their appetites, hardly ever to be restored without drinking water, which seldom faileth of procuring a good appetite and a strong digestion. With which Dr. Baynard agrees, affirming, “That water liquifies and concocts our food better than any fermented liquor whatever.” Hist. of cold bathing, p. 440.
Dr. Prat, in his treatise of mineral waters, shews it to be his judgment, that, if people would accustom themselves to drink water, they would be more free from many diseases; such as tremblings, palsies, apoplexies, giddiness, pains in the head, gout, stone, dropsy, rheumatism, piles, and such like: which diseases are most common among them that drink strong drinks, and which water generally would prevent. Moreover, he saith, that water plentifully drank, strengthens the stomach, causeth an appetite, preserves the sight, maketh the senses lively, and cleanseth all the passages of the body, especially those of the kidneys and bladder.
’Tis also said by Dr. Duncan, in his treatise of hot liquors, that, when men contented themselves with water, they had more health and strength; and that at this day those who drink nothing but water are more healthy, and live longer, than those who drink strong liquors, which raise the heat of the stomach to excess, whereas water keeps it in a due temper. And he adds in another part of the book, that by hot liquor the blood is inflamed; and such whose blood is inflamed, live not so long as those who are of a cooler temper; a hot blood being commonly the cause of fluxes, rheums, ill digestion, pains in the limbs, head-ach, dimness of sight, and especially of hysteric vapours. He also imputes the cause of ulcers to a hot blood, and declares, that if men kept their blood cool and sweet, by a moderate and cooling diet, they would never be troubled with ulcers, or other breakings-out. Which coolness of the blood will be well attained to by drinking a large draught of water in the morning, which also will carry off the bilious and salt recrements by urine. And, if water is drank also after dinner, it will cool a hot stomach, and prevent the rising of those fermentations which cause wind and belching after meat. So that if persons who are liable to these disorders will leave off strong liquors and a hot diet, and drink water, they will procure better health to themselves than they had before.
Sir John Floyer also, in his treatise of cold baths, p. 109, edit. 5, affirms, that water-drinkers are temperate in their actions, prudent and ingenious; they live safe from those diseases which affect the head, such as apoplexies, palsies, pain, blindness, deafness, gout, convulsions, trembling, madness: And the drinking of water cures the hiccough, fætor of the mouth, and of the whole body; it resists putrefaction, and cools burning heats and thirsts, and after dinner it helps digestion.—And if the virtues of cold water were seriously considered, all persons would value it as a great medicine, in preventing the stone, asthma, and hysteric fits; and to the use of this, children ought to be bred up from their cradles. And, in page 434, he saith, That as water is in chief the universal drink of the world—so it is the best, and most salubrious. And, in page 434. That he hath known where a regular drinking of spring-water hath done considerable cures by washing off the acrid, scorbutic salts from the blood, and strengthening the coats and fibres of the stomach and bowels, and hath brought on a good appetite, and a strong digestion. And I add, that it will infallibly do it in all curable cases.
Having read over an old book written by Sir Thomas Elliot, intituled, The castle of health, he there declared from his own experience, that in the county of Cornwall, tho’ it was a very cold quarter, the poorer sort, which in his time did never, or but very seldom, drink any other drinks but water, were strong of body, and lived to a very great age. To which relation that of Sir Henry Blunt’s is very agreeable, who affirmed, in his book of travels into the Levant, (where under the Turkish government the use of wine was forbid, and where the common drink is water) that he then had a better stomach to his food, and digested it more kindly than he ever did before or since.
And in the treatise of the vanity of philosophy, written by Dr. Gideon Harvey, it is affirmed, that it is not heat that causeth a good digestion, but a proper ferment, or liquor provided by nature, to dissolve the food into a substance like unto pap made with fine flour; which dissolvent, he saith, is much depraved by hot spirituous liquors; and therefore he commends water above all other drinks to promote digestion.
Water-drinking is also said by Dr. Allen to be good to prevent two deplorable distempers, the gout and the hypochondriac melancholy; For, says he, the gout is generally caused by too great drinking of fermented liquors, and is never said to have assaulted any drinker of water; and he saith also, that melancholy hypochondriac is kept off longest by drinking water instead of strong drink. To which let me add, that I once knew a gouty gentleman, who, to avoid his drinking companions in London, retired to New Brentford, where I then lived; in which town, by a very temperate diet of one meal a day, and drinking only water, he lived two whole years free from pain: But being visited by one who came that way, and invited to drink but one bottle of Claret between them, he fell next day into a terrible fit of the gout, which held above a month after; of which being recovered, he by the same course continued well till I left the place, which was about a year and an half after.
The good properties of water are further manifested in preventing the breeding of gravel in the kidneys; for Zechias, in Consult. 17. as quoted by Salmon, affirms, that nothing so much abates the heat of the kidneys, and frees them from those recrements which cause pain in the back, one great sign of gravel, as water does; but he adviseth to drink it warm. By the use of which, he saith, the unnatural heat in time will be so extinguished, that no more of that matter causing gravel will be produced in the body. Which assertion by experience I have found to be true; for observing much gravel to be voided by me, also abundance of matter floating in the urine like bran; with a great number of recrements like cuttings of hair, some above an inch long, which substances were found in all the water that I made in above twelve months; for which I could get no remedy: I was advised to drink water, which in about half a year did entirely free me from those symptoms, which some out of ignorance imputed to witchcraft, so that from that time to this I never have been troubled with it.
