[Page] Tractatus cui Titulus, An Enquiry into the right Use and Abuse of Hot, Cold and Temperate Baths in En­gland, Imprimatur.

  • Tho. Millington Praeses.
  • Censores.
    • Tho. Burwell.
    • Rich. Torlesse.
    • Will. Dawes.
    • Tho. Gill.
Dat. Ex Aedi­bus Collegii in Comitiis Censoriis. June 4. 1697.

[Page] AN ENQUIRY INTO THE Right USE and ABUSES OF THE Hot, Cold, and Temperate BATHS In ENGLAND.

In which

I. The several Kinds of Baths are examin'd, and their Virtues explain'd by their sensible Qualities.

II. The right Use and the Abuses of Hot Baths are discover'd.

III. The proper Use and Abuses of the Temperate Baths are described.

IV. Cold Bathing, as it is used by the Ancient and Modern Physicians, is recommended, and the In­juries of it in some Cases are observed: With a particular Description of the Virtues and Use of Buxton-Bath in Derby-shire; being the most Excel­lent, Temperate, and safe Cool Bath in England.

To this is added

I An Extract of Dr. Jones's Treaty on Buxton-Bath; with some Additions, and Remarks on it.

II. A Letter from Dr. Clayton of Lancashire, concern­ing the use of St. Mungus-Well.

III. An Abstract of some Cures perform'd by the Bath at Buxton.

By Sir JOHN FLOYER, Kt. M. D.

‘B. V. V. Corrumpunt Corpora sana, conservant eadem. B. V. V.’

LONDON, printed for R. Clavel, at the Peacock in St. Paul's-Church-yard, 1697.

To His Excellency, the most No­ble Prince, WILLIAM Duke of Devonshire, Marquess of Har­tington, Earl of Devonshire, and Baron Cavendish of Hardwick; One of the Lords Justices of the Realm of England during His Majesty's absence, Lord Stew­ard of His Majesty's Houshold, Knight of the most Noble Order of the Garter, Lord Lieutenant of the County of Derby, and one of His Majesties most Honou­rable Privy-Council.

May it please Your Grace,

NOne of the extraordinary Ra­rities of the Peake surprised me with greater Admiration, than Your [Page] Grace's famous Baths at Buxton, which seemed to me like some rich Mi­neral conceal'd amongst the monstrous Hills.

This Jewel of Nature is happily bestowed on Your Illustrious Family, who know best how to adorn such na­tural naked Rarities, with magnificent, pleasant, and convenient Buildings, and, by Your great Example, give incourage­ment to the frequenting of these ex­cellent and useful Baths.

Where such natural Baths have been wanting, great Princes, or Emperors have supply'd their Defect by artificial ones; by which they express their Opi­nion of the usefulness of Baths to the Publick; and by the erecting them, they design'd to oblige the Multitude, who [Page] desired the use of them for their Pleasure, Beauty, or curing Diseases.

In the most flourishing Times of the Roman Empire, the number of Baths was infinite at Rome. The Diocle­sian Baths equalled four of the greatest Palaces in Italy. And the Antonine Baths contain'd Sixteen Hundred Seats; and by its spacious Building, Places for Exercise, Ponds, Walks, Portico's, resembled a whole Province: And these Baths were adorned with Statues, noble Columns, Silver Pipes, and rich Gems.

Your Noble Family did formerly erect these Baths at Buxton; and what is wanting for Pleasure and Convenience, is by all expected from Your generous Hand.

[Page] Baths were always thought worthy of the Care of Statesmen; and Cato opposed the introducing the use of bot Baths in Rome, by which the Roman Manners might be corrupted, and their Bodies made more Effemi­nate: He discerned the Mistake of the Grecian Doctors, who recommended Hot Baths for the helping of Digesti­on, whereas it was evident, that they subverted and weakned the Stomach. I hope Your Grace will imitate the Coun­sel of this Noble Patriot, by incoura­raging this prejent Age to leave off the imprudent Use of Hot Baths, and to regain their ancient natural viguor, strength and hardiness by a frequent Use of Cold Bathing.

Your Grace's Bath at Buxton is so exactly temper'd by a mild Heat, [Page] that it puts the nicest Constitutions in no fear of danger by the uses of it; but the benefit of it is extraordinary, by restraining the preternatural quantity of Perspiration, by strengthening the Nerves and natural Heat. By these it is easie to prevent all Inflammations, Pains, Rheums, Fluxes, and Gout, and all other Effervescences in our Humours.

The benefit of Cold Water was an­ciently known to the Germans, who dipt their new-born Children into Rivers, to harden them; and the Northern Peo­ple rub their frozen parts with Snow, to regain their natural Heat and Colour. But I will give Your Grace some Ex­amples of Cold bathing from the Ro­mans in the most flourishing time of their Empire; by which it will appear, [Page] that I publish no new Doctrine, but only design to revive the Ancient practice of Physick in using Cold Baths, amongst which, Buxton is the most temperate and safe.

Antonius Musa first practised this Cold bathing at Rome, by which he cured the Emperor Augustus, who being subject to Distillations, had long despaired of his Health, till Musa ob­serving the Hot Baths to do him injury, did try a contrary Method, and cured him by Cold bathing. After which, Suetonius relates, that Augustus used Hot Baths very rarely; but for his Nerves he used Sea-Water for a Bath, or the Albulae, which were the most temperate Baths in Italy; in Virtue and Heat most resembling that at Bux­ton. For this miraculous Cure, Au­gustus, [Page] nobly rewarded Musa, and placed his Statue next to Aesculapius.

By this Success on Augustus, Mu­sa was encouraged to try cold Baths in all Diseases: but as it happens to all Em­perical new Methods, it was improperly apply'd by him in the Winter, to young Marcellus, whom Musa killed six Months after he had cured Augustus: and this rash use of cold bathing is described by Horace, which was exposing their Heads and Breasts to the falling of cold Springs on them, in the severe Cold of Winter. But this Accident did not dis­courage this practice, but obliged the Physician to be more cautious, and to find out the right use of Cold bathing; for Horace, by the Advice of Musa, left the hot Baths, which did injury to his inflamed Eyes, and went to the [Page] cold Baths at Clusium and Gabii; but finding those Countries too cold, he writes an Epistle to Vala about the cold Baths at Valie and Salernum.

Seneca afterwards practised Cold ba­thing in the Sea, and cells it his old Art; and gave himself the name of Psuchrolontes, in his Epistle to Lu­cilius; and it appears that he was so great a lover of Cold bathing, that in the Calends of January, he leapt into a Spring near Tybur.

I could give more of the History of cold bathing from the Roman Histo­ry; but I think it sufficient that their greatest Emperor, the wittiest Poet, and their most admired Philosopher, pra­ctised the Psuchrolusia.

[Page] This practice of Cold bathing was certainly brought by the Romans into England; but it was known and pra­ctised also by the Germans, and from them it might come to their Neighbours. The Heathen Priests grounded their Worshipping of Wells on the Virtue of Medicinal Waters, attributing their cheap and sudden Cures to a present Deity. The bringing Alms and Offerings to Wells, was anciently forbid by Edgar's Canons: And Dr. Hammond mentions the Injunctions against worshipping St. Edmund's Well without St. Clement's at Oxford. This Custom was after­wards imitated by the Romish Priests, who dedicated the Medicinal Springs to particular Saints: So one of the Wells at Buxton is call'd St. Ann's; and by the particular Offerings, Pilgrimages, [Page] and Devotions, the Common People were deceived, and attributed all their Cures to the Merit of that Saint, and their own Devotion, which was due to the Physical Virtue of cold Springs, and God's Blessing on a Natural use of them

The Disuse of these Waters at Bux­ton I believe was owing much to the Re­formation, which gave a general Aversion to the Romish Superstition, with which the People being out of Humour, they re­fused the good Use, as well as the Supersti­tion of the Baths. And that Age being very ignorant in Philosophy, they discern­ed not the natural Virtue of Cold Water, such as is that at Holywell, and St. Mun­gus, the most excellent of the Coldest Baths, and the most used to this time.

[Page] The Civil Wars have occasion'd the neglect of many famous Waters. But I will add this most particular Cause of their disuse; As the Virtues of the Waters formerly supported the Reputa­tion of the Saints, so now the want of a proper religious Office to be used by the Devout at the time of bathing and drinking Waters, leaves all to a general Debauchery of Manners in such publick places, and does very much lessen the number of those who would come thither, if both the Ends of Devotion and Health were served by coming to those places. This neglect of our Church I could not but censure, being no less injurious to the Bodies, than the Souls of good Men.

I have endeavour'd truly to represent to my Country the Virtues of the Bath at Buxton; and it were to be wished, [Page] that the Church would propose some pro­per Devotions fitted to such Occasions; and we must depend on Your Grace's Munificence, for the Splendor and Or­naments of that place, on Your Presence sometimes, which will occasion a greater Concourse there: And I must humbly beg Your favourable Acceptance of what I here have writ concerning Buxton; who am,

Your Grace's most Faithful, humble Servant, John Floyer.
Lichfield, May 1. 1697.

THE PREFACE.
Concerning the Nature, Cau­ses, and Effects of Perspi­ration; and the Regulating of it by Baths.

BEfore I discourse of particular Baths, it is very necessary to explain the Nature of Perspiration, which the Hot, Cold, and Tem­perate Baths do most evidently al­ter, as appears by increasing or di­minishing the Weight of our Bo­dies; and this will oblige me to describe the several Effects or Qua­lities produced by the Elements, on [Page] both the solid and fluid Parts of Animals, for the explaining the Changes in our Perspiration by them; by the Fire we heat, by Water we cool, by the Air our Humours are made fluid, by the Earth, or ra­ther the Vegetated part of it, as also by our Animal Food, we ob­tain the Consistence of our Hu­mours, or the dryness or solidity of our containing Parts. These first Impressions on an Animal Bo­dy, and its Humours, I will, with the Ancients, call the first Quali­ties. The Heat and Cold, the Flui­dity or Dryness, are perceiv'd by our Touch; and these produce se­veral other Qualities in our Bodies, as they are apply'd either to the solid or fluid Parts; so Heat rare­sies, and Cold compresses the Con­sistence [Page] of any Blood and Spirits. And there is a third sort of Qua­lities, which the old Writers men­tion, which depend on the second Qualities, as they produce Mecha­nical Effects on our organiz'd Bo­dies; so Fire first heats, then rare­fies our Humours, and thereby produces Sweat; and these several Qualities I will describe in the fol­lowing Discourse, to justifie and fully explain these useful Notions of our Ancient Physicians, which they observed from what occurr'd to their Senses.

1. The external Effect of Fire on our solid Parts, is to heat; but we blister or cauterize them, to cure the Putrefaction, Fluxion, Pains, Convulsions in them: But its Ef­fects on our Humours are to cause [Page] a greater internal Motion in them, and by its own actual Heat and diffused Motion, so to excite the Motion of the Aerial Spirits, as to quicken the Circulation, and thereby produce many mechanical Actions; and by expanding the Air, the Humours are rarefy'd, or attenuated, as all Liquors boiled on the Fire swell, and are inflated by the expansion of their included Air.

2. By the violent agitation in the Particles of Fire, and the Inflation mention'd, some heterogeneous Parts, like a Scum, may be separated from our Humours, as it appears by boyling or digesting of Juices.

3. Fire attenuates, expands, and resolves the Humours, so as to turn our Humours into Vapour, [Page] and fit them for Perspiration. This Effect of Fire we observe in distil­lation of Vegetables, which turns the Watery Liquor into a humid Vapour, condensible into Liquor again: It dissolves the Gums and Turpentines lodged in the Vessels of Plants, and by the help of the Watery Vehicle, distils them, and melts them into the Form of an Oil; It turns the crude Tartar of Vegetables, partly into an acid Spirit, and partly calcines it into a fixt Salt; and the rest of the Ter­rene Parts into Ashes. After the same manner Fire will resolve Ani­mal Humours: First, The Serous Part into Water. Secondly, The natural Armoniac Salt in the Humours into a Volatile Salt, and the Acid into a fixt Salt. The Oil is no­thing [Page] but the Globuli of Fat melt­ed, and the thin part of it distill'd over by the help of Water. The Earthy part is the Ashes remain­ing. By this Explication it is evi­dent that the Fire changes the na­tural States of the Principle by Di­stillation; but it produces no new ones, but every distinct Chymical Principle has its Parent both in the Animals and Vegetables which pro­duced it; but the Difference and Virtue is from the Fire.

4. External Heat attracts to the outward Parts; for by rarefying the Humours, it distends the Ves­sels, and opens the Pores, by ex­panding the included Air, and gives way to the Pulse to press the Hu­mours outwardly: So in Cupping-Glasses, the Pressure of the external [Page] Air is taken off by the Heat of the Fire in them; and the same Heat rarefies the Air included in the Animal Pores and Juices, which produce the Tumour of the Part.

5. Heat condenses or thickens the Animal Humours, by evapora­ting the Serous Vehicles.

6. It colliquates fat Liquors, which coagulate by Cold, as Jel­ly Broaths, all Fats, and Axun­gia's.

7. There is another sort of Col­liquation made by external Heat, which we call the Putrefaction of our Humours, when the natural Viscidity is so far dissolved or col­liquated, as to want a sufficient tenacity or cohaesion of Parts, which is necessary to make the Bullulae [Page] Sanguineae, for retaining Aerial Spi­rits. Soap gives this viscidity to Water, which makes it fit to retain the Air blown into it. We observe all putrid Humours to be very thin and sanious, as it were colliquated like melted Oil.

The Effects of Cold on our Hu­mours, are contrary to that of Heat; and therefore as Fire acts by the agitation of its Parts, and diffusi­on of its Particles every way, so Cold, whose Seat is chiefly in Wa­ter, (for we naturally depend on that for extinguishing the common Fire, as well as all Animal Heats or Burnings) affects our Sense of Feeling, and produces its several Effects by its less agitation in the Particles of Water, than there is in the Humours of a living Animal. [Page] Cold Water is heavier than our Humours, or any other fermented Liquors; that giving them a great plenty of Elastic Air, makes them lighter, and more easily agitated than Water. And the same Water may seem Cold or Hot, according to the different Degrees of Heat, or agitation of our Humours; so the Urine appears cold to a Person in a very hot Bath: Therefore I must attribute all the Effects of cold Water on our solid and fluid Parts, to its weight, pressure, or lesser agitation than that in our Hu­mours.

1. Cold chills the Nerves, by com­pressing the Animal Spirits, and check­ing their Rarefaction, or natural aeri­al Expansion; and hereby it occasions the Skin to contract and shrivel, and [Page] stops its Pores, and hardens the Skin.

2. Cold Water compresses or condenses the Consistence of our Animal Juices, partly by its weight, or contact of Parts less a­gitated, and also by compressing the rarefy'd Elastic Air in the Bul­lulae Sanguinis.

3. By the stopping of the Pores, by the compressing of the Juices, the internal rarefy'd Vapours which are only Watery Globuli expanded by rarefy'd Air, are retain'd; and this may be observed by breathing upon a Magnifying Glass, on the side next the Object, and immedi­ately looking through it, the Breath appears like a Congeries of large Wa­ter-Bubbles broken on the Glass. These rarefy'd Bubbles in the Hu­mours, [Page] and their natural hot Ef­fluviums, produced by their Dige­stion, Motion, Circulation, or Fer­mentation; and if they be too much evacuated by hot Baths, they make the Body weaker, the Spirits exhausted; but if moderately re­tain'd, the Spirits are more invigo­rated, and all the Animal Actions depending on them, Digestion, Cir­culation, Perspiration, are well per­formed: And by this means Cold Water strengthens the natural Heat, Spirits, and Vigor or Tone of our Bodies; and for this reason the Northern Nations rub their Frozen Parts with Ice, and have always harden'd their Bodies by bathing in Cold Water.

4. Cold Water by over-much compressing the fluid Parts of Ani­mals [Page] may stop their Motion, and extinguish their natural Heat; but by a moderate compression, the Humours may be check'd in their Motion; and if very viscid, the Globuli may cohere, and there­by become grumous, or coagu­gulate; and this way Rheumatic Blood may be made by excessive cold Weather, which causes the viscid Particles to cohere in the Pores when too much compressed. The good Effects of this Compres­sion are to preserve the natural Consistence and Rarefaction of our Fluids, and thereby hinder Putri­faction; but excessive cold makes the external Parts pale, and at last mortifies them with a Gangrene, by hindring the Afflux of warm Nutriment into the external Ves­sels, [Page] and by congealing some of the Blood in its Vessels, which putri­fies there for want of Nourishment or Motion.

5. Cold Water repels the Cir­culation of Humours in wardly, and thereby it occasions Fluxes by U­rine, Stool, or Spitting: The quan­tity of the perspirable Aerial Parts retained, causes Fevers or burning Heats. The Serous perspirable re­tained, give Matter to the Distilla­tions or Fluxes. Cold Countries make our Bodies pale and white; but the hotter Climes black, swar­fey, yellow, by drawing the Hu­mours more outwardly, and ting­ing the Skin with their Colour: Choler makes the Face yellow or green; the well-digested Blood flo­rid; the Vitriolic Spleen Juice, [Page] gives a blackness to the Counte­nances: And by those sensible Marks, our old Physicians truly judged of the preternatural State of our Humours. But our Mo­derns too much neglect the useful sensible Notions observed formerly; and thro' a Humour of Innovati­ons, they reject all the Ancients have writ, tho' very useful, and as certain as our Senses, upon which they grounded all their Observa­tions.

The Operation of the Air on our solid Parts, is to compress them. We may easily discern that Effect, by taking off that Pressure by Cup­ping Glasses, or the Air Pump; for then the solid Parts swell by the force of the Air compressed in our Humours, which always expands [Page] it self by its Elasticity, according as the pressure of the Air, and its Weight are alter'd; but the great use of the Air is inwardly, by gi­ving fluidity, which was formerly understood by the humidity of our Humours. This Effect of the Air on our Humours was not so well understood formerly; but now we allow that Air is included in all Liquors, and gives the following Alterations to the Animal Hu­mours.

1. It being included in the empty Pores of our solid Meats, as well as in the Bubbles of our fluids, by the heat of the Stomach, the in­cluded Air being rarefy'd, it dis­solves and separates the Particles of our solid Food, and agitates those of the Liquors we drink. By this [Page] internal Agitation and Rarefaction of the elastic Particles of the Air, the Food is dissolved, digested, and fermented in the Stomach, this Air becomes more elastic by a long Di­gestion in the Stomach, as is the Spirit of our Animal Juices in its first Origine, and was properly cal­led by the Old Writers, The Natu­ral Spirit, which helps the Digesti­on, Fluidity of Humours, and the Distribution of Nutriment; the more windy part is that which is too elastic, and goes off in the form of Wind, both upwards and downwards.

2. In the Blood this Aerial Spi­rit is more purify'd, the windy Parts are thrown off by perspirati­on, or else by breathing. A vio­lent Agitation or Rarefaction is [Page] produced in the Blood, by every Ferment which occasions a Fever, or Defluxion of Humours. It is rarefy'd and compress'd, according to the Heat, Cold, or Weight of the external Air; and a violent Circu­lation occasion'd by any Passion of the Mind, causes the same E­bullition or Effervescence as in Fevers.

By the Rarefaction of the Air, the Serous Humidities are exhaled by Perspiration; and by the stop­page of this, either Pains, Fevers, Defluxions, or Cachexies are pro­duc'd; the continual Flux of this Humid aerial Part, is necessary to prevent Putrifaction in our Hu­mours. This is usually called the Ventilation of them; for as the stoppage of the Fumes of wet Hay [Page] occasions an actual Fire, so the too free Evacuations of these aerial Particles, over-cool our Bodies, and weaken them.

3. The greatest Effects of the Air is in producing of Animal Spi­rits, which consist of the purer Lympha, impregnated with a fine digested elastic Air. The Glands of the Brain prove that some Lym­pha is strain'd thro' them into the Nerves; and because none comes forth upon cutting the Nerves, the greatest part of it must be aerial, by which I express the light fluid elastical Mixture of Air, Water, and the light Oily Parts of the A­nimal Juices, produced out of our Nourishment by Fermentation in the Stomach, and a long Digesti­on in the Blood-Vessels; and whilst [Page] it remains in the circulating Mass, it is properly call'd the Vital Spi­rit; but in the Nerves, the Animal, as it is the immediate Instrument of the Soul; and this does more immediately receive the Impressions of Hot and Cold in our Skins, and is variously affected, according to the change of Weather, and the pressure of the Air. These aerial Spirits are fit to represent the Agi­tation of the external Air in Sands; the Motion of the Oily Particles of Smells, will easily rarifie the aerial Spirits, and thereby violently affect the whole: This gives Tension and Motion to all the Muscles, and fre­quently circulates into the Blood again.

Windy moist Air hinders Perspi­ration, by altering the Tension of [Page] the Skin, or the Pressure of the outward Air, and by causing an Ebullition in the Humours; for in Fevers the Perspiration is very much stopped; and when the Blood is in a confused Motion, and quick Cir­culation, by an Inflation of the in­ward Membranes, the Skin is con­tracted.

External Cold hinders Transpi­ration in weak Bodies, where the Fermentation is low; but it helps it in the strong, as all the Northern People experience, who are more lightsome; and their Bodies weigh less in cold Frosty Weather, by rea­son of a more plentiful Perspirati­on; and that the Change of Air from Hot to Cold in the Summer, hinders Perspiration about lb. j. and this produces Fevers and Distillati­ons, [Page] when we change our Clothes too soon: This Perspirabile retain­ed, makes the Spirits uneasie, till it is evacuated again by Urine, Stool, or Sweat within three days.

We experience, that in our Bodies being heated, cool Air stops Per­spiration; yet it is as certain that an excess of Cold heats strong Bodies, and makes them really lighter.

I have described the Effects of Fire, Water, and Air in our Bo­dies, because they very much alter the Perspiration; and it is plain, that the Element of Earth taken in our Food, supplies part of the Perspirabile, and alters the Excreti­on of it, according to its different Qualities.

From the time of our eating we perspire unequally, that is, about [Page] lb. j. in the first five Hours, and from five to twelve lb. iij. and from twelve to sixteen but lb. ss. By this Observation of Sanctorius, 'tis evident, that our daily Food must supply the Matter transpired; that till there has been a full Digestion in the Stomach, and a Sanguifica­tion of it by Circulation, no con­siderable quantity perspires. And from this Observation it is easie to make a Rule for our Hot bathing and Exercise, That the Body will perspire more by them, after five Hours, which time the Meat is digesting in the Stomach; and that Cold bathing twelve Hours after Meat cannot stop Perspiration much, or occasion any Fever or Defluxion by shutting up the Pores, the Per­spiration being finish'd.

[Page] The liquid part of our Diet is the greatest and heaviest, and the solid lightest, being more filled with Air; and so it is in our Ex­crements; in the space of one Night we perspire insensibly forty Ounces or more. The quantity of Urine is about sixteen Ounces; and the hard Excrement but four Ounces.

The quality of the Meat alters Perspiration; copious and crude Meats, as Melons, Cucumbers, Mush­rooms, make the Body heavier; and all the vaporous and thin or fer­mented, lighter.

Thin Meats perspire about forty Ounces, as Mutton does; but the thicker, as Swines Flesh, eighteen Ounces, and in the space of a Night.

[Page] Fasting perspires as much; which shews, that in good and conveni­ent feeding, we perspire the eigh­teen Ounces from our antiquated Humours, and about twenty two from our new Diet.

The Flatus in our Diet is, as Sanctorius affirms, rude quoddam per­spirabile: and there are two parts of Perspiration, the one is flatulent ae­rial, the grosser part is serous; but sweating is altogether unnatu­ral, unless we eat or drink more than is necessary.

The preservation of our Health requires, that we should add as much to our weight as we daily lose, and that we should return every Morning to the same weight again.

[Page] By weighing before and after sensible Evacuation in a Morning, we find that if our Diet amounts to lb. viij. in a Day, lb. v. pas­ses off insensibly; and that ex­ceeds all the other sensible Eva­cuations.

We then account our selves most healthful, when we perspire every Day alike; and Sanctorius assures us, that we should live to extreme old Age, if our Bodies in the four Changes of the Year were preserved of an equal weight; but in the begin­ing of Autumn the weight of the Body increases, and that makes a Ferment for Winter Tertians; and from the Autumn Equinox till the Winter Sol­stice, we perspire less lb. j. every day; and then we begin to per­spire more till the Spring Equinox; [Page] and he observes that in the Sum­mer our Bodies weigh less by lb. iij.

In the hot Air of Summer, our Bodies are of less Strength; there­fore in Summer it is necessary to concenter our Strength and Spirits by Cold bathing: And there is not any more certain way to pre­serve our selves from this dange­rous inequality of weight, than by these kind of Cold Baths, which by frequent use make the Skin less subject to the sense of Cold, and consequently to an unnatural Con­traction, to stop Perspiration, when we suddenly find the Air to change from Hot to Cold; or to spend too much of our Strength, when it changes from Cold to Hot.

[Page] That cold Water renders the Skin callous, or, as Pliny calls it, car­neous, is apparent by the Skins of Fishermen, who can indure all the Extremities of Weather, the thick­ness of the Skin making it unca­pable of different Tensions: But all the tenderness we keep our selves in, makes the Skin more sensible of Air, and more subject to contract or relaxe, and thereby transpires inequally.

The Causes which stop Perspira­tion are,

1. After eating, the Circulation goes more inwardly, and the Sto­mach and Guts are more tinged with Blood, they growing more warm by their fermenting Con­tents, may occasion the Humours to flow thither; and their Contra­ction [Page] upon the Meat may stop the circulating Humours there; and for this reason eating in the Morning, in the time of the greatest Perspi­ration, is improper, till after twelve Hours, when it is over. Absti­nence hinders Perspiration.

2. All Evacuations by vomiting, purging, venery, stop Perspiration, by turning the Circulation from the Habit of the Body, and may be improper when Perspiration is ne­cessary.

3. Water-drinking hinders it; and cool, viscid, acid, mucilagi­nous, styptic Diet is neither easily digested, nor perspired.

4. The Passions of Fear and Sad­ness, by stopping the Circulation hinders our Transpiration; and therefore Hypondriacks cannot be [Page] cured, till their Bodies are made transpirable by temperate Baths, and humid Diet.

5. The pituitous Cacochymia, the serous, tartareous, or flatulent Con­stitution, and old Men, and all in whom there is a weak Heat, per­spire least.

6. Cold Air and Water, tossing in Bed, Wax, Oil, Fat, outwardly hinder Perspiration, and ruine ma­lignant Ulcers.

The Inconveniences which at­tend the stoppage of Perspiration are Pains, Fevers, Windiness, Las­situde, Tumours, Gangrenes, Ery­sipela's, Sciatica's, Fluxes by U­rine or Stool, and the Body is hea­vier.

[Page] The Causes of too great a Per­spiration will cure the Stoppage of it; and are as follow.

1. All hot, vinose, acrid, aro­matic, salt Tastes in Diet, the actu­al Heat of Tobacco, do injury to the Head and Spirits, which requite Cool things; that Heat over-digests the Humours in the Stomach, and occasions a quicker Circulation, and febrile Rarefaction of the Blood, whereby it produces great Defluxi­ons of Serum; it depresses a preter­natural Heat on the solid Parts and Spirits, if the Constitution be hot, choleric, salt, viscid, or pu­trefactive; and Tobacco can be only proper for the Cold Constitu­tions, as the serous, mucilaginous, and windy. I have often ob­served Smoaking the Cause of [Page] Consumptions, and Scurvy, and Defluxions.

Hippocrates tells us, that the fre­quent use of hot things, makes the Mind effeminate, the Nerves weak, the Spirits torpid, and occa­sions Haemorrhages and Deliquium's of the Spirits. This seems to me an occasion of the Vapours in Men and Women, which come by the use of too hot Liquors and Diet, with high Sawces. Many drink Tea, Coffee, and actually warm Liquors, which put us to continu­al Sweats, and evaporate the Spi­rits; but Pliny observes, that no Animal drinks hot Liquors besides Mankind.

2. Hot Baths promote Perspi­ration, and so does hot Air: The warming of Beds, and the sitting [Page] by the Fire, and keeping in the Air of a warm House, disposes us to sweat; which being, as Sancto­rius says, an unnatural Evacuati­on, they weaken the Spirits, and the Stomach, fill the Head with Vapours, occasion Defluxions, soft­ness, and flaccidity of the Flesh.

Many hot Clothes, and wearing Flannel, promote Perspiration too much, and beget a Lassitude, which proceeds from less Strength, as as well as more Weight in our Museles.

3. The violent Exercise of the Mind evacuates the aerial insensi­ble Perspirabile; but that of the Body evacuates the serous Perspira­bile, and that diminishes the Strength. Eating too much, makes Heat, and violent Exercise, always make the [Page] Perspiration visible; but the invi­sible is only natural and healthful, and that which follows a perfect Digestion.

Too much Exercise kills more than too little, because of the Ac­cident of stopping the Pores un­warily by cold Air.

Going into cold Water after vio­lent Exercise, Sanctorius condemns as dangerous; for by Exercise the Humours are much rarefy'd; and by sudden Cold the heated Hu­mours immediately coagulate; and for this reason we must not Ex­ercise before cold bathing, tho' the Antients prescribe it, and practised it. And the Ingenious Dr. Clayton of Wakefield, (to whom for his Observations on St. Mungus Well, I am very much obliged) gives [Page] me an account in a Second Letter, that the Americans make sweating-Ovens on the side of the Banks of their Rivers, which they heat as we do our Ovens, and when cool­ed again, they put the Patient to sweat in them for Fevers; and in the height of his Sweat, he runs into the River, and dives over Head; and these Ovens the Docter has seen in Virginia and Maryland.

This Practice being against the Reason of our Philosophy, and the Inclination of our tender Patient, it will not so readily prevail, tho' Experience stands on its side; nei­ther would I recommend a Practice very hazardous, to which nothing should persuade me, till I am satisfy'd of some extraordinary [Page] Advantage by it, in curing some desperate Distemper.

The Passion of Anger, Joy, as well as Exercise, inlarge the Circulation outwardly, and thereby propel the Perspirabile outwardly; and they al­so inlarge the Expansion of the A­nimal Spirits in the Cutis, to open the Pores thereof; so a Net, by only holding it gently, opens its Mashes, but by stretching of it, they close more.

4. All hot Constitutions and Ca­cochymia's, such as the Scorbutic, the Choleric, the Salt states of Hu­mours, perspire too much, their Bloods are like a Jelly, and the Habit of the Body dry and thin.

In hot Countries, and the hot­test Season, and Youth, these Con­stitutions suffer most; the Perspira­bile [Page] is more acrid in these Constitu­tions, and in Summer; and if this be retained, it produces Malignant Fevers in Summer; for Perspiration hindered, produces a Putrefaction; and nothing hinders that more than a large Ventilation; for Gangreens are cured, and all Tumours, by restoring Perspiration: But all these Constitutions are fittest for cold Baths, and receive Injury by hot Baths.

In Sleep we perspire about lb. iij. but in Watching about 20 Ounces; the Body will fully perspire by being ten Hours in Bed; and we find our selves more lightsom in the Morning, because our Bodies are really more light, by the loss of the weight mention'd.

[Page] The way to know what Perspi­ration is natural, is thus; if after a larger Supper we find by weigh­ing in the Morning fifty Ounces to have perspired in twelve Hours time; and if we observe our weight in the Morning when we eat no­thing at Night, and that be twenty Ounces, we must endeavour by the use of the several Causes which promote or hinder our Perspiration, to reduce it to come near the mid­dle, betwixt fifty and twenty Oun­ces, viz. thirty five Ounces: And this will preserve our Health to a Hundred Years, as Sanctorius af­firms; who also assures us, That that Health is most stable, which alters little in Perspiration.

[Page] If by the hot Regimen I have mention'd, as Brandy, Spirits, strong Wines, smoaking Tobacco, strong Ale, hot Baths, wearing Flannel and many Clothes, keeping in the House, warming of Beds, sitting by great Fires, drinking continually of Tea and Coffee, want of due Exercise of the Body, by too much study or Passion of the Mind, by Mar­rying too young, or by too much Venery, which injures the Eyes, Di­gestion and Perspiration to a fourth part, and breeds Wind and Crudi­ties, heats the Blood, and weakens the Nerves; for all the Effeminacy, Niceness, and Weakness of Spirits is produced in the Hysterical and Hypochondriacal: I hope my Coun­men will pardon my Freedom of Correcting these Vices or Errors, [Page] when I shew them the only Reme­dies to prevent or cure these Dis­orders in their Bodies and Minds, which is by hardening their Bodies in the experienc'd cold Baths, first at Buxton, for the most tender, and old infirm Persons; and after­wards at Holywell, or St. Mungus-Well; and the drinking of the Mi­neral Waters in Summer, will pre­pare their Stomachs for frequent drinking cold Water at other times, by which all hot Constitutions will receive more benefit, than by Tea, Coffee, Brandy, Spirits, or strong Liquors and hot Baths.

Tacitus gives us the reason why the German Children injoyed the Strength of their Parents. Ser a Ju­venum Venus, eoque ienxhaust a pubertas. [Page] Dominum ac Servum nullis educationis deliciis dignoscas.

A Languor Lassitude, and more weight, are Signs of immoderate Coition; old Men are made cold­er by it by the loss of Spirits, and heavier; but young Men hotter and lighter.

I do not persuade my Reader to change those Errors of living, without having first done so my self; for by leaving off strong Li­quors, and all hot Diet, Teas, Coffee, &c. and by Water-drink­ing, and bathing at Buxton, I have procured to my self better Health, and more Hardiness, than I have enjoy'd for many Years before. And by the long use of this cold Regimen, I believe we may re­duce our Bodies to an equal Per­spiration; [Page] if we often weigh our selves in the time of cold bathing every Morning, we shall find the most natural and healthful Degree of Perspiration; and we need not fear the stopping of our Pores sud­denly by cold Water, for that for the present will strengthen our Na­tural Heat, and cause a more plen­tiful Perspiration: And by Sancto­rius's Scales he found the Body to weigh less after bathing in cold Wa­ter: And that part of the Perspi­rabile which passed too much by the Skin, is either hindred from being bred in the Body, or else passes by Urine; for the more the Perspiration is promoted, the less are the sensible Evacuations, and è contra.

[Page] The Inconveniences and Signs of the Perspiration too much, an languor of the Spirits, flaccidity of the Flesh, the quick Sense of cold Air, and Shivering with it, and a coldness of the external Parts: The aerial Perspirabile retained, disposes to Anger and Joy, but the serous to Fear and Sadness. All the hot Regimen and hot Baths have pre­ceeded the profuse Perspiration. It is Sanctorius's Assertion, that those who perspire too much thro' the Passions of the Mind, are hardly brought to a due Perspiration: for too much Motion of the Mind hurts more than that of the Body.

I have more fully reckoned up the Causes and Signs of the stopt or profuse Perspiration, that by the [Page] use of the hot or cold Baths, we might regulate all Excesses, and by different Baths, make the Rules of Sanctorius practicable, in maintain­ing an equal just weight of our Bodies, and that the Addition by Diet, and Substraction by invisible Perspiration, may be proportiona­ble and healthful.

That I might farther incourage the use of Cold bathing, I will give an account from Jones, of what he writ concerning Buxton-Baths; and from the rest of our English Writers, which mention that and other cold Baths.

Hollingshead, concerning Baths, commends Buxton-Baths, and says, St. Vincent's Well at Bristol, and Ho­lywell, have the same Virtue.

[Page] He mentions King's-Newnam near Coventry, and calls the Water Alu­minous, and that he found it to taste like Alum, but not unpleasant in drinking. There are three Wells, the biggest riseth out of a Hill, and from thence the Water is car­ry'd to divers parts of the Realm to be drank: It cures the Palsie, dimness of Sight, dulness of Hear­ing, the Cholic and Stone, old Sores, green Wounds: It Petrifies by ga­thering about Oak or Ash Sticks, fine Sand. At first Entrance it is cold, but after a while it warm­eth, giving an indifferent Heat; no Man hath sustained Injury by the same: The Virtue thereof was found 1579. And the Fame of this Water in Hollingshead's time, equal­led that of Bathe.

[Page] Speed's Geography mentions these Wells, which he says are Sovereign against Imposthumes, Stone, green Wounds, Ulcers,; and he says it Petrifies.

Cambden describes the Newnam Springs, near the River Avon in Warwickshire, as Fountains strained thro' a Vein of Alum; and that the Water carrieth both the Taste and Colour of Milk; and that it was reported to cure the Stone, and procureth Urine abundantly, and cures green Wounds. With Salt it looseth, and with Sugar it bindeth. And from these Experi­ments we have the hint of using Sal Mirabile, and Polychrestum, to in­crease the purgative Faculty of our Waters.

[Page] Speed mentions Buxton-Wells, and saith, out of the Rock at Bux­ton, within the compass of eight Yards, nine Springs rise, eight of them warm, but the ninth very cold; these run from under a fair square Building of Free-stone, and about sixty Paces off receive ano­ther hot Spring, from a Well in­closed with four flat Stones, cal­led St. Ann's-Well: Near unto which, another Cold Spring bub­bles up. The Report goes a­mongst the by-dwellers, that great Cures have been done by these Waters; but daily Experience sheweth, that they are good for the Stomach, and Sinews, and ve­ry pleasant to bathe the Body in it.

[Page] Hollingshead mentions St. Neots, fifty Miles from Cambridge, where there are two Springs, the one fresh, the other salt: This is good for Scabs, Leprosie; and the o­ther for Dimness of Sight; and these were very famous, and found out 1579.

The Lord Bacon mentions the deficiency of imitating artificially the natural Baths, by dissolving the Salts, Sulphurs, Vitriol, in com­mon Water. I believe we may try to imitate them; and the quan­tity of the Minerals must give a similitude of Taste to the natu­ral Waters; the Heat must pro­ceed, as in the Earth, from actu­al Fire: And the Quantities of the Contents described by those who have evaporated the Mineral Wa­ters, [Page] shew us also what quantity of the aforesaid Minerals we should dissolve.

Dr. Lyster observed ℥ ij. of Salt in lb. viij. of a Salt Spring-Water. And Pliny says, Sextarius salis cum quatuor aquae sextariis, sal­sissimi maris vim & naturam im­plet. And this may be the pro­portion of common Salt in Salt Baths.

In England we do not yet use the Copper-Waters, as the Ancients did, to drink; and we want also the use of the Salt Baths, which are very much commended by Pli­ny; and divers other bituminous Waters and Baths. In this Enquiry we have not yet equalled the Anci­ents, nor in our accounts of Cold Baths.

[Page] Pliny mentions the Albulae near Rome, which healed Wounds, Ege­lidae hae, sed Cutiliae in Sabinis geli­dissimae, actu quodam corpora inva­dunt, ut prope morsus videri possit, aptissimae stomacho, nervis, universo cor­pori.

He mentions the Spiariae Ficis, Conceptus mulieribus repraesentat, item in Arcadia flumen elatum; and that the Fountain Linus hinders Aborti­on. And the like Virtue we may attribute to St. Winifred's-Well, and other cold Springs, which stop all Fluxes out of the Body.

Vitruvius describes the Nature of many Springs and Fountains; and observes, that there were hot Springs without any taste of Mine­rals, and that Heat was from actual Fire, maintain'd by a bituminous [Page] or mineral Earth. We observe the Water in some Springs so rare­fy'd or inflated, as to be thrown up as it were by a Wind. He imputes the Coldness to Salt Petre dissolved in Water, and their pe­trifying Waters are coldest. He ob­serves the cold nitrous purging Wa­ters at Cutiliae, which diminish the Tumors of the Strumae. He ob­serves the Virtues of the sulphure­ous Waters, to help the Nerves, the aluminous the Paralytic: But that all Mineral Waters, incon­stant Diet, affect the Nerves and Limbs, by an Inflation, & nervi In­flatione turgentes contrahuntur, & ita aut nervicos, aut podagricos efficiunt homines.

Pliny and Vitruvius mention the Tastes of Waters; that the River Hemera in Sicily, divides it self in­to [Page] two Parts; and that near Aetna is exceeding sweet; and the other part, by running thro' a Salt-Mine, very salt: And others uncti oleo erum­punt, as the River Lyparis in Cilicia: These Bitumens they used instead of Oil, for Lights; and they had the Consistence of either Oil, Tar, Pitch; and they mention one Bitu­men of the smell of a Citron at Carthage. Many miraculous things are related by Pliny of Waters, as their inebriating Quality, and poysonous, and the changing the Colour of the Hair of Animals. And Vitruvius mentions the smell of Metals in their melting; Gold has little smell, or more sweet; Sil­ver is a little sulphureous; Lead, Brass, Iron, more foetid. He men­tions the bitter or ingrate Taste of [Page] Copper; and that the other Tastes of Metals were evident by the Wa­ter, to which they give a Tincture by standing.

I desire leave to recommend the following Baths to the Considera­tion of our Country Practisers, the Virtues of which are the same as the other Cold Baths have; but the Specific Virtue depends on the Mineral.

At Willowbridge in Stafford-shire, there is a bituminous Water, of a pleasant Oily Taste, somewhat bit­terish: It is the smoothest Water I ever tasted or felt. It seems pro­per as a bituminous Cold Bath out­wardly and inwardly.

The bituminous Baths are useful for the Itch, Leprosie, Tetters, out­ward Ulcers; it discusses, and is [Page] good for Pains, Gout, dulness of Sight, heals Wounds, smooths the Skin, helps Lameness and Contra­ction of Sinews, by its Oiliness. Inwardly it cures Coughs, Asthma's, Hoarseness, Stone, Gravel, sharp­ness of Water, Gripes, Dysentery, by its Oiliness: And by its dis­cussing warming Quality, it opens Obstructions of the Liver, Womb; and eases inward Pains, Tumours, King's-Evil.

I distill'd a clear Oil out of the Water; and, in short, I do re­commend this Water, as one of the best bituminous Baths I believe in England.

At Godsall in Stafford-shire, there is a cold Sulphur-water, formerly famous for Leprosie; and this I may recommend for a Cold Sul­phureous [Page] Bath, and may be used as a Sulphur Medicine.

There are divers Salt Springs in our Country; and these, if mild, may be used both inwardly and outwardly.

There is an exceeding cold Spring in Sutton-Park, called Routhen Well, which the Country use for Cold bathing in the Itch; and it may serve the uses of Cold bathing ve­ry well. Small Cottages were built there. The Taste of it is smooth and Oily.

We have many Chalybeate Wa­ters very useful, at Lichfield, Poles­worth, Bromage, and Blurton; and those who would try the utmost of Cold bathings, must begin with Buxton, then go to Holywell, and at last try Willowbridge-Bath, which [Page] will Oil and lubricate the Skin; and by this we imitate the Cu­stom of the Romans and Grecians, who used to anoint with Oil after bathing.

[Page] THE Touch-stone of Medicines; discovering the Virtures of Vegetables, Minerals, and Animals, by their Tastes and Smells. In two Volumes.

The Preternatural State of Animal Humours descri­bed by their sensible Qualities, which depend on the different Degrees of their Fermentation, and the Cure of each particular Cacochymia is performed, by Medi­cines of a peculiar Specific Taste, described. To this Treatise are added two Appendixes. First, About the Nature of Fevers, and Cure by particular Tastes. Second, Concerning the Effervescence and Ebullition of the several Cacochymia's on which all Inflammati­ons, Tumours, Pains, and Fluxes of Humours de­pend, especially those in the Gout and Astma, and the particular Tastes of the Medicines curing Ebulli­tions are described.

By Sir John Floyer, of the City of Lichfield, Knight. M. D. of Queen's-College, Oxford.

An Inquiry into the right Ʋse and Abuse of the Hot, the Cold, and Temperate Baths in England.

CHAP. 1.
In which the Nature of Baths and their several Species are examined, and explained by their sensible Qualities.

THE Occasion of my Inquiry into the Nature of Baths, was some Observations I former­ly made at Bathe, about 3 Years since, and what I thought ob­servable in a late Visit I made to Bux­ton's Bath in Derbyshire.

[Page 2] I found these two Baths of different Use in curing Diseases; and I obser­ved great Irregularity in the Use of both of them.

I observed that many Persons came to the hot Baths at Bathe, without any good Advice; or they who came with it, indiscreetly and imprudently mana­ged their Bathing (by using of it with­out due Evacuation, or continuing of it too long) that they went from thence worse than they came; some having inflam'd their Blood, and thicken'd its Serum, so as to renew their Rheumatic Pains: Others died of Fevers, Consum­ptions, Convulsions, Bleeding, Impost­humes, not long after. I frequently re­flected on what is also observed by the Ancient Writers of the particular Inju­ries done by Bathing; that healthful Persons receive much Prejudice by hot Baths, which colliquate the Humours, and occasion Fevers, and Defluxions of Humours, Pains, Inflammations, Ob­structions.

These Instances may convince all con­sidering Persons, that we ought not to [Page 3] use hot Baths for Pleasure, especially where there is a fulness of Humours, and a hot Constitution; and since the fol­lowing Accidents frequently happen up­on Bathing, they will certainly over­balance all the Pleasure of it. These Inconveniencies come by hot Baths, Thirst and Fevers, by raising the natural Fermentation or Rarefaction of our Hu­mours into a putrify'd State, making them viscid and salt. Hence come the Pains and Rheums occasioned by hot Baths, and the Inclinations to much Sweating, and profuse Haemorrhages. Many Diseases of the Brain are produc'd by hot Baths; as, Apoplexies, Sleepiness, Vertigo, Convulsions, Asthma's, Debility of the Sight, Swooning, a general Lassi­tude, and a Dejection of the Appetite, and Torpor of the Mind, and Effeminacy of the Flesh. Hot Bathing binds the Body, swells the Belly, if many Obstru­ctions and inflammatory Cholicks be there; and makes the Stomach weak, by diverting the Circulation of Humours to the Habit of the Body, and often occasions Vomitings, and Coughs, Hick­up, [Page 4] and many other Inconveniences I shall hereafter mention.

My Journey to Buxton-Well this last Year discovered to me a Bath very dif­erent from that at Bathe, it being a very temperate Bath, prod ucing no Sweat­ing after it, but rather a Coldness; and upon a due Consideration I found the Bath very useful in many Cases, in which that of Bathe did Injury; as in Consum­ptions, hot Scorbutick Pains, and all De­fluxions of Humours, and Bleedings, and all the hot inordinate Flatulencies of the Animal Spirits in Hysteric and Hypocon­driac Cases. And these I found used by the Northern Countries, chiefly for Pleasure, without any Method or Pre­paration, or Regularity of Diet; and as the Baths at Bathe are commended like a Medicine of some eminent Quack, for all Diseases, tho' they require a con­trary Remedy to cure them; so these in the Opinion of the Northern Peo­ple, cure all their Diseases, whether de­pending upon a hot or cold Cause.

By the Observation of the different Nature of the two mentioned Baths, [Page 5] as well as the Contrariety of the Disea­ses incident to Animal Humours, I did believe that some short Treatise would be useful, which explain'd the Nature of the several kinds of Baths, and di­rected in what particular Case each might be useful, so that Physicians might not send Persons to improper Baths; nor they incur great Hazard of their Healths by an indiscreet Choice, or Use of a Disagreeing Bath.

I always believ'd our Senses were suf­ficiently acute to discern what was use­ful both to a diseas'd as well as a health­ful Body: For by them, we, as well as the Brutes do examine both our Me­dicine and Diet.

We perceive that all Odours shew the hot Temper of our Medicines and Meats; That the cooler emit no Odour considerable.

The Taste more evidently discovers the Virtue of all Liquids.

The Astringent Taste discovers a Cooling, Condensating, Repelling, Ob­structing Quality.

[Page 6] The Acid attenuates, incides without Heat, and opens and repels.

The Acrid heats, attracts, discusses.

Bitters cleanse, open, attenuate thick Humours, without manifest Heat.

Watery Tastes cool; thicken, obstruct, mortifie, or stupifie.

Salt Tastes dry without great Cold­ness or Heat, astringe; they preserve from Putrefaction.

Sweet Tastes concoct; mollifie, rari­fie, or ferment.

Oily Tastes moisten; mollifie and ease Pain.

By the Experiments on particular Tastes, and the observable Modes of our Tastes, old Physicians, Galen, Aegi­neta, Orobasius, Aetius, as is evident by their Discourse upon the Tastes of Me­dicines, discovered the several Tem­peraments of Medicines, and the Ef­fects of them; and by these Tastes they most particularly examin'd the Vir­tues of all Medicinal Waters and Baths. By them the most barbarous Nations, the Asiatic, African, European, and o­ther Nations found out the Virtue [Page 7] and Use of their Baths, naturally pro­duc'd in each Country, before any great Knowledge was got in Chymistry, Physick, or any general Philosophy.

There was no other Physick for many Years than Bathing, Exercise, and Di­et at Rome. They believed Bathing to empty all Superfluities; and that Bath­ing cured all Diseases depending on an ill Diet, and external Causes, by eva­cuating the Fumosum and Humidum, which ought to pass by Transpiration. It corrects the Heat of our Humours, and discusses the Salt Putrid Humours, producing cutaneous Effects; as, the Scab and Leprosie.

We have many Senses to help in our Enquiry into the Nature of Bath Waters: The Touch inform us of those that are hotter than the na­tural Heat of our Humours; which are the hot Baths, the Heat of whose Water seems to me most probably to depend on some Neighbouring sub­terraneal Fire (as Baccius has most pro­bably conjectur'd by the burning Hill near the Neighbouring Baye;) And he [Page 8] describes Places in the Field, called Sul­phuraria, where the Water really boyls as in a Caldron; And he imputes the different Degrees of Heat in the Bath Waters to their being nearer to the Chymnies or Channels of Fire, when they are very hot; and that the tepid Waters are more remote from them; and he affirms that some Waters are so hot at Puteoli, that they can de­pend on nothing less than actual Fire for their Scalding Heat; because they burn, and blister, and excoriate as scald­ing hot Water does: And Baccius fur­ther observes, in quibusdam locis ignis & aqua cum fervore emergunt.

The Neighbourhood of Vesuvius and Aetna to the hot Baths in Italy and Sici­ly give a sufficient Demonstration of the Cause of the Heat of them; and by Parity of Reason we may guess that the same Cause gives the like Heat to Baths of colder Climates, tho' the Actual Fires are not so evident there.

There are in those Countries Su­datory Caves, where there is a violent actual Heat; and in some Places the [Page 9] Noise of boiling Waters; all which prove the Neighbourhood of Actual Fire, which has sufficiently manifested it self by frequent Eruptions, which burnt to Ashes the most Celebrated Buildings of those Baths.

The fervid Baths in the first Degree are intolerable by their Excess of Heat excoriating.

The second Degree of hot Baths are very hot, yet fit for Baths, which are either more distant from the actual Fire, or made more mild by the Mixture of the cooler Minerals; as, Nitre, Alom or cool Springs. These have very good or bad Effects, according as they are applied to divers Constitutions and Di­seases which I will describe in the fol­lowing Chapter.

The hottest Bath we have, is the long Bath at Bathe; and the King and Queen's Bath; and the Cross Bath is more mild, but much too hot for a tem­perate Bath, the Effects of which will be describ'd in the next Chapter, to heat and dry, and not moisten.

[Page 10] The second Degree of Baths which our Sense of Feeling discovers is the temperate Baths, which are near the natural Temper of our Humours; and these may be useful for the Preservation of our Healths, as well as our Pleasure, and the curing of some cutaneous Di­seases; such are the Baths of warm Water, which mollifie, discuss, con­coct, strengthen, and warm.

These are good in Ephemera's, Thirst, Lassitude and Itch.

The third Degree of Baths, of which our Sense of Feeling informs us, is the cold Baths, which chill our Humours, stop the Pores, and strengthen our Limbs and Spirits.

The fourth does not only discover the Heat and Coldness of Water, but also the Roughness or Driness and the Softness of Waters.

That all these kind of Bathings are ve­ry useful, the Experience of all A­ges testifies; and they always ap­plied them to different States of our Humours: For if we be too hot, our Reason, as well as Experience, pre­scribes [Page 11] cold Bathing in Ephemera's and excessive Heats; But if our Bodies be chill, and pained, we use hot Baths; and for Pleasure, cleansing the Skin, and Preservation of Health, the most temperate Baths.

The other Senses which inform us of the Medicinal Nature of the Mi­nerals dissolv'd in the Fountain Wa­ters, are our Taste, and Smell and Sight.

Fountain Water as such, only lubri­cates, cools, and mollifies; but the pur­ging and altering Quality depends on the several Minerals dissolv'd in Foun­tain Waters. These Mineral Waters we artificially imitate, by dissolving several prepar'd Minerals in them; and by the Taste of the natural Mineral Waters, we may be best directed to the nearest Proportion and Mixture of our Arti­ficial Baths in Imitation of the Na­tural. There is scarce any two Mineral Waters which have exactly the same Mixture of Minerals, as we may ob­serve by their Variety of Tastes and Virtues.

[Page 12] Our Taste shews us that all Mineral Waters dry: For they evidently dry the Tongue and shrivel the Skin: Tho' most Baths have compounded Tastes, yet some one is most predominant; and by that I will distinguish the several sorts of Mineral Waters and Baths.

1. The sulphureous foetid or stinking Baths: Sulphur is dissolv'd in these Baths, which is like the Soot of a Chimney, or Fuliginous Vapours from the inward inflamed Parts of the Earth. Metals burned, send forth the Steam of Sul­phur; and that is knownby its Putor, and the Taste of Sulphur, is evident in many Baths.

The Sulphureous Baths are generally hot; but there are many Sulphureous Waters evidently cold and stinking; for which reason we believe the actual Heat depends not on the Sulphur alone.

These Sulphureous Baths agree with the cold Cacochymia's, and cold solid Parts; but are injurious to all hot Con­stitutions, Fevers and Defluxions of Humours; in which we prescribe to ab­stain from Wine, Venery, the Sun and Baths.

[Page 13] It was observ'd by Aetius, that sul­phureous and bituminous Baths very much offend the Head if it be pump­ed with them.

The sulphureous Waters may be imi­tated by boyling Hepar Sulphuris, or Sulphur Flower in some Lixivium; or a Mixture of Sulphur and Filings of Iron moistened with Water till they grow warm; or by boyling the Pyrites in Water; the Quantity of the Water must be so much as to give it a Taste like o the Sulphur Waters.

2. Bituminous Baths.

Bituminous Waters are known by their acutus Nidor (for the Smell of Bi­tumen is foetid) by this their Acrimony and Bitterness, they discuss and heat; but they mollifie more than the sul­phureous Baths; because Bitumens have an Oily Viscidity in them.

All Places that burn in the Earth, have either a Bitumen or Sulphur in them.

Bituminous Waters that have only the Nidor of Bitumen in them, may safely be drank to heal, dry and mol­lifie; [Page 14] they heal Ulcers, cicatrize Wounds; but they fill the Head, cause Sleep, and hurt the Senses and Eyes.

These may be artificially imitated by boyling the Pissasphaltus Stone in hot Water, such as is got in Shropshire, out of the Coal-Pits near Bentall; or the Matter of the Tar-Wells, may be mix'd in Baths; or Ointments for mollifying and discussing, and the Pitch made of those Stones in Emplasters. No Bitu­minous Waters are yet eminent with us in England; tho' I have been inform'd, that an Oil like Turpentine has been di­stilled from Willow-Bridge Water in Staffordshire, which has been much com­mended for external Maladies.

It may be consider'd how far Barba­dos Tar, or the common Petrolaeum may be used for mollifying and discussing Baths, by boyling them in Water to make a Bath like the Hydrolaeum.

I have heard of a Bituminous Mud in Lancashire, and in other Places, which would supply the Illutamentum used by the old Romans in External Parts.

[Page 15] Dr. Plot examined the Wa­ter in Willow-Bridge Park, History of Staffordsh. which gives an Oily Taste to the Glas­ses long used; and that upon Distillati­on, the Oil runs over upon the least Heat before the Water, of a bright yellow Colour; and this must be of a Balsamick Quality inwardly, and have the Effects of a cold Bituminous Bath outwardly: And if this Water were heated by boyling in a Furnace it must have the Virtue of a hot Bituminous Bath.

Carduan believes Bitumen to contain Sulphur and Niter; 'tis certain there is an Oily Part and an Acid in it.

Speed mentions a Well at Itchford in a private Man's Yard, whereon floated a thick Bituminous Scum, not yet suffici­ently experimented.

3. Arsenic Acrid Waters, which burn, dry, absterge and depilate; they erode the Gums, hurt the Stomach, loose the Teeth, destroy the Horns and Hoofs of Beasts: Such is the Nature of Arsenic it self, which burns, eats, breeds crusts, like actual Fire.

[Page 16] Baccius commends the Waters mixed with Sandaracha, if much diluted, for cleansing the Breast from purulent Mat­ter, and helps the Suspirious, and short breathed.

We imitate these Waters by a Mix­ture of Arsenic and Calx viva, boyled for a depilatory Medicine.

All Acrid Waters corrode, penetrate, putrifie, and absterge. Pliny mentions a Fountain in Germany, on the Sea-coast, of sweet Water, which occasioned the Teeth to fall; Stomace Medici vocabant, & Sceleterbe ea mala. These Putrefa­ctions in the Humours were occasioned by that Fountain, which must depend on some such Mineral as Arsenie; and the Herb Britannica was it that curedit, which was not Scurvy-grass; but by the De­scription, some kind of Docke.

4. Salt Lixivial Baths from Ashes, as the Calces of Stones; especially Lime, Marble or Metals burnt.

Where there are Natural Fires in the Earth, there these may be observed to be dissolved in the Neighbouring Wa­ters; and these have the Virtue of Lime-Water, [Page 17] together with a Vitriolic Tin­cture from the calcin'd Metals.

These Baths have the Virtues of a Lixivium, being inwardly Diuretic, and externally drying in Hydropical Tumours and Ulcers, and may be imitated by a Lixivium of Vegetables, or Lime-Wa­ter.

5. Salso acid Baths.

Baths of Sea-Water are most in Use; which taste bitterish and salt, with a Dryness and Acrimony, by which it absterges and dries all Ulcers, Scabs, scal'd Heads, Itching and Leprosie, Corns, Tumours and Pains of the Limbs. It kills all Insects, Lice, Worms; and we bathe in it for the Cure of the Hydrophobia: These also prevent all Pu­trefaction in Gangrenes and putrid Ul­cers, or venomous Bites. These salt Waters dry the Hands, and make them rough; and for that Reason are good for Over-Fatness, and prevent Cachexies and Dropsies.

The salt Waters do not only dry and astringe; but heat, discuss, absterge and cleanse.

[Page 18] They cure too great a Plethora of Nutriment, or Hydropical Serous Tu­mours, according to the old Rule, Sale, Sole, & Siti curatur Hydropisis.

Salt-Waters are good for all Inflam­mations in Baths, as the Gutta Rosacea, the Heat of the Feet, Inflammations of the Stones.

It discusses the Inflation of the Womb, and is excellent in the Cure of the Tympany.

If the salt Waters be boyl'd and pump'd, they cure all Catarrhal Effects, Deafness, Stupors, Tinglings, Pains of the Head, Spasms, Resolution of the Nerves. Optimum est in aquâ marinâ as­siduè natare, was Aetius's Advice for the loss of Smell.

It helps the Dimness of the Eyes; being warm'd, it is proper for Clysters in Cholicks, Sciatica and Cholera; and in the Mola Ʋteri, let Women swim in salt Water, or apply the Steam of it in which Ʋterines are boyl'd.

The Spuma Matris used for Warts and other Diseases, is only the Sea-Salt naturally coagulating on the Rocks.

[Page 19] Pliny observes the Saltness of Rains; and that in Autumn they are most salt; but least in Winter.

Inwardly, Salt binds in Diet, by dry­ing; but being us'd more plentifully in Medicine, it purges, by pricking the In­testines; and a large Quantity of it vo­mits: It purges by Ʋrine, as all Salts do; and is very useful in Clysters. In Diet it promotes the Flux of the Sali­va; and thereby, as well as by promo­ting Fermentation, it helps Digestion. The Sea-Salt which is dissolv'd in the Bath-Waters, naturally excites Appetite, cleanses away all hot Humours from the Liver, Spleen, Womb, Kidneys and Bladder, and maybe usefully drunk all Summer in Nephritic Cases, for the Ardor of Ʋrine.

They are usually prescrib'd from lb. j. to lb. iij. and so they help the Dy­sentery, kill Worms, cure the Putre­faction of the Mouth and Gums: They also cure the Flatulencies and the Pitu­itous, and Serous Cacochymia's in the Ca­chexies and Dropsies.

[Page 20] They cure the Arthritic and Gouty, being used in Baths, and drank; and very much strengthen the Limbs, and preserve from the Cholic. They stop the Gonorrhaea, and Fluor albus.

Salt-Waters are much commended for the Asthma, and they cure the In­flations of the Womb, bring out the Mola, or Dead Child. They help the Hypocondriac Inflations, cure the Hu­midity of the Eyes, the Oedemata of the Limbs, and all their Pains.

All Salso-acid Medicines by their cleansing Faculties are proper for all the Cacochymia's, whether hot or cold: For Salt neither heats or cools much; but preserves the present State of whatsoe­ver Liquor it is mix'd with; but salt Waters are not without some Inconve­niencies: For the Sea-Water offends the Stomach, by its Acrimony: Worm­wood much helps the Sea-sickness. The Sea-Water much offends the Eyes. Salt Liquors purge, and salt things fill the Head, and dispose to the Scab, cor­rupt the Blood, breed a Dysentery, or Consumption and Scurvy, as is manifest in [Page 21] Mariners; but Navigation is commend­ed for some Diseases; as, Consumptions, Haemorrhages, Leprosies, Dropsies, Apople­xies, a cold windy Stomach, old Pains of the Head; and these it may cure by causing Vomiting. Sailing into Aegypt was prescrib'd, not for it self, but the Length of the Journey.

We may easily imitate these Wa­ters by dissolving Salt in hot Water to a demi-Taste: For Baths, or Drink­ing the Sea-water will yield the best salt Bath; and the next to the Sea-water, is the Steam of the boyling Salt at the Wiches, which cures many Pains and Humours.

There is a great Saltness both in the Bath-waters at Bathe and Buxton. The Degree of Saltness in both of them seems much alike. If there be any dif­fetence, I think Buxton more salt than the other.

Tho' Dr. Lister found not ℈ ij. in two Gallons of the Water, yet if I were to make an artificial salt Bath, ℥ ij. of com­mon Salt or Sal Armoniac, seems not too much; and the Use of these seems very [Page 22] profitable. The Waters of Apani are so salt, as out of them they make com­mon Salt.

The salt Springs contain from a 4th to a 9th of Salt; and the Sea, as Pliny af­firms, is one Part of Salt to four of Wa­ter. He commends Sea-water in the Quartan. He commends the Thallas­someli for purging pleasantly, which is made of equal Parts of Rain and Sea-water and Hony-botled.

Aetius commends swimming in the Sea-water for the Elephantiasis, and for the Itch, twice in a Day, before Dinner and Supper.

6. Salt Nitrous Waters.

They taste salt, bitterish, and earthy­nauseous; by which they become Pur­gative and Diuretic, as all Salts be; and thereby cleanse away Gravel in all Nephritic Cases.

These are proper inwardly for all the hot Cacochymia's, to carry off the sharp salt Choleric Humours, without Gripes or raising any Effervescencies, to occa­casion new Defluxions in the Gout, Asthma's, Coughs, Inflammations.

[Page 23] There is a Roughness in all the Wa­ters at Epsom and North-hall, and other English Purging Waters, which will curdle Milk; and this therefore cools all our rarify'd Humours; and they streng­then the Stomach and Viscera by it, and the Gums.

Nitre dissolv'd in cold Water makes it colder and fitter for the cold Immer­sion; and by the Solution we must imi­tate Nitrous Baths to cleanse the Skin. The Ancients us'd to rich it with Nitre in their Baths.

Niter, Ashes and Bitumens make the Waters of a bitter Taste.

We observe a Bitterness in Ashes and Soot, and all burnt things. Sweet be­comes bitter by Heat; and the Blood does bilescere, or become bitter, when o­ver-heated.

In every Gallon of Water there is six Drachms, or eight or ten of the Sediment, which is compounded of a stony Mat­ter, and common Salt, and Nitre Cal­carium.

In Feverish and Choleric Heats these VVaters are most agreeable, and in all [Page 24] Defluxions on the Head, or Breast, and Hydropical Tumours with a Hectick, and the Schirrus of the Viscera. They are proper in all Inflammations; Stone, Scabs, Tettars, hot Cholicks, and all hot Pains; Scorbutie Rheumatisms, Nephritic Pains, Heat of Ʋrine or Suppression, Jaundies; In Distempers of the Head; as, Mania, Melancholia, Head-Aches, Vertigo, in the Itch and Binding of the Body.

These Nitrous Purging Waters have a mix'd Salt of Nitre and common Salt, by which they purge.

The artificial bitter Salt of Epsom VVaters is bitter, and hath a remarkable Pungency. ʒ j. dissolv'd in lb j. of VVa­ter, imitates the Taste of the natural Water. It is usually prescrib'd ʒ ss. to ℥ j. dissolv'd in lb iiij. of any Liquour.

This Water is proper for Vomiting and Heat in the Stomach, dejected Ap­petite, Cholicks at the Stomach, Heart-Burning, Hypocondriac and Hysterical Inflations, Worms.

This is injurious in Fevers, Green-sick­ness, Paralyticks, Women with Child, [Page 25] the Hydropical, where the native Heat is decay'd, and in all violent Evacuati­ons and Haemorrhages; as the Cholera Morbus, Suppression of Urine from a great Stone or Ulcer.

7. The Acid Waters.

These taste cool, and sowre or sharp, by which they cool, penetrate, absterge, excite Appetite, cleanse the Kidneys; they make lean, and keep long incor­rupt; and they resemble Vinegar in Virtue, and kill Worms, and resist Pu­trefaction.

The Acid seems to be from Sulphur, and may be joyn'd with Nitre, Salt, Copper or Steel.

We find the German Spaw-Waters to taste sharply Acid, as if it were sulphu­rated, which none of our chalybeated Waters do.

VVe imitate this sort of VVaters by Gas Sulphuris, whether for outward or inward Use, putting so much into Foun­tain-VVater as to make it tart.

Vitruvius commends Acid Waters for curing the Stone. VVe by Experience find, that Vinegar dissolves Egg-Shells, [Page 26] Lead, Copperas, Margarites, and burnt Flints; and this explains the dissolving Virtue of Acids in soft Stones. Out­wardly we use Fomentations of Vinegar for the Gout.

8. The Styptic VVaters, as such, do strengthen the Viscera; and the Anci­ents call'd them hard or rough VVa­ters, and believ'd them to be from A­lom; but our Moderns call it a Nitrum Calcarium; and such is the Nature of our Well-Waters, and all our Bath-Waters have a Roughness.

There are these several sorts of rough Waters.

1. Petrifying Waters which are cal­led Gypseae, which contain a Gypsum or Lapis Calcarius; as the Albulae in I­taly.

Mineral Stones have an earthy, dry­ing stopping Faculty. They look whit­ish, and have a thick Sediment after Evaporation: They stop Sweat, contract the Skin, and all the Vessels and Pores, and stop Diarrhaea's and Diabetes's; but are not commonly wholesome: For Gyp­sum it self has a drying choaking Fa­culty, [Page 27] coagulating Humours, stopping the Urine and Breath, and produces Swelling in the Throat; but they cure Ulcers.

Cool Waters from Marble are com­pounded for curing Sterility in those Women who miscarry through Laxity of the Uterus, and a hot and moist Flux­ion.

Dr. Lister observed in 60 lb. of a pe­trefying Water ℥ ij ss. of the Lapis Calcari­us, and ʒ j. of Salt.

2. The Aluminous Waters cool and astringe without Acrimony. The Alu­minous Taste strengthens the solid Parts. by its Stypticity, and stop all Evacuations of Humours.

All Astringents are of an earthy Na­ture, cool.

In Baths these are proper for the Itch, Leprosie, Ulcers, Apthae, Ulcerate Gums, and Tonsillae, Haemorrhoides, Herpes, Ʋl­cers of the Wombs.

They stop all Haemorrhages of the Lungs, Womb, Abortion, too much Sweating, and Varices, and Vomitings.

[Page 28] But these hurt the Breast, as all A­stringents do, both in drinking and ba­thing, particularly in Asthma's and Peri­pneumonia's; they injure the Voice, and those that be very thin.

Aluminous Waters curdle Milk by their Stypticity, and so they may alter, fix, precipitate, or curdle the Humours of A­nimals. They will not bear Soap, but fix on the Salt, and separate the Oil from it, by which they find they will fix all the Animal Volatile Salts; and the Spi­rit of Urine turns Alom-Waters milky. By these Experiments we know Alom-Waters, and demonstrate their Vir­tues.

3. The Vitriolic Calybeate, which are Astringent with an Acerbity.

These by their Stypticity strengthen the Viscera, and are therefore good in Fluxes, Spitting of Blood, Cholera, Whites and red Diabetes, Abortion, Nocturnal Pollutions, Obstructions of the Spleen, Liver, Cholic, Hestic Fevers and Quar­tans. They cure Vomitings, Stoppage in the Kidneys, Womb and Bladder.

[Page 29] They cure the Hydrophobia; for which let them drink through a Cloth, that they may not see the Water: They are also proper for Scabs, Ulcers, Consum­ptions; and cure all the hot Cacochy­miae, the choleric, salt, viscid, muriatic, vitriolic, and putrefactive State of our Humours; but they are injurious some­times in Fluxes of Humours, in Coughs, Asthma's, Gouts, Schirrhus's, and Fe­vers.

These Chalybeates are most speci­fically proper for the Stomach and Spleen.

These have a mix'd Quality, and o­perate according to the Virtue of the prevailing Quality of the Mixture: For the Chalybeate heats and opens, tho' the Waters cool.

These we imitate by putting ʒ j. of Vitriolum Martis to two Quarts of Wa­ter or ℥ j. of Dr. Willis's Steel infus'd into a Pint of Water, thus;

℞. Chalibis Willis ℥ j. fiat Infusio frigi­da per triduum, in aq. lactis lb. j. colatu­rae, capiat coch. j. in haustu aquae quolibet [Page 30] mane per mensem unum vel alterum in Aestate.

The Water in which Gold is quench­ed, leaves some Impression from the Heat of the Fire, but no Metallic Vi­triolic Taste; neither does Silver heat­ed and quench'd.

The Chalybeate Waters are from the Pyrites, and are good Eye-Medi­cines, being Acrid and Styptic in Taste.

Raddle, Bole, Lapis Haem̄atitis, Smi­rum, Schistos, have something of the Iron Tincture: Lapis Haematitis gives a dry cooling styptic Quality to Water: Lapis Schistos is found in Iron Mines.

All Waters that look red, or tin­cture the Earth with a Rust, have ano­ther.

Other Waters incide, and are Diu­retic, abstersive, and differ according to the Metals amongst which they grow.

Marle makes Water styptic, and makes Cyder into which it is thrown of a Vitriolic Taste. Marle-Waters bind much.

[Page 31] Our salt Springs are observ'd by Dr. Lister to turn with Galls.

4. The Copper Waters have an A­crimony with an Acerbity, as other Wa­ters have.

Copper Waters are the Atramentosae call'd so by the Ancient Writers, Om­nis Atramentosa aqua tenet Aeris natu­ram.

They are very styptic and hot, or acrid; They dry, thicken and contract, and are unfit for drinking; They cor­rode the Stomach, and purge by their Acrimony.

Calcitis is the Stone; Calcanthum is the Rust of it.

These Waters astringe less than the Iron; but have a Virtue of Healing and drying, and cleansing by their A­crimony. Outwardly they cleanse the Leaprosie, discuss Oedematous Tumours, stop Bleeding both by the costic and styptic Quality; and by the same they cure the Scab and scald Head.

Aetius recommends Copper-Waters for the Mouth, the Tonsils, Ʋvula and Eyes, when ulcerated: They are also [Page 32] useful for the Diseases of the Breast, Senses, Sterility, dejected Appetite, Flu­or albus, Scab, Asthma, Ulcers, Drop­sie, Apthae, Flatus,

Chrysocolla grows in Copper-Mines, and partakes of that Mineral; as, Lapis Armenius and Lazuli do.

By these the Waters may be impreg­nate: Chrysocolla may be wholly dissol­ved in Water, and give a hot drying abstersive Quality to them, sometimes offensive to the Stomach.

The Factitious Borax is made from Nitre and Ʋrine, agitated in a Copper Mortar. And this is the Factitious Chryso­colla. Dioscorides.

Chrysocolla is the Rust of Copper and Gold, as the other is of Lead, Aerugo of Copper, and Ferrugo of Iron.

We may imitate Copper Waters by putting some sort of the Vitriol to them in such a Quantity as may give the Tastes of the Natural Waters impregnated with Copper, which is about ʒ j. or ʒ ij. to every Gallon of hot Water.

Punice found in any Waters is a Sign of a Copper Mineral.

[Page 33] All purging Waters have either Ni­tre, or Salt, or Sulphur, or Copper or Bi­tumen in them, and most a Mixture of them, and are proper for different Ca­cochymia's.

Cardan commends Copper Waters for the Atra bilis, if they have a Mixture of Gold, and are moderately hot, as Viter­bium.

In Italy and the Piperinae in Germany these purge, that Humour; these clear the Senses, conduce to Cheerfulness and long Life.

Dr. Grew affirms, that Spirit of Nitre affus'd to the Calamy-Stone, and both put into Water, give a very acerb and very bitter Taste like the Chrystals of Silver,

That the Taste of Copper is bitter, in­grate, Vitruvius affirms.

5. Lead-Waters are very cooling: For Water agitated in a Lead-Mortar, and any Ointment in the same manner, becomes more cooling.

These Waters dry Ulcers, the Lepro­sie and Cancers, and the Piles, and are proper for all those Cases in which we use Lead-Medicines; but they are e­steem'd [Page 34] injurious to the Breast, the Nerves, Stomach and Intestines, which they oppress, and seem heavy, and they are said to weaken the Joynts.

Saccharum Saturni dissolv'd, may imi­tate these Waters, about ℥ j. to every Gallon; but the Taste must determine the Quality, till we have exactly adju­sted the Strength of the Artificial and the Natural Waters by the Similitude of Taste.

The Water at Holy-well is believed to come from the Lead-Mines, and to re­ceive its extraordinary Coldness from thence; by which it becomes a famous cold Bath in many Diseases.

6. Quick-silver Waters.

Such have been observ'd in Spain at the River Minium, where the Waters are hot and sulphureous, with a native Minium. These Waters are impreg­nate with Sulphur and the noxious Va­pours of Quick-silver. The factitious Cinnabar may probably imitate the na­tive; because they both contain Sulphur and Quick-silver; and either may be boyl'd in Water to supply these natu­ral [Page 35] Baths. These are used for Scabs and all Ulcers, and will do whatsoever Sulphur and Quick-silver can effect: But these Waters are describ'd as acrid, by Baccius, who recommends them for the Itch Leprosie and pocky Ulcers.

7. Antimonial Waters. Those are rec­koned amongst the Steel Waters, styp­tic and astringent; and must be also accounted sulphureous.

How far the Decoctions of Antimony, or the Preparations of it may imitate the Natural, may be easily try'd.

Pliny recommends Antimony for a Me­dicine for the Eyes.

8. Waters are mentioned by Baccius impregnated by the Minerals of Gold and Silver. Those we cannot expect in our Country, where we can only quench Pieces of those Metals in saline Water, to which they only give an Impression from the Heat of the Fire, and proba­bly rarifie the Air contain'd in fair Wa­ter; but they give no metallic or vitrio­lic Taste to the Water, as I have try'd by tasting the VVater; But the Metals must be purely refin'd; but the natural [Page 36] Waters must have a Vitriol, by which they are esteem'd useful to the Splenetic and heal Ulcers.

9. Tin certainly impregnates some of our Waters in England; but I have not any Account of their eminent Vir­tue, which must have the Medicinal Vir­tue of that Metal.

VVe cannot but admire the great VVisdom as well as Kindness of Provi­dence in preparing so many Mineral Medicines for the Use of the Diseased Part of Mankind. The great Creator only, knows the infinite Variety of Di­seases, Constitutions, and the great Ne­cessities of Mineral as well as Vegetable Medicines. Them he has prepar'd in as great a Variety as the Diseases and Con­stitutions themselves.

For which I need no other Instance to prove my Assertion than the Variety of the Baths and Mineral Waters I have mentioned; which are so eminently im­pregnated with Variety of Minerals, Salts, Vitriols, Sulphurs, Stones, &c. which evidently prove a distinct Nature of every one of those Waters; and to [Page 37] apply these, the great and wise Archi­tect has requir'd no more of Mankind but to use his Senses to discover by their Impression how each Mineral Water affects their Tastes, Smells, and alters their Bodies upon Man's external Experiments made of them.

By these means our Reason, and Sense, and Experience directs us to a right Use of these Waters; therefore nothing can be more irrational, as well as preju­dicial to Mankind, than to use any one Bath, as the narrow-Soul'd Physicians do for all sorts of Diseases.

Nature seems so concern'd to unlock the Mysteries of her Chymistry, that by the Colours of some Waters we may discover their Contents, as well as by their Tastes.

Okre makes the Mineral Waters yel­lowish, Sandaracha, Stybium, Mehuteria, Molibdena, livid and raddle, reddish Ni­tre, clear Gypsum, whitish, the Sediment after Distillation. The Curious of this Age have tasted and observed their Co­lour, and Quantity, and made many Experiments with them to observe their [Page 38] Virtues; but since there are so great a Variety of Mineral Tastes mixed in Bath Water, and many of them so vo­latile, as to evaporate upon Distillation, I cannot confide in these Experiments as certain Trials to discover the Con­tents of Mineral Waters; But in the curious Tasting of them by a Palate Experience and internal Preparations; for that Sense takes the Object in a perfect State; but after Evaporation, all the Volatile Mineral Particles exhale; so that by that Means it is impossible to discover the true Contents of Mi­neral Waters, which have so great a Variety of Tastes, and Virtues, that scarce any Two have the same Mix­ture of Minerals in them.

By the Microscope we have in this Age attempted to improve the Know­ledge of the Ingredients of Mineral Waters, by observing the Figures of the Chrystallizing Salts: And this Me­thod may succeed well enough where there is only Salts dissolv'd in a Mi­neral Water, and that but of one sort; but since most Waters have o­ther [Page 39] Minerals besides Salts, and fre­quently a Variety of Salts; such as the Microscopical Observations want a Name for; and therefore call it Sal sui ge­neris.

For this Reason I should never trust the Microscope for giving a full and satisfactory Account of any Waters, without an Appeal to our Senses of Taste, Smell, Feeling, and many pra­ctical Experiments, both inwardly and outwardly. All the Advantage by Mi­croscopes is, to confirm our other Sen­ses, and help them to discover the Fi­gures of the Mineral Salts which affect the Taste.

CHAP. II.
Concerning the right Use and Abuses of the hot Baths.

HOT Baths both by being drunk or used outwardly, heat the Hu­mours, and raise the Pulse, and quick­en the Circulation, Agitation of the Blood, and its Compression by the Pulse, the Heat expands the Aerial Spi­rits contain'd in the Humours, which is the immediate Instrument of Dige­stion, Fermentation, and the Feverish Ebullition of the Animal Humours to produce the several kinds of Deflu­xions.

I call those hot Baths which have very hot Water, and some Tincture from the Sulphur or Bitumen.

The VVaters at Bath have not only a considerable actual Heat, by which they produce their Effects; but they [Page 41] have a Saltness to cleanse, as well as a Roughness, to strengthen. The Sulphur in them, has also particular Effects by its discussing Faetor: And I remember the Cross-Bath Pump-Water tastes evidently Vitriolic.

The Roughness in the Water depends on the Nitrum Calcarium. The Saltness on common Salt, which is in double Proportion to the Nitre. The Lapis Calcarius is double in proportion to the Salts; but the other evaporates by boyl­ing.

From all these sensible Qualities, we may deduce very easily all the Effects of the hot Baths at Bathe, as well as the Injuries they do when they are used im­properly.

1. The Actual Heat makes these Baths agreeable to all Constitutions that are Pituitous, Serous, Cold, Flatulent, or have any Acerbity in their Stomachs, or Gachexies in their Bodies, or are very cold fat Constitutions. To all these Diseases of the fluid Parts the hot Baths are contrary, and effectually alter them.

[Page 42] 2. In an Obesity, or too full a Habit, we evacuate the Succus Nutricius by sweating in these Baths.

3. These hot Baths by rarifying the Humours and relaxing the Parts, open all the Obstructions in the Blood-Vessels or Nerves, dissolving the scirrhous, se­rous, oedematous and flatulent Tumours and the Obstruction of the Chyle-Ves­sels in the Tumours of the Abdomen.

The Reflux of the Blood is pro­moted by these hot Baths, at the latter end of all Inflammations, of any in­ward or out Part, in the Varices and Haemorrhoides.

4. The Secretion of Humours thro' their Glands is promoted by hot Baths.

First, In the Jaundice.

Secondly, In Hypocondriac Obstructi­ons of the Spleen.

Thirdly, In the cooler Scrophulae not inflamed.

Fourthly, In the Secretion of the Ani­mal Spirits through the Brain in Stupidi­ty, their Expansion through the Nerves in the Palsie and Rickets,

[Page 43] Fifthly, These hot Baths cure the Sup­pression of the Excrementitious Humours by agitating the aerial Spirits in them, as well as by opening the Pores by their actual Heat.

  • 1. In a Suppression of Urine.
  • 2. Want of Stools by Purging, if drank to two or three Quarts: to which usually common Salt formerly or of late Sal Polychrestum, Sal Mirabile Glauberi, Sal Catharct Epsom are added.
  • 3. The Stoppage of Transpiration is immediately help'd by these hot Baths, and the Pains and Fevers depending on it if used in the Beginning.
  • 4. The Suppression of the Menses.
  • 5. The Retaining of a Mola.
  • 6. The Suppression of the Haemor­rhoides.
  • 7. The Tumours of the Limbs and Anasarca are discuss'd by Sweat.

Sixthly, Hot Baths promote the Mo­tion of the Animal Spirits through the Nerves and their due Expansion.

  • 1. In Palsies, Apoplexies, Lethargies, towards the latter End.
  • [Page 44] 2. In Blindness, or Gutta Serena, after due Evacuations.
  • 3. In Deafness, being pump'd on the Ear.
  • 4. In Loss of Speech, and Taste, and Smell.
  • 5. In the want of Appetite.
  • 6. In Venere languida.
  • 7. In Difficulty of swallowing.

Seventhly, Hot Baths relieve all Pains depending on the cold Cacochymia's, or external Accidents; as Wounds, Bruises, Fractures.

1. Old Head-Aches. 2. Pains at the Stomach. 3. Cholicks. 4. Tooth A­ches, Ear-Ach. 5. Strangury, from the Gravel, and the Pain of the Stone. 6. Joynt-Pains; as, the Sciatica, Rheu­matism, and old Gouts in cold Constitu­tions.

In all these Pains it eases very much, if no Fever nor Inflammation attend them, if the Fluxion of Humours be o­ver, and the Body well cleansed by bleeding and purging.

Eighthly, There is a detersive Faculty in the Bath-Waters from the Salt and [Page 45] Sulphur, by which they are also Diure­tic; and by their Stypticity they heal all Ulcers.

As,

  • 1. A Varica and Pthysis.
  • 2. A Dysentery and Tenesmus.
  • 3. Ulcers of the Eyes, Ears, Stomach, Mouth, Womb, Arms, Gums.
  • 4. Ulcers of the Viscera, Liver, Spleen, Kidneys, Lungs, Ulcers of the Glands in the King's Evil.
  • 5. Gonorrhaea, or Ulcers of the Pro­statae, Elephantiasis.
  • 6. The Itch and spots in the Skin.

Ninethly, Hot Baths cause a Revulsi­on of Humours, and so stop the Evacua­tions.

  • 1. By Vomiting.
  • 2. Diarrhaea's and Fluxes after strong Purges.
  • 3. The Fluor Albus.
  • 4. Incontinence of Urine thro' Weak­ness.

Hot Baths turn the Circulation out­wardly into the Skin; And in Poisons these Baths by rarifying the Humours and opening the Pores, occasion the Cir­culation to be enlarg'd more outwardly.

[Page 46] Tenthly, Hot Baths discuss the Hu­mours in the Pores of the Skin, as in the Itch, Leprosie, and are good in the Use of the Psylothra.

Eleventhly, Hot Baths may be used in a depauperate state of the Spirits, de­pending on pituitous, serous, flatulent Cacochymia's, and in all Flatulencies of the Womb after Miscarriages.

Purging is proper for old Diseases affecting the Head, Nerves, and Joynts. The Top of the Head must be pump'd in Cepha [...]a Hemicrania, Memory lost, Melancholy, Lethargy, Stupor, Deafness, Blindness. Let it be done in the Mor­ning, and it is usually prescrib'd at Mid­night for 20 Days, but in Spasms, Palsies, Trembling of the Head and Hands, Pump the Neck and spinal Marrows.

This Pumping only agrees with cold Diseases and cold Constitutions; but for the hot Head no bituminous or sul­phureous Waters do well; but the A­luminous and Fountain or cold Wa­ters.

The End of the Spring and Begin­ning of Summer in the best time for [Page 47] Bathing in hot Baths; because the Sum­mer following continues the Pores o­pen. Autumn Bathing occasions the Pores to be so open towards Winter, as to render all Persons subject to the Chan­ges of Weather, and makes them sensi­ble of Cold all Winter. And this let my Country-Men consider, who are used to the contrary.

Bath-Waters are best drank when most free from Rain; but the best time is in May: For the Waters heat, and cause Transpiration.

Hot Bathing and drinking Waters is improper for hot Weather.

The Injuries done by the hot Baths are,

1. The Vehemency of Heat in the Baths are over dry, heats body, and thick­ens their Humours: Therefore they are unfit for Children, and delicate tender Persons, whose Flesh is easily dissolv'd by excessive Heat, which also over-drys and decays old Men, dissipating their languid Spirits; and all thin languid Persons are much decay'd by them; and the thin Hypocondriac are over-dry'd [Page 48] by their Heat, and made subject to Ephe­mera's, Fluxes and hectic Fevers.

2. Hot Baths are injurious to choleric Constitutions, by exciting intermitting Fevers and Ephemera's.

3. This sort are injurious to all viscid Constitutions of Humours, which pro­duce Rheumatisms, Inflammations and Pains during the Effervescence of Hu­mours, and the Defluxions.

4. The Saltness of Blood is encreas'd by hot Bathing, which raises the Dige­stion of Humours, and promotes a vio­lent Circulation of them.

But the drinking the Bath Waters is not injurious to these Constitutions; because they cleanse away the Choler, dilute the Viscidity, and wash away the Saltness of Humours.

6. The Putrefaction of Humours is promoted by hot Baths. For this Reason we condemn such Baths in Fevers in­termitting and malignant, in the Hydro­phobia, and Poysons and Pox. Some Minerals are dissolv'd in that Water, con­venient for the Itch, Leprosie, scald Head, such as Salt and Nitre which kill [Page 49] Worms and Lice that are the Effects of Putrefaction.

7. In a general Leanness tho'they spend the Succus nutritius; yet they open the obstructed Pores, and restore the Circu­lation to a Paralytic Member in an Atro­phy of it.

In very great Fulness of Humours, hot Bathing occasions the Breach of a Vein, by rarifying the Aerial Spirits in the Blood.

If Thirst be troublesome, Bathing encreases it, and Drinking allays it.

8. The Defluxion of all Humours is promoted by hot Baths, which col­liquate or rather rarifie the Aerial Spi­rits in our Humours, and open the Glands through which they may flow. And for this reason we forbid hot Baths du­ing all Defluxions in Catarrhs, Gout, Asthma's or Pains; Inflammation and Ce­phalic Diseases depending on a Defluxi­on, Ephemera, or intermitting Fevers, and in all sorts of Inflammatious and hot Pains, with Fevers, as, Erysipelas, Phleg­mons, Cholicks, Head-ach, Strangury, Stone, Gout, Rheumatism, Quinsie, Pa­rotis, [Page 50] Inflammations of the Piles, Inte­stines, Stomach, Liver, Spleen, Kidneys, Phrenitis, Opthalmy, Inflammations of the Lungs, Pleura, Breasts of Women, Testicles of Men, and all running Ul­cers succeeding them. All Ulcers and Inflammations receive Prejudice in the Beginning by hot Baths, and also by drinking the Waters very hot; but in the Declination, the Bath discusses the Inflammation and cleanses the Ulcers; but all necessary Evacuations ought to precede.

Hot Baths ripen all inward Impost­humes in the Lungs, Liver, Spleen, Kid­neys, Womb, Intestines, Bladder. These Baths are injurious in all Putrefactions; as, Fevers, especially Hectics, Apople­xies, Phrensies, Carbuncles, Cancers.

Hot Baths excite Venereal Pains, as all Fevers do, and make all Coughs and Catarrhs worse; for which we better prescribe cool Diet, Air and cool Drinks, which better agree with them.

9. In all Haemorrhages these hot Baths are mischievous; as in that by the Nose, Womb, Anus, Vomiting, or pissing Blood, [Page 51] and Coughing it up, or in the Hepatic Flux.

10. These Baths are injurious in Flux­es of Humours out of the Body as Dia­betes, Gonorrhaeas, Abortions and too much sweating.

11. They are mischievous in Evacua­tions of the Semen into the Cavity of the Body, as in Ascites, Dropsie of the Tho­rax, Hydrocephalon; they promote the greater Flux of the Rheum into the Cavities.

12. The great Expansion of Spirits producing Watching, usual to old Men, and salt Constitutions are made worse by Bathing.

13. The great Explosion of the Spi­rits in Convulsions is much irritated by the Heat of Bathing; as in Epilepsies, Hysteric Passions, and other Convulsions, Palpitations, Singultus, Coughs, Sneesing.

14. The irregular Motions of the Spi­rits in the Brain is promoted by hot Baths. In the Melancholia, Mania, Hy­drophobia.

15. The Flatuosity of the Spirits is too much rarified by hot Baths, in Vertigoes, [Page 52] Asthma's, Tympanites, Incubus, and Hy­steric Tumours.

Sulphur Baths, and the Bituminous of­fend hot Spirits by their strong Smell, and so occasion Fluxes.

Hot Bath-Waters cool by Accident, by opening the Pores, for evaporating of the Heat; or if they purge, or be very Diuretic, and have a Tincture from Lead, Nitre, Alom.

Hot Baths after Meat occasion Rigors, Horrors, Fevers; and after Bathing we must not eat till all Disorders are over, and then the Stomach will not be dis­order'd, nor the Head fill'd. Sleep af­ter Bathing, and Abstinence digests and evacuates Humours, and composes the Disorders of Bathing.

Vini potus à Balneo tanquam venenum habendum, was the Observation of the old Physicians. A Horror at the Begin­ning of Bathing, which may be produc'd either by the hot or cold Baths, by the Constriction of the Pores, or Fulness of Humours, shews the Profitableness of that Bathing.

[Page 53] Those that have Fevers, Pains, Flux­es, or any great Evacuations are not fit for hot Baths; and we must take care of the Injuries of Weather after Bathing.

We are more secure in Night-Bathing, when after the Exercise of the Day, we bathe, and sup after Bathing: And the Gentlemen who go to Bath for Pleasure may practise this.

The Time of continuing in the Bath, is an Hour, or according to strength; and after 7 Hours, the ancient Prescription was to return to the same. Young Men may bathe oftener than old Men; who are too dry; Once in a Day, or every other Day is enough for them.

The salt, nitrous, sulphureous, alumi­nous Baths purge, by which they cure Obstructions and Dropsies; and the Drinking the Water is necessary for 14 Days before Bathing.

CHAP. III.
Of Temperate Baths.

THE more temperate Baths have on­ly a mild Heat, like that of our Bodies, and are therefore less beneficial for cold Diseases, and less injurious to the Healthful, who use them chiefly to wash their Skins, to temper the natural Heat, to take off Weariness, and streng­then the Limbs; but these Baths are fre­quently prescrib'd by the Ancient Phy­sicians for Preservation of Health after Exercise, in an empty Stomach; and after a Stool in full strength; and they ought not to sweat after them; but they were dryed and anointed, and eat af­ter the Disturbance of the Bath was o­ver; and a regular Diet was used for some time after Bathing, avoiding Re­pletion of Meat or Drink, too much [...]leep, Watching, great Exercise, Passi­ons, [Page 55] Injuries of the Weather; after Ex­cess and Venery, they avoided Bathing, and after Bathing avoid Wine, which offends the Head.

But these Baths have many Physical Uses, besides Cleanliness, and Beauty, and Pleasure, and are observ'd to be useful in the following Cases.

Tepid Baths moisten and warm; if more tepid, they cool and moisten; if more hot, they heat, and moisten less.

Temperate Baths are proper for Chil­dren who are moist and hot; but all Minerals dry them too much.

Wash the Infants after long Sleep, when most empty, and rub them.

This cures their Coughs, stuffing in their Heads, their Scurf and Itching, and breeding Teeth.

In the breeding Teeth the Ancients bathed when the Fever remitted, and prescribed Water-drinking to the Nurse.

Bathing Infants does Injury to their Ruptures.

[Page 56] Since old Age is cold and dry, by hot Baths we relieve them, which by their temperate Heat warm and moi­sten; and Wine is allowed them after Bathing, and then Sleep. Ut lavit, sum­psit (que) cibum det membra sopori.

Temperate Baths cure all hot Intem­peries, and are proper for all the hot Ca­cochymia's, the bilious, viscid, vitriolic, corrosive state of Blood, especially if Nitre, Alom and Steel be dissolv'd in them, and are usually prescrib'd for the Choleric and thin Hypocondriac at the End of the Spring; but all hot Baths injure those Constitutions.

A Plethora without a Fever is help'd by Bathing frequently and long in these temperate Baths; and much Exercise is to be used before Bathing as well as Friction; and after Bathing anoint with hot Oil in these full Bodies.

Dry Constitutions may bathe after eating, and that will feed them: They may bathe again after 4 Hours, and be fed with As [...]es Milk, and anointed with cool Oils before they be cloathed. The Ancients used this Method to cure the [Page 57] dry Intemperies, and prescribed a con­venient Diet, and Friction; and they cured a hot Intemperies, if joyn'd with a dry, by Water-drinking.

By Baths of temperate Heat we cure Ephemera's, which depend on Heat, Lassitude, or Cold; but if a Catarrh attend them, that is not convenient till the Declination.

In a Diary of many Days, after three Days, bathe, if no sign of Crudity re­mains.

Hectick Fevers require temperate and cooling Baths; and unless the Head be put into cold Water, bathing does them no good.

Baths are injurious in Fevers, if there be Pains, or Inflammations in a­ny part, or the Fever be putrid. Some­times in the Declination, after the con­coction of Humours, they may pro­mote Sweat. In these acute Diseases Rhasis condemns them. Nunquam vidi Balnea in aliqua dispositione febricitantibus esse utilia.

These Baths are useful in Hemicra­nia's, and all other Pains; as that of [Page 58] the Spleen; and is very proper in the Declination of Inflammations, as in a Phrenetic, if that Disease has lasted long, and the Body be thin; and the same Bath agrees with the Lethargy in the Declination.

These are proper in Melancholic cases, in the declination, where they are to be moisten'd, or nourish'd.

In young Men and Lovers they help the Melancholy.

After fourteen days the Pleuritic may use it.

After the Inflammation and Pain of the Gout is over, and sometimes in the vigour of the Fit, when Watching, and Pain are excessive: But the use of much bathing relaxes the Parts, and ex­cites a new Flux in all Pains and In­flammations, and Rheumatisms, by o­pening the Pores, and heating the Hu­mours.

Temperate Baths help the passing both Urine and Stool, even in Fevers. In the Cholera they are good in the declination, and for Diarrhaea's.

[Page 59] Dysenteries, Inflammations from Crudities, the Jaundice, and the Stone, the suppression of the Menses, and Strangury from a hot Cause.

They are proper for all Priapisms, and Inflations of the Womb, and that dryness of it which causes Steri­lity.

It facilitates the birth for them that have hard Labour, by relaxing and mollifying.

It brings away a dead Child, and Mola, and false Impregnation; especi­ally a Bath of temperate Salt-Wa­ter.

For Poyson from Cantharides, we use a Bath of Hydrolaeum.

It cures all the Diseases of the Skin, Itching, which Opium gives.

It helps Ulcers, Scabs, Bruises, Strains, Pimples, wounded Nerves, after the Flux is over, and all Heats of the Vi­scera, and several Parts, by exhaling the fuliginous Vapours thro' the Pores.

Bathing cures Watching, and causes Sleep.

[Page 60] Emaciate Limbs must not sweat, but be pumped, or wet with the Wa­ter.

These Baths help weakness of Dige­stion, weak Memory, Sadness, Apo­plexies, Palsies, and Tremblings after the Flux is over. It cures the Scurvy, and corroded Gums.

In short, these Baths open and dis­cuss by their heat; they promote the digestion of the Stomach, the distri­buting of the Nourishment, the cir­culation and digestion of Humours, the secretion of the excretory Juices, and discuss all Infirmities out of the Pores of the Skin.

Bitter detergent Baths.

We may make these Baths of Ma­rine-Water, and impregnate them with Bean or Lupin-Flower, which is bitter­ish; or with Fenugreek, to cleanse the Skin, and bitter Almonds.

Briony-Root, or the Bulb of Narcis­sus, are used for bitter deterging Baths; [Page 61] and Bran is useful to cleanse as well as Soap.

Anodyne Mucilaginous Baths are made of the Decoctions of Althaea, Mallows, Mercury, Linseed, Fenugreek­seed, Fleaban, Violets, Bran, Thistles, Chickweed, Duck-meat; to which may be added Narcoticks, Cynogloss, Poppy-heads, Henbane, Solanum.

Nutritive Milky Baths.

A Bath of Milk and Water twice in a Day, or else the Decoction of Sheeps-Head, or Capon-Broath, is proper for the Consumptive. Or else a Deco­ction of Barley, and sweet-Almonds in Water; to which may be added the Cold Seeds; or the Decoction may be made of the whole Gourd, to cool and moisten.

For the Leprosie a Bath of Blood is commended.

Wine Baths.

These heat, strengthen, dry, ease Pains, discuss Swellings, strengthen the relaxed Parts, cleanse Ulcers, heal Wounds.

As the Wine inwardly hurts the Brain, Nerves, and Joynts; so it makes a­mends to these Parts outwardly: And we experience the Bath of Muste to be more useful to the Joynts, by its fer­menting heat; and the fervor of the Wine heats, opens, discusses, comforts the Limbs, and removes Pains, and is profitable to Oedematous Swellings and Inflations.

Oil Baths may be plac'd under this Title, useful in Convulsions, Pains, Sup­pression of Urine; the fifth part of the Oil being heated, and added to the rest; and this us'd in a Tetarus twice in a Day; but a long Stay in a Bath of Oil, does much spend the Spirits, as Aegineta observes.

Baths of Hydrolaeum moisten the dry and weary Members, ease Pains, Head­ach, [Page 63] and Wounds, with Convulsions, Colic, Pains, difficulty of Urine, Wounds of the Nerves, and hard La­bour.

The Cross-Bath at Bathe ought to be kept of a more temperate Heat than it is usually manag'd, that it might have the Benefit above-mention'd; but it appear'd to me of a Heat above that Temper; and is made very hot, to an­swer the Effects of the hot Baths, by letting in hot Water thro' Pipes from other Baths: For which reason it be­comes very injurious in all the Cases I have mention'd, and particularly to Plethoric hot Constitutions, and Hyste­rical Women.

I have sometimes observ'd it mode­rate; but generally it is abus'd, so that it cannot answer the Design of a temperate Bath, fitted for healthful Persons, or the Diseases mention'd.

I could not but observe another great Absurdity practis'd there, which is the drinking the Water very hot from the Pump, to have more of the Mineral-Virtue thereby; for that Gas of the [Page 64] Mineral too much affects the Head, and causes Sweats, and is injurious to the Hysterical, Asthmatic, and all hot Constitutions.

Healthful Men may bathe according to Custom in moderate Baths.

Trallianus tells us, that bathing after Meat does thin Bodies more good than Morning-bathing, if the Bath be of a moderate heat; such as that of Aqua-Dulcis.

Studying and Sleeping much is very injurious in the use of Baths.

Bathing till the Parts begin to swell, nourishes them; but longer continu'd it wastes them.

The Injuries done by the Tempe­rate Baths are the same as by Hot Baths, but in a lower Degree; for if the Body be not prepared, Baths pro­duce Fluxes of Humours, especially if there be any inward Inflammation, they are mischievous, or if there be a Plethoric Body, they may occasion an Asthma, Apoplexy, Vertigo, Convulsions, Pleurisie, Peripneumonia.

[Page 65] If any inward Part be infirm, as the Lungs, Heart, Stomach, Liver, or any disposition to the Gout, or any o­ther Flux, these Baths colliquate the Humours, and open the Glands or Pores to receive the Flux: It is like apply­ing Fomentations before Evacuatives; these weaken the Spirits by Evaporati­on, and fill the Head, occasion the Epilepsie, Vertigo, and other Convul­sions.

These Baths ripen all Impostumes, and are therefore dangerous in Obstru­ctions of the Liver, Consumptions, weak Kidneys; and they promote all unnatu­ral Evacuations, as Haemorrhages, Whites, Gonorrhaea's.

In the time of the Plague they occa­sion the Infection to be more easily ta­ken, and prepare the Humours to re­ceive any other Infection.

Hysteric Women ought to abstain from bathing, which fills the Head.

The Asthmatic receive much preju­dice by bathing; it ripens the Tubercu­la in the Lungs.

CHAP. IV.
Of Cold-bathing; the Benefits and Injuries of it: To which is adjoyn'd an account of the Bath at Buxton in Derbyshire.

THE use of Cold bathing is very Ancient; for Pliny relates that Carmis, a Massilian Physician, condem­ned the Custom of Hot bathing, and persuaded the Romans to bathe in Cold Water; in the midst of the Winter, Months during the greatest Cold, he dipt the sick in the Lakes of Water. Videbamus senes consulares in ostentationem usque rigentes.

This Cold Demersion was used in Augustus's time, by Antonius Mysa, and his Brother Euphorbius, to astringe the Pores, to unite the Heat, and to strengthen the Limbs; and Galen was so much of their Opinion, that he thought the [Page 67] Hot Baths were only preparatory to Cold bathing; and on that, the great­est Benefit depended.

Bathing in Rivers, and the Sea, was most Ancient for Exercise, Pleasure, and curing Diseases.

A place for swimming in Cold Wa­ter was provided for in the Roman Baths, and was more Ancient than they.

The manner of the Romans was to conclude their Hot Bathing with the Cold Water; which shews the good O­pinion they had of Cold Immersion.

Galen's Method of Bathing was thus; first they exercis'd in a Morning; then they enter'd the Laconicum, where the Air was warm or hot by the Steams of the Water, or Fire; and there the Pores are open'd, and they sweat; the tensity of the Skin relaxes, and the Humours more rarify'd to pass the Suda­tory Glands, thro' which the Pulse be­ing raised by the heat, or the less pressure of the external humid Air, propels the attenuated Serum.

[Page 68] From the Laconicum they descend in­to the Lavacrum, or into hot Water, where they sweat as much as they please: And from thence they came to the Cold Water, that what was over­heated by exercise or bathing, might there be cooled, and the Strength con­firm'd by thickening the Skin, that the innate Heat might not transpire too much, and thereby make the Body cold; for Cold bathing constringes the Pores, and hardens the Body, as hot Iron is cool'd and harden'd by cold Water. By these it is evident, that they invented the Hot Baths to prepare weak Bodies for the Cold. From the Cold Bath they went into the Tepidari­um or Apodyterium, where the Air was tepid, and they were rubb'd from Sweat; and anointed. Afterwards Meat and Drink, and Sleep were pre­scrib'd.

It was the Custom of the Germans to carry the new-born Child to a Ri­ver, there to dip it in the Water, to strengthen the Body, and to try their natural Vigour; for if it were very [Page 69] weak, it often dy'd; for which reason Galen condemns this Custom as bar­barous and dangerous. This Custom he says is more fit for Beasts, to pro­cure them a hard Skin, insensible of Cold; and he believes it not neces­sary for Men to have a thick and hard Skin; for according to Hippocrates's Observation, a rare thin Skin is ne­cessary for those who transpire out many hot Vapours and Fumes; for if they be retain'd, the Body suffers by them: And a thick Skin is useful against the Injuries of the Weather: Both Ex­cesses are to be avoided; the Skin is not to be thicken'd so far as to hinder transpiration; or to be kept so rare, that by all Accidents of Weather it may be much affected.

Virgil takes notice of the Custom of bathing Children in cold Water, in these Verses;

Durum à stirpe genus natos ad flumina primum,
Deferimus, saevoque gelu duramus & undis.

[Page 70] This is the Method Galen gives for Cold bathing, for the preservation of Health in Persons fully grown, for strengthening the Limbs, and thicken­ing the Skin against the Injuries of Cold, he advises this Method in the be­ginning of it, in the hottest time of the Year, in the middle of the Day, and in fair Weather, when the Wa­ter is not perfectly Cold, but Tepid, and the Person be fasting and empty, then he must use this Bath, having first exercis'd, to excite a natural Heat, to resist the Coldness of the Water: And after Exercise, and Friction, let him demergere into Cold Water. The De­mersion ought to be sudden, and not gradual, to prevent a Horror.

The Person who must be us'd to Cold Water, ought to be in the midst of the fourth Seven Years, in perfect Health, and to be well rubb'd with Linnen, and after well rubb'd with Oil. The first time the Water must be Tepid, not very Cold; but the se­cond time he may use it very Cold; [Page 71] and at his going out let him be rub­bed with Oil till he is very hot. Con­tinue this Three or Four Days; then after an Interval, if he approves of a Se­cond, but not a Third bathing for the same time.

They stay a moderate time in the Water who come out well-colour'd af­ter Friction; but if they be less warm, and pale colour'd, they have staid in too long, which must be avoided.

After Clothing, let the Person rest an Hour at least, and then eat more than he drinks; for after this Cold Immersion, the Appetite increases, the Thirst abates, they concoct better, their Muscles are stronger, and the Skin is more hard and dense.

These Baths unite the Heat, turn the fuliginous Vapours into Sweat, excite the Expulsion of the Excrements, and loosen the Body: It cures Lassitude if used by intervals, and the Heat occa­sion'd by travelling in the Sun; the Caninum appetitum ex immodicâ tran­spiratione.

[Page 72] Thus far Galen has instructed us in the use of Cold Baths.

Hippocrates gives us this Aphorism concerning Baths.

A Salt Bath heats and dries; a Hot Bath extenuates the Person that is fa­sting, but heats and moistens him that has eat: And Cold Baths effect the contrary. By which Aphorism we perceive he knew the Virtue of Cold bathing, that it warmed and hindred the extenuation of our Body when empty, by closing the Pores, and re­straining the evaporation of our Aerial Spirits; but the Cold Baths cool and dry them that have eaten: It cools by checking the Fermentation of the Hu­mours, and their rarefaction: It dries by repelling the nutritious Humours from the Skin, as Hot Baths are said to plump it up by relaxing it, and ra­refying the Humours contain'd in the Vessels of it.

From Hippocrates's Aphorisms about the use of Cold Water in Fomentations, we may learn the Benefits and Injuries of Cold Water; for Fomenta­tions [Page 73] are bathing particular Parts only.

This is the use of Cold Things, or Water; we must apply them to the place that bleeds, or about them; and they may be used to extinguish the ardor and burning of Inflammations, which have a Sanguine Colour at the first, but if the Inflammation have con­tinu'd long, it causes a livid Colour: It also helps an Erysipela not ulcerated, but is very dangerous to them that be ulcerated. He also recommends Cold Water to foment the hot Tumours, and Pains of the Gout, or Joynts, which are without Ulcers, and for Convulsions. In these he prescribes the affusion of much Cold Water, which mitigates the Pain, and extenuates the Part; and a moderate Stupor allays the Pain.

By these Aphorisms we are plainly taught, that the Cold Baths may be profitable for all Haemorrhages, Inflam­mations, Erysipela's, Pains, Gout, Con­vulsions; and he deals thus Ingenuously in giving an account of the Injuries [Page 74] of cold Fomentations: And the same are of cold Baths.

Cold is injurious to Ulcers, for that hinders the Evacuation of their Sores, and the Nutrition of the Part. It thickens the Skin by contracting the Parts.

Cold hinders pain'd Parts from Sup­purating, by checking the Flux of Blood to it. It produces Livors or Blackness in the Parts if too long con­tinu'd, by stopping the Circulation of the Blood, and Transpiration of Va­pours. It occasions Febrile Rigors, from the Irritation of the Nerves, by hot Vapours retain'd in the Body. It occasions Cramps from the same Cause; and the Stoppage of the Circulation thro' the Muscles.

All these Inconveniences happen in Cold Bathing, which I will give an Account of.

Aetius mentions the famous Albulae, quae sapore subsalse & tactu lactei teporis. He says they were Aluminous, Sulphu­reous, and that by their Nitrous Salt they cleanse Ulcers; and that they were [Page 75] drank the first day three Hemina's, viz. thir­ty Ounces; the second Five Hemina's; the third Six Hemina's, to purge and cleanse: They promote Sweat and U­rine, stop Bleeding, strengthen the Parts, stop all Fluxes of Women and Men, heal the Ulcers of the Bladder and Kidneys, prevent Abortions, Fluxes of the Belly, Laxity of the Stomach, Vomiting; they excite Appetite, cure all hot Intemperies, an ill Habit of the Body, and Dropsie, discuss Flatus, and cure Cholicks.

Gallen mentions the Injuries of the Albulae, that one by Stoppage of the Skin fell into a Fever by the use of them: And tho' they be eminently pe­trifying Waters in their own Springs, yet they produce no such Effect in the Bodies of Men.

Aetius commends Cold Baths for cu­ring all Diseases depending on Deflu­xions of Humours, especially if they have any Medicamental Taste, viz. from the Minerals (of Lead, Iron, A­lum, Nitre; for these are all of them the Cool Baths, as Bitumen, Sulphur, and Salt make the Hot Baths.) [Page 76] He commends the Albulae to be drank, as very profitable against all Defluxi­ons.

Caelius Aurelianus commends Cold ba­thing in all Fluxes of Blood in the Asthma, and acquaints us with Ascle­piades's Opinion, that Water-drinking and the Pseuchrolusia were necessary for the preservation of our Health.

Thus far I thought necessary to tran­scribe from the Antient Writers, to shew their Opinion and use of Cold bathing; and from hence I suppose our English Physicians did formerly di­rect the use of the Cold Immersion in England. Such I must call the bathing in St. Winifred, St. Mungus, and Bux­ton Baths, by which many particular Diseases are cur'd, or the Health pre­serv'd: But the Niceness and Effemina­cy of this Age, has much neglected their Use; and the reason of this may be the absurd Advice given to Pati­ents, to frequent the Baths at Bathe for all Diseases; and the use of them will render all Persons more Effemi­nate: But I hope all prudent Men [Page 77] will in time consider the disingenuity of that Advice, and endeavour by the use of the Cold Bath, to render their Bodies strong, and their Skins less sub­ject to the changes of Weather. It is the Hot Countries which want Hot Baths, to evaporate the extreme Hot Particles of their Blood; but in our Northern Climes, we must close our Pores, preserve our native Heat, and, if we will live long, and healthful, we must render our Skins dense and close, by Cold Water, that the sudden and frequent Changes of the Air may not give us so many intermitting Fevers, and so many Defluxions of Humours, which render the English People un­healthful; nor upon all Occasions let the Air affect the Spirits of Hysteric and Hypochondriacal Persons.

Cold Baths in England may be di­stinguish'd into Two Degrees;

First, The extreme Cold, such as that at St. Winifrid's-Well, and the other at St. Mungus-Well, in York-shire, near Knaresborough. The Experience of our Countrymen has approv'd of these Baths, [Page 78] as very useful in the Rickets, and many other Diseases, which depend on Tran­spiration in too great a measure; and the High Fermentation, the quick Cir­culation or Digestion of Humours, or the frequent Defluxions or Evacuations of them thro' the Glands.

The Second Degree of the Cold Baths is the Bath at Buxton, for that being one of a Milky Tepor at the first feel­ing, and by being long felt, renders the Body more cold and shivering; and by this chilling of the Body I may easily infer, that tho' it has an actual Heat, and boyls up with Bubbles, as the Baths do at Bathe, yet it has not a Heat equal to the Rarefaction and na­tural Warmth of our Humours; and for this reason I cannot but reckon it as one of the Cold Baths: And a most excellent Contrivance Providence has shewn in it, by giving it so much Heat as to hinder the sudden or vio­lent Constriction of our Pores, so as to occasion Fevers or Defluxions, and to indue it with such Ingredients of Salt and Nitre, or Alum, as to cool, [Page 79] strengthen, cleanse the solid Parts, and close up the natural Heat of our Hu­mours, by constriction of the Pores.

The Effects of these two kinds of Cold Baths may very probably be gues­sed at, because these Baths have con­trary Qualities and Effects to the Hot Baths, and therefore it is very just to assert, that where the Hot Baths disa­gree with our Patients, the Cold ones will be proper.

According to this Rule I will de­scribe the Vertues both of the extreme Cold, and the Tepid Bath at Buxton; they all have the same Effects, but Buxton is more mild and safe, because of its actual Tepor.

Children, Women, and old Men faint in the Hot Baths; but the Cold ones agree with every Age and Time; but the Coldest Baths agree best with young Persons in perfect Health, whom they make more robust; but they must be brought to the use of them by de­grees; and the best time to use them is in the Summer, not in the Winter.

[Page 80] The use of the Bath at Buxton be­ing very safe, it is fittest for all infirm Persons to use first, before they try the colder kinds; for by the use of this, they may be safely and by degrees used to Cold bathing. And this is proper for Autumn-Bathing, to close the Pores against Winter, and after the use of the Hot Baths.

The Constitutions or Cacochymia's in which the Cold Baths are most agree­able, are the Cacochymia's which are Hot, as the Choleric, which may be very much cooled, and altered by drinking of Cold Water, especially the Water of St. Ann's Well at Bux­ton, for that will cleanse away all the Choleric Sediments from the Stomach, Guts, Liver, and Blood; and by ba­thing long, check the Pulse and high digestion of the Blood; for that does not occasion any Sweat after bathing, but we stay in the Bath till we are very chill, and then go to a warm Bed, and lie there without sweating, till we become dry and warm again.

[Page 81] Hot Baths make the Pulse vehement, great, quicker, and by this the Hu­mours are more attenuated, the Aerial Bullulae in the Blood agitated, rarify'd, and by compression propell'd thro' the Glands of the Skin, because the Pres­sure of the external Air is much les­sen'd by the Humidity and Heat of the Bath.

But in all the Cold Baths the con­trary happens; the Pulse becomes slow, small, rare, languid; the Bullulae in the Blood are more compress'd, and the external solid Parts shrink, and are constring'd, and all Evacuations are stop­ped.

Because of these Effects I infer, that the use of Buxton Baths externally and internally, are proper for all the Hot Intemperies of the solid Parts, and all the Hot Cacochymia's, viz. the Choleric, the Salt, the Viscid, the Muriatic or Corrosive, the Vitriolic or Melancholic and Putrid State of Animal Humours.

But as the temperate hot Baths cool by opening the Pores, and evaporating the Hot rarify'd Humours, or Aerial [Page 82] Bullulae, so the Tepid Baths, or mode­rate Cool Baths, a little stop the Pores, and for some time after the use of Cold Baths of that temper, we ob­serve Persons to be warmer sensibly to themselves, as I have heard them to complain, from their Observation of their own Temper.

But as the hotter Baths at Bathe do wonderfully inflame all Persons, and thicken their Serum; so on the contrary the coldest Baths produce a full Stoppage of the Pores, and occasion a Redness in the Skin; and after they are put to Bed, great Sweats, Fluxes of Urine, and Stools; so that the use of the coldest Baths put all Persons into an Ephemera, and that occasions the De­fluxions by Stool, Urine, and Sweat observ'd after cold bathing.

We ought nicely to distinguish be­tween the permanent Effects of the Hot and Cold Baths, upon the fluid Parts of Animals, viz. the Blood and Spirits, and the Alteration which the use of them gives, by a sudden Eva­cuation, or stoppage of Transpiration; [Page 83] for the permanent Effects of the Hot Bath is the Volatilization of the Oily and Acid parts of the Blood, and the raising the Digestion of our Humours, as well as more invigorating the Pulse and Circulation, and rarefying the Aerial Bullulae or Spirits in an Animal, tho' for the present they evacuate some hot Parti­cles, and by accident cool us, as is evi­dent by using Hot Baths in Feverish Dispositions, Defluxions of Humours; and we observe all Hot Constitutions to complain of their Heat; so that Cold Baths, they heat by Accident, by stopping the Hot Humours from transpiring; but cool and stop the A­gitation of the Aerial Particles; and they agree with Fevers, Hecticks, and all Hot Constitutions depending on the over-digestion of Humours.

The Reason of the Heat following Cold Baths, may be given from the hot rarify'd Particles being straitned from evaporating, which act like a Ferment in the Blood; or else may be explain­ed by the Changes in Water upon its freezing; for the Vertuosi inform us, [Page 84] that by applying of Salt and Ice for freezing of it, it first subsides, and af­terwards rises again in the Bottle in which it is froze; and this Effect pro­bably depends on the Air included in the Water.

That Cold bathing cools the Humours appears by the following Instances, in which Galen experienc'd it.

In a very hot burning Fever Galen advises as soon as the Signs of Conco­ction appear, if the Strength be strong, and a young Person, boldly to give him cold Water to drink; and if he be corpulent, and the Season hot and dry, to put him into cold Water, which he says may be done without Injury; and thereby he will universally Sweat, and some Persons will have bilious Stools: But if the Fever be mild, and the Strength weak, and there appear signs of Concoction, he advises the tem­perate hot Baths, and Wine: And con­cludes that of Fevers, as Fevers, Cold Water is the Remedy, unless there be a Putredo, an Obstruction of the Pores, a Fulness or Debility of [Page 85] Strength, or Stomach, or some Tumour in any Part.

He prescribes all bathing for Fevers in the Declination, not in the Begin­ning.

He gives the Cold Water to drink, as much as the Patient pleases, in all continent Fevers, by which all Sweat, Vomiting, or Looseness was produ­ced; and this was the general pra­ctice in Continent Fevers, by bleeding, drinking Water, and Cold bathing. But in Lassitudes, heat upon Travels, Pimples, and Transpiration stopt, ba­thing in temperate warm Water was us'd.

In Hectics Galen affirms that the tem­perate Bath does no good, but the Cold, to which the hot Water only prepares them; and this he confident­ly prescribes, if there be no putrid Fever, or Inflammation of the Lungs; but he condemns the drinking Cold Water in Fevers, as injurious to Hectics.

[Page 86] The manner of bathing Hectics was thus; Let him be carry'd in a Sheet by Four Men, and dipt twice or thrice in the hot Water, and after let him be dipt in the cold once; then put him into other Linen, and dry him, and remove him to Bed; let him stay but little in the cold Water, and be dipt but once, and anointed with Oil.

All the Ancient Writers commend ba­thing in Cold Water for the Hydrophobia; and hence comes our Custom of Dip­ping Persons bit by Mad-Dogs in the Sea-Water.

Not only the frequent throwing of Persons into the Water may cure the odd Fancy against Liquids, but the Coldness may prevent the Fever at­tending that Venom; and as Salt out­wardly is used to the Bites, so that Water may check the putrefaction of our Humours by that Poyson. In this Disease the Water at Buxton may pro­fitably be drank and bathed in for one Month's time, till the Change of the Moon is over; for this Water is salt [Page 87] and styptic; by both which Qualities it may be useful.

That the Water at Buxton is profi­table for the Salt Cacochymia, is evident by the cure of the Itch; and Wiseman commends the swimming in Rivers for scabby Soldiers; the saltness cleanses the Skin from its putrid Ferment; and the stypticity heals its Ulcerations.

It is also observ'd, that the drink­ing of St. Ann's Water is useful for the Scurvy by its cleansing salt Quality; and it heals the putrid Gums.

These Salt-Waters at Buxton are use­ful in the Morphew, Scald-head, Tet­ters, and all other Diseases depending on external putrid Ferment; they may ease the Pains in the Venereal Diseases, for all hot Baths irritate them.

These Buxton Baths are useful also for the Leprosie, after general Evacua­tions.

The drinking the Water, because of its evident Saltness, is good against the Worms.

The experiencing this Bath, and the two colder at St. Winifred, and St. Mun­gus, [Page 88] is not irrational; for the Cancerous Humour, whose Putrefaction they may probably more effectually check than any other Method yet known; for if these Cold Baths can check Putrefaction, they must be used as well as a cool Diet, against this State. In a Putrefaction the viscidity of the Blood is destroy'd, and the Consistence of the Blood is made fluid, because the natural viscidity of the Cake being dissolv'd, the Liquor thereof cannot be made into Bullulae, to contain the Aerial Spirits, and that gives the great languor in all putrid states of Blood, as the Scurvy and Ma­lignant Fever; we commonly observe, that a viscid Liquor, such as Soap and Water, or new Beer, may be easily raised into Bladders or Bubbles, by mixing Air in it; but in stale Liquors the Consistence wants a Viscidity to re­tain the Air in Bubbles: And all Gan­grenes, Cancers, and very putrid Ul­cers, have a thin Sanies; we observe a Rheumatism Blood in the Cancerous; but that is only the Chyle coagulated by the Vitriolic Blood; not withstand­ing [Page 89] that the Cake of the Blood often appears then putrid. And since the Hot Baths increase all Putrefactions, the Cold ones may probably do the con­trary.

Plato was cur'd of a Fever by an Aegyptian Priest, who order'd him a Bath of Sea-Water, as Diogenes Laer­tius affirms.

Cold Water is us'd in Kent for the cure of the Quartane, as some of that Country have informed me, standing in it before the Fit.

A Bath of Tepid Water is useful for the cure of Ephemera's; and the Bath at Buxton is used by them that fre­quent it, the same Night they come thither, to cure their lassitude, heat, and thirst: I may therefore commend this Water in Ephemera's, to cool in their Declination, and to be drank in the beginning.

This Water at Buxton is useful in too great an Obesity, or Tumour of the Vi­scera; by its saltness it cleanses by U­rine; and its stypticity externally shrinks the Flesh.

[Page 90] The drinking those Buxton Waters may be useful in many Obstructions of the Viscera, as Jaundice, Obstructions of the Mesentery, Spleen, Kidneys, by reason of their Saltness; but their Stypticity makes them fitter for all Fluxes of Humours, in which old Au­thors most commend them: And since the Hot Baths do that Effect of De­obstructon sufficiently, we may leave Obstructions to their cure.

Aetius de seminis profluvio recom­mends bathing or swimming for that Infirmity, and affirms that the Cold Wa­ter cures all Diseases depending on De­fluxion of Humours, especially if they have any Physical Quality, as the Albu­lae in Italy, which being drank, are pro­fitable to all Defluxions; and those he describes as Sapore subsalsae, & tactu lactei teporis; and there was a Mixture of Allum in them, as the old Writers guessed, by their stypticity, by which they astringe all the solid Parts both out­wardly and inwardly; and that ren­ders them less subject to Defluxions.

[Page 91] The Effects, Heat, and Taste of the Waters at Buxton being so like the Albulae, I cannot but compare them with one another; and by Analogy to them, explain the Virtues of Buxton Waters.

When they are drank, they must by their Humidity dilute the viscid Hu­mours, by their saltness they cleanse away the precipitated Salts, or Sediment of our Blood, by Urine; and by their stypticity they stop the rarefaction of the Bullulae in the Blood, and the vio­lent agitation of the Aerial Spirits in­closed in them. I compare Blood to other fermenting Liquors, which have large Aerial Bullulae contain'd in them after a demi-fermentation, which gives the briskness and pungency to such Li­quors.

By the Taste we observe these Ef­fects of the Buxton Waters on both the fluid Parts, viz. the Blood and Spirits; and the solid Parts, or hollow Pipes, which contain the other; and we do from thence rationally infer, that they are useful in the following Defluxions; [Page 92] and Experience has confirmed the same, in these following Species of De­fluxions.

1. The Flux of Blood by the Nose, Anus, Uterus, Vomiting, Spitting, U­rine, and in the Hepatic Fluxes and Dysentery, and all Haemorrhages.

2. In the preternatural Evacuations of the Nutritious Humours by Vomit­ing, Loosness, Diabetes, Plyalismus, Gonorrhaea, Fluor albus, Abortion, weep­ing of the Eyes; in all these Buxton Waters are convenient; and in all in­continence of Urine, and in all Ca­tarrhs and Asthma's, these Bath-Wa­ters of Buxton may safely be drank and bathed in; and they most particu­larly stop too much Sweating by their stypticity and coolness: They both thicken the Humours in the Glands, and constringe the Excretory Vessels in the Skin; and inwardly they, like other cool Diet, thicken or check the rarefy'd Humours and Air; for if Fluids be a Congeries of Bubbles, with Air inclu­ded, the Matter we expire and tran­spire, (which the old Authors call an­other [Page 93] sort of Respiration) is some of those Globuli or Bullulae, which are the Integrant Parts of Fluids; and the Air being rarefy'd by Motion and Heat, make the Bullulae too light for the gra­vitation of the other Parts, and more fit to be forc'd out of the Animal Li­quor, both by the Pulse, and Gravita­tion of the other Globuli, to which the Rarefaction of the external Warmth contributes, by weakening the Pressure on the Fluids in Animals.

That Aluminous Baths condense the Skin, is evident by the tanning of Lea­ther; the Skin is frequently condens'd by the Blast of cooler Air, which oc­casions its Constriction by a sort of a Convulsion we call a Horror; by both these ways externally we may con­dense the Skin, and constringe the Pores by bathing in Buxton Waters.

The density of Skin is known by its pale Colour, hardness, and its Pores appearing as the Skin does in Winter, like a Goose-Skin: They are difficult­ly heated by Exercise, and sweat little, and have no great Colour after it in [Page 94] the Skin. If this Constriction be too much, we must cure it by Hot Baths, anointing with Dill-Oil, or that with Horse-Radish, with a soft Friction.

In Dropsies the use of Salt Water outwardly, and inwardly, such as that at Buxton, may do very well; and by the Saltness, to cleanse by Urine; and by the stypticity to strengthen, or heal the Lymphaticks, in the Ascites and A­nasarca.

In the cure of the Motion of the Animal Spirits, the Cold Baths have these Advantages.

1. In Palsies they stop the Pores, and accidentally occasion an Ebullition in the Humours; that is, first by a subsidence of the Aerial Bullulae, and after that by a kind of Spring natural to the Air, a Restitution or Expansion again to their Natural Vigour, Motion, and Ex­tension, by which a Distension is made in the Nerves, and an Ephemera in the Blood; and by these means a De-ob­struction is made in the Nerves in Pa­ralytic Persons; and this has been suf­ficiently experienc'd in the Palsie and Rickets.

[Page 95] As to the Palsie, I heard a Relation of a Cure done by my Ingenious Friend Dr. Barnard, upon Dr. Gold's Son-in-Law, who told me a Story, the Parti­culars of which I cannot well recol­lect, more than that a young Boy be­ing Paralytic, with the loss of Speech, by a few times being put to the Cold Bath, recover'd his Motion and Speech, when he had try'd all other Hot Me­thods, and the Hot Baths, without any Success. This was related to me by Dr. Gold himself at Bathe.

As to the Rickets, I have annexed the Letter of Dr. Clayton, concerning the Virtues of St. Mungus-Well, near Knaresborough in York-shire; and it seems to me that an Ephemera occasion'd by Hot bathing, does the same thing as a preter-natural Heat, or an Ephe­mera from an Annual or long use of Hot Medicines, which are Nervine. The cure of the Rickets and Palsie both by cold bathing, shews the Rickets to be a Species of the Palsie in Children, whilst they are increasing, which makes the Bodies unequally nourish'd, the [Page 96] Pulse of the Arteries being very deficient in the Paralytic Parts, and the Humours unequally circulated, the Head is too big for the Proportion in Embryo's, because the Bones are made before the Muscles; and the Muscular Flesh does not so well increase in any Bodies, as in those that have due Spirits, to give a Stop to the Circulation of the Blood in the Muscles, which probably is the Cause of their Motion; and the Muscular Parts by Motion, Friction, Cold ba­thing, grow robust, plump, and of a due proportion to the rest of the Bo­dy; and for the increase of the Muscu­lar Flesh and Strength, Cold Bathing is used at St. Mungus-Well.

In the want of Appetite, the drink­ing St. Ann's Well at Buxton may be useful both by the Saltness to stimulate and cleanse, and the stypticity to strengthen the Stomach.

The effect of the coldest Baths may be try'd in the Gutta Serena, Syncope's, Deafness, in the loss of Smell and Taste, in Weakness of Erection, or Ve­nere languidâ, in the Weakness of Swal­lowing; [Page 97] for if the Cold Baths can cure an universal Palsie, why may they not cure the Palsies of particular Parts, which I have mention'd?

In the want of Sleep, the Bullulae of the Serous Humours which fill the Nerves, are too much expanded, and this causes the Vigiliae: This elasticity of Spirits is abated by the humidity, coolness, and stypticity of Buxton-Wa­ters, both drank, and us'd for Baths; and for this reason we bathe in them going to Bed.

2. Pains depending on Inflammati­ons, and Viscidity of Humours may be corrected or prevented by these Baths, as hot Head-Aches, Gouts, Scorbutic Rheumatisms, Pain at the Stomach, Cholic, Tooth Ach, Strangury, Stone, Quinsie, Inflammations of the Mouth, Ʋvula, Tonsils, Gums, Glands about the Ears, Stomach, Intestines, Anus, and Haemorrhoids, Liver, Spleen, Kid­neys, Phrenitis, or the Inflammati­ons of the Spirits; Inflammations of the Eyes, Lungs, Pleura, Breast, Stones, Muscles, of which all the for­mer [Page 98] Inflammations are only Species's, which are distinguish'd by the Effects the Inflammation causes in each Part, the drinking and bathing in these Wa­ter, at Buxton, being the chief Remedy to prevent them, but not to cure them, unless in particular Circumstances.

As to the Ulcers inwardly and out­wardly, the Bath at Buxton being drank cleanses and heals, a Vomica, Phthisis, Empyema, Dysentery, Tenesmus, Ulcers of the Eyes, Kidneys, Bladder, Anus, Viscera, Spleen, Liver, Glands, in the King's-Evil, the Ulcers of the Mouth, Throat, Nose, Ears, Gums, Stomach, prostatae in a Gonorrhaea.

3. The Third Species of Fluxes is that through the Nerves, and the Glands they arise from, as the Epilep­sie, Hysteric Passion, Chorea St. Viti, Convulsion of Children, Palpitation of the Heart, Singultus, Coughing, Sneez­ing, Priapismus; in all these Cases the Coldness and Stypticity of the Water both drank and bathed in, as that at Buxton, may do good by cooling the Humours, and strengthening the Glands; [Page 99] and in these Cases the Hot Baths do Injury, and for that reason the Cold Baths must be most agreeable.

4. The Motion of the Animal Spi­rits in the Brain, is best reliev'd by the coldest Baths, which considerably overcome the Animal Spirits, when too much rarify'd, by thinking, or Passion, or Fevers in the Maniac or Phrenctic Persons.

In Melancholicks the Vitriolick Wa­ter near Buxton may be most agreea­ble to drink, and the Bath to use out­wardly for cooling the Humours, and strengthening the Spirits, by constrin­ging the Pores.

In this Bath we ought to bath for the Furor uterinus, and all kinds of Deliriums, to abate the exceeding Rare­faction and Motion of the Aerial Spi­rits included in the Bullulae, in the Nerves, and Blood.

5. The Animal Spirits produce the Flatuosity in the Nerves, when too much rarefy'd; and this Rarefaction is check'd, by drinking and bathing at Buxton, in the Vertigo, Tympanites, for [Page 100] which we ought to bathe in Sea-Wa­ter, as the Ancients prescribe.

6. This Cold bathing is much com­mended in the Asthma; and in that Disease I and divers others have ob­served it useful. And I met with a Lady at Buxton, who had used that Bath for some Years, for an Asthma, and found benefit by it; and I find Caelius Aurelianus has much commended the Pseucrolusia for the Asthma. And this is agreeable to my Notion, that it depends on an Ephemera, as a Sym­ptom in the Nerves. But I cannot commend this Bath in cold Flatulen­cies, as that of the Ʋterus, and par­ticular Parts: But for all Flatulencies depending on the Hot Cacochymia's, as the Choleric, Salt, Vitriolic, putrid, it seems very profitable, by cooling the Rarefaction of the Aerial Bullulae, both outwardly and inwardly used. Those that be of a hot, bilious, and dry Constitution, have their Halitus, which pass by Transpiration less hu­mid, but more acrid, and fumose, as as Orabasius calls them, and that ren­ders [Page 101] them more subject to Ephemera's and Defluxions; and for those Hot and Dry Constitutions Water-drinking is absolutely necessary; for all ferment­ed Liquors agitate and rarefie the Bullulae in the Humour, and cause De­fluxions thro' the Glands.

7. Drinking Water in the Morning cools the Blood, prevents Defluxions, and washes off the bilious and salt Re­crements by Urine.

Drinking Water after Dinner cools the Digestion, and stops the high Fer­mentation and Windiness in the Sto­mach.

Drinking it at Night stops the Fe­ver produced by the mixture of the Chyle and Blood, as it happens in He­ctical People.

The Waters at St. Winifred's-Well, and St. Mungus, I never heard were proper to be drank, because of their excessive Coldness: But the Bath-Wa­ter at Buxton may be drank to two, three, or four Pints, without occasioning any Vomiting; but it will cause vomiting if it be drank ha­stily, [Page 102] because of its Warmth and Salt­ness.

The Injuries by cold Baths are the following; but I must except the Bath-Water at Buxton, because of its natu­ral Tepor, from them.

Very Cold Water may do as much Injury as Hot Baths, tho' it strengthens and collects the natural Heat in strong healthful Bodies. It may extinguish the innate Heat, (that is, the natural Tepor arising from the Motion, and Mixture of our Humours) in Persons that are weak, infirm, or very old.

Cold bathing is injurious to Infants and Boys; for Galen observes, that it hinders their increase, and is not al­low'd by him till 25 Years of Age; or the middle of the fourth seven Years. From this Observation I be­lieve our English Physicians learnt the advantage of Cold bathing the Rickety Children, to hinder the growth of the distorted Part, and strengthen the Muscles.

It agrees not with thin, lean, ten­der Persons; and those of a Cold Con­stitution, [Page 103] or that have some of the Cold Cacochymia's, as the Pituitous, the Serous, Cold, Windy, or Acerb Hu­mours; and those who have not used it, must be brought to it by degrees, and not in the Winter-time.

Since Cold Baths astringe and stop Fluxes, as Cold Diet, Cold Air, and cool Liquors do, they cannot be con­venient in any Obstructions of the Se­cretion of the Animal Humours, and therefore improper for all Tumours of the Viscera, as Jaundice, Tumour of the Spleen, Kernels, and inward Inflam­mations: And Caelius Aurelianus dislikes it in Lethargies, because it stops the Passages. And he also condemns it in a Pthysis; and by Analogy it is easie to guess that Cold-Water-Baths stop more the suppression of Water, but may oc­casion at first a great Flux, by stopping Transpiration, and exerting an Ebulli­tion in the Blood.

It may help in the binding of the Body by the same Accident, turning the Circulation inwardly; for as Hot Baths are used for Revulsion, as turn­ing [Page 104] the Circulation more into the Ha­bit of the Body; so the Cold act con­trarily to them; in other Evacuations suppressed, as the Menses, Haemor­rhoids, Mola, Lothing, they are injuri­ous; and in an Ascites they seem in­jurious, except the Water be salt.

In the beginning of Fevers, or De­fluxions of Humours, or violent Pains, they are dangerous; but in the Decli­nation, or to prevent them, very use­ful; as in Pains of the Head, and a Phrenitis, Stone, Strangury, Gout, Rheu­matism.

In a Tertian Cold Water is esteem'd dangerous; and it's known to be very offensive in all Ulcers.

It may produce cold Pains; but cures the hot ones, or those depending on the hot Cacochymia's, after due evacua­tion; but it seems improper in the Cho­lic-Pains, and in all in ward Ulcers, cold bathing is improper, tho' the drinking the Water is useful.

Cold bathing is much condemn'd in the Epilepsie, or Convulsions, by occasi­oning a Flux of the Serum into the [Page 105] Nerves; but in many hot Inflations, it is evidently useful, tho' they be Ner­vous Effects, as in a Priapism, Asthma, Tympany, Mania, Melancholy, Vertigo, Incubus, and Hysterical Fits.

The Preparation for the Bath is to be by due evacuation of the Humours abounding in quantity, or purging, or altering their ill quality, to avoid the great Ebullition or Heat occasion'd by Cold Baths at first.

We may vomit with St. Ann's-Well at Buxton, by drinking the Water ha­stily, to two or three Quarts; and this is useful in the Gout, Sciatica, Obstru­ctions of the Mesentery, Spleen, Liver, Dropsie, Inflations, Asthma, Melancholy, Epilepsie, Hydrophobia; in all these Ca­ses Vomiting is by experience found profitable; and this may safely be done by that Water at Buxton.

Purging may be recommended in o­ther full Bodies, by dissolving ℥ ss or ℥ j. of the Epsom Salt, or Sal Mirabilis, in the Water of St. Ann's-Well, which is of it self a little laxative.

[Page 106] Aetius orders that we should ob­serve an exact Diet in cold bathing; and it is safest when empty, for then it cannot occasion so great a Flux upon any infirm Part. He advises it not to be used after Venery, great Lassitude, nor on a full Stomach; not after Vo­miting, Purging, or any Weakness of Spirit, or natural Heat; and that the Person be twenty five Years Old, and be used to it by degrees; and at first not to absolutely Cold Water, but that which is Tepid: And by parity of Rea­son I may recommend Buxton Bath as the best Preparative to Cold bathing.

He advises the Friction with Linnen, the Rubbing with Oil, and after that Exercise: Then to leap into the Cold Bath; and when he came forth, they rubbed the Body again with Oil, till the Skin was warm, and then gave them Meat.

The Ancients anointed with Oil after Rubbing, to mollifie the Skin, and take away its Tension and Dryness, they stopt Sweats by it; and for that end used Styptic Oils, as Oleum Omphaceum.

[Page 107] By Oils they defended the Skin from the Injury of the ambient Air; and for the same end it is probable the Indi­ans paint the Skin.

I believe some Practice of this kind may be useful in dry and tender Bo­dies.

Those who are extenuated by a long Disease, were only wash'd in the hot Bath, and went immediately into the Cold Water, and after were anointed; and those that were tired with a Jour­ney, they anointed before and after bathing.

If Sweating be design'd, no Oil was used either before or after bathing.

We may imitate the Ancient bathing by putting our Patients first into a warm Bath, in a Tub of hot Water, in a warm Chamber, thence into a hot Bed, to Sweat and Sleep; and when he has returned to his natural Temper, we may put them into a Cold Bath, or a Tepid one; and after rub­bing him with Oil or Butter, or use him to swimming in cold Water, or at the going out of the hot Bath, Per­sons [Page 108] are to be sprinkled with Tepid Water, if the Cold be offensive.

My Ingenious Friend Dr. Baynard will in some time give us his Expe­rience about Cold bathing, and how he prepares his Cold Baths artificially from Pump-Water, Nitre, or Pond-Water, with Sal Armoniack, and Nitre.

He uses this Cold bathing to cure He­ctick Fevers, Itch, Convulsions, Weakness or Tremor of the Limbs, Rickets, Pal­sies, Rheumatisms; but dissuades this Cold bathing in Epilepsies and Haemi­plagia's.

The particular use of this bathing he gave me in Writing three Years since, which occasion'd my Curiosity of reading Galen, and the old Writers on that Subject; and I cannot but believe that we had the practice of Cold ba­thing from the Romans, when they go­vern'd here, as well as the method of using the Hot Baths.

All that has been writ on that Sub­ject is by the Greeks, and Romans long since; only the Religious Men in our Kingdom have preserv'd the Practice [Page 109] of bathing at Holywell, and St. Mungus, and gave the credit of curing to the Saint's Merits, which may probably be accounted for by the natural Effects of Cold-Water.

I was once inform'd of an old Ca­tholick, who staying too long in St. Wi­nifred's Water, died there, the extre­mity of the Cold extinguishing the na­tural Heat: Therefore these Cold Baths are only fit for Summer, and young Persons.

The old Writers believ'd that Cold Water gave Foecundity to Women; and this is much ascrib'd to Holywell, and for that cause may be frequented in hot Constitutions, and Hysterical Wo­men; and it will stop all Evacuations that are injurious to the Womb.

This Water I have no particular knowledge of as yet, for its Cures, but I find it most used for Devotion, and Pleasure, by young Persons, who have told me, that it had no effect on them, more than to make them very light­some, and that they never sweat after it, nor catched cold.

[Page 110] The time of staying in these, is according to our easie bearing the coldness of the Water; and it is ve­ry proper to dip over Head divers times, in the use of these Baths.

We have yet a greater Prejudice to Cold Baths than to the Hot, because they occasion Cramps, Febrile Rigors.

Cold is found to be an Enemy to the Teeth, Nerves, Spinal Marrow, and Brain; and the old Aphorism runs thus, Nix & glacies pectori inimica, tusses mo­vnct, & sanguinem, & distillationes: We commonly are sensible of the Injuries of Cold Air, when we are hot; and the sudden change of the Air affects us with Distillation; the same we fear from Cold Water, and therefore we believe it dangerous, and not so safe as the Hot Baths. But to this I may answer, that we use the Cold Baths only in Summer; that for preservation of Health the robust Persons only use them: And the Servants near Holywell and Buxton, make it a part of their Agreement with their Masters, that they may have leave to go to those [Page 111] Waters every Year for their Health. But in the hotter Constitutions which occasion Diseases, as the Choleric, Scor­butic, Vitriolic, Salt, and Putrid; these want the extream Coldness, to reduce the excess of Heat, Fermentation, Di­gestion, or Motion of the Globuli, call it as you please, to their natural Tem­per; and Experience has sufficiently satisfy'd us, that Holywell, St. Mungus, and Buxton-Waters, are not only in­nocent, but also very useful, for the Cure of many Diseases.

Aetius commends the swimming in Sea-Water Cold twice before, Dinner and Supper, for the Itch and Leprosie.

We may make our selves artificial Cold Baths of Pump-Water in the Summer; and the Person that uses them must be prepared by bleeding and purging, as the Disease and Con­stitution requires. In the Morning it must be used, being empty, and dip over Head in the Water, in which he must continue up to the Neck, from two or three Minutes to half an Hour, as the Patient can bear it; and [Page 112] then be dryed, and put to a warm Bed, with a Flannel Shirt on, and there sleep. This Immersion may be repeat­ed thrice or oftener; and the first time sit in the Tub but two or three Mi­nutes, and longer afterwards; and con­venient Medicines may be given, as well as a suitable Diet to the Disease; that is, the coolest Diet is most agree­able to Cold bathing, which is used for the Hot Diseases, as Hectick Fevers with Phrenitis, and all Rheumatic Bloods. And for more particular Directions, it is necessary to consult a Physician, who has found out by Experience the best Method of Cold bathing. I never yet heard of any who has made any successful Tryals of it, but Dr. Baynard in Surrey-Street in the Strand; to whose Management I would recommend those who want the benefit of a Cold Bath.

A Letter from Dr.Clayton, concern­ing the Virtues of St.Mungus. Well, nearKnaresborough inYork­shire.

SIR,

ST. Mungus Well abounds with very little of a Mineral, unless it be some­thing of a Nitrous Salt, and a little Vi­triol, which render it particularly Cold, wherein chiefly consists its Virtue.

Therefore the Operations that it has on the Body, is to make the Pores of the Body contract and close, so as to keep in that natural Heat which should strengthen and invigorate the Body, and so parti­cularly strengthens the Nerves: For you must know, as there are many Thousand Pores we constantly transpire thereat, so that they are as so many Chimneys to the [Page 114] Body, thro' which the Heat of the Bo­dy constantly passes, and which is called, (because these Fumes that so pass are in­sensible,) Insensible Transpiration. And tho' this Transpiration be insensible, yet in a Day's time it is so considerable, that at all the Pores of the Body we transpire very nigh twice as much as we void either by Stool or Ʋrine, or even both; for a Man that eats and drinks in twenty four Hours forty Ounces of Meat and Drink, voids not by Stool and Ʋrine past fifteen Ounces; the other twenty five Ounces pass by this insensible Transpi­ration. Therefore this being so conside­rable, when these are too open, it must needs enfeeble and waste the Body as well as a constant purging, and a too great evacuation any other way. Therefore the bathing in these Cold Waters makes the Pores contract themselves; particularly it also cleanses them of that foul Sweat that clogs them, and renders them unapt for the Performance of the Duty they are de­sign'd for, which is to contract or dilate themselves proportionably to the external [Page 115] Heat or Cold; and if they be defective either way, too remiss, or too rigid, pro­portionably various Distempers happen: As when too remiss in Children, the Rickets, generally in the Extremities a Wasting; so their Legs and Arms grow lean and emaciate; but that part of the Body that is next the Heart, which is the Fountain of Heat, is supply'd with Heat sufficient, and therefore that part of the Body continues pretty plump; but ge­nerally the Head, that is fortify'd with a Scull, and not liable to this preternatu­ral Transpiration, grows extraordinary big in such Children.

Fools and heavy-spirited People are little liable to this Distemper; but the witty Children, whose Spirits are the most refin'd and subtle, are the aptest thus to a preternatural Transpiration.

This bathing likewise upon the same account is good for some Hectical thin People, whose Distemper is owing to the same Cause.

[Page 116] But there is a Hectical Distemper that is owing to the contrary Cause, the too rigidness of the Nerves, that keeps in the Heat too much. And this is the Cause of many Fevers; and therefore as bathing in these Cold Waters is good for the Rickets, so is Sweating extraordinary good in such Fevers; for as the one contracts the Pores, the other dilates them.

Therefore the Distempers it is good for is particularly the Rickets above all o­thers; as likewise Hectical Persons, of a flaccid soft Flesh; and for some windy Pains in Persons likewise of a flaccid Flesh, and the like.

The manner of bathing is only as we do commonly in a River. Children they swill and dip them, and so frighten and stir up the Spirits, by a particular Ago­ny the more. Often pop them over the Head, and carry them to a Bed, or the like, to sweat gently after it, that so the Pores may be brought to the due Tone of [Page 117] opening and contracting, as they ought to do; and therefore they do the same three or four Days, that the Dilation and Contraction may be the more perfect.

I am Your most assured Friend, and humble Servant, Clayton.

An Extract of what is useful from Dr. Jones's Treatise of Buxton-Bath; writ 1571; with some Ad­ditions and Remarks upon it.

THis Bath is in the high Peake in Derby-shire, 10 Miles from Chats­worth, 16 Miles from Manchester, 16 from Chesterfield, 20 from Derby, 30 from Westchester, 30 from Lichfield, and 20 from Stafford.

It is observed that no Baths have a healthful Air about them, because these Baths, viz. Buxton and Bathe, are situa­ted very low, in a Valley, betwixt two Hills; and the Country near Bux­ton standing so very high, frequent Rains are observed to fall there: But in the Summer it is frequented by ma­ny Persons of Quality, for Hawking; the Moors thereabouts being very large like a Wilderness; the Poots are so [Page 119] plentiful there in their Seasons, that a Person of Quality killed twelve Brace in a Day for one Week he staid there last Summer.

This Country being in the Winter unpassable, because of its Snow, is fre­quented only for the Bath's sake in the Summer time, and out of Curiosi­ty by others, to admire the Wonders of that Place; amongst which that Bath is much esteem'd as one, by all its Northern Neighbours, who visit it once in a Year.

The Wells have the Name of the Town, and that of some Saxon or Dane. It bath for many Years past been frequented for the Health of Thousands, for bathing, as well as it is now in these our Days: For between Burgh and it, there is a High-way forced over the Moors, all pa­ved, of such Antiquity as none can express, called Bath-gate.

More came out of a Superstition they had in the Well, than for any assurance they had in the Property, Quality, or Tem­perature of the Bath; for of it, and the use thereof, they were ignorant.

[Page 120] And to this Day the Common Peo­ple frequent it for Pleasure, now they have disused any Devotion to St. Ann, by whose Name one of the Wells is called.

Cambden observes, that at the Rise of the River Wye, there were Nine Springs of Hot Water, called at present Buxton-Well, which he says were found by Experience good for the Stomach, the Nerves, and the whole Body; and the most Honourable George Earl of Shrewsbury had lately adorn'd them with Buildings; and they began to be fre­quented by great Numbers of the No­bility and Gentry: About which time the Heroic and Unfortunate Princess, Mary Queen of Scots, took her farewel of Buxton, in these Verses,

Buxtona quae calidae celebrabere nomine lymphae,
Forte mihi posthac non adeunda, val [...].

And from this Queen, the Pillar in Pool's-Hole, which is near Buxton, may have its Name.

[Page 121] That these Baths were anciently known to the Romans, the Roman Causey, call'd Bath-gate, which continues Seven Miles to the Village Burgh, evidently shews; and from them we learned the use of bathing.

But the Priests of the following Age did not understand how the great Ef­fects of that Bath could be produced by so Tepid a Water; that according to the Humour of the Age, it was at­tributed to the Merit of St. Ann, to whom the Sick made a religious Visit.

The Bath at Buxton has a fiery Heat evident to the Sense; but it is in a moderate Degree, or Tepor rather than Heat.

It contains no sign of Brimstone; but it boils up with Bubbles, as at Bathe; so that its Heat comes from some actual Fire: There is the same depression of the Earth into a deep Valley at Buxton, which appears at Bathe; and that Contrivance was pro­bably necessary, to come nearer to the Central Fire, for the boyling of the Water.

[Page 122] Buxton-Bath hath not the Fourth part of the Heat as the Baths at Bathe, nor the Minerals that be there; viz. the Sulphur.

Buxton-Water is much like as if a Quart of boiling Water were mixed with a Gallon of cold Water: But Bath-Wa­ter is as if to a Gallon of seething Wa­ter a Quart of cold Water were put; by reason whereof it attracteth and dissolveth more speedily, but Buxton more sweetly, and more temperately, not bringing so many grievous Accidents as Bath does. This operates effectually, tho' not so speedi­ly as Bath Waters do; but for many In­firmities more commodiously, by restrain­ing all unnatural Evacuations, and strength­ening the feeble Members, assisting the Animal, Vital, and Natural Facul­ties, dispersing Opilations, and qualifying Griefs.

There was no necessity of Sulphur in Buxton-Water, nor no great Heat, because Buxton-Waters were design'd by Nature for a Cold Bath, and that the most moderate and safe; for which End it was prepared with a lacteal Te­por, [Page 123] to prevent any fear of a sudden stoppage of Pores, and to be less of­fensive to the nicest Constitutions.

The Well-Springs are situate in a Val­ley hard by a running Brook, and run into it, where you may perceive the Hot Water on the one side of the River, and the Cold on the other, which hinders the River of freezing in coldest Weather, for a quarter of a Mile; which is an Argument of the Power of the Heat of those Springs, or else of the Saltness of them.

There be five or 6 other Springs not so good as that first mention'd. If the Mi­neral Men bored to find the Cold Springs, and turn them away, the Springs would be more excellent.

This depends on the common Vul­gar Error, that these Baths were de­sign'd for Hot Baths; and that there can be no good Effects from cold Temperate Baths; and upon this Prejudice there have been divers Enqui­ries made, to find out the cold Springs, and divert them from the hotter; but we may thank God, who has not per­mitted [Page 124] the Mistakes of Men to injure his Blessings.

I designedly enquired of all the old People I could meet with in Buxton, about the Heat of the Bath-Water, who assured me, that it has been the same many Years past; which I may confirm by the Writing of Dr. Jones, who led the People into this Mi­stake, who would have it made more hot, that more cold Infirmities might be cured by it; but this is unreasona­ble that Cold Baths should be made fit for Cold Diseases, nor the Hot Baths for the Hot. Let proper Baths rather be chosen for every particular Disease; Cold for the Hot, as those at Buxton; and the Hot for the Cold, as those at Bathe.

Seeing God hath bestowed on us these Baths for our great Benefit, if so be there be nothing that can more readily take a­way Distempers, (as Galen saith, de usu partium) of Heat and Cold, or evacuateth by the Pores the superfluous Humours, than a Dulce or pleasant Bath of warm Water, or that maintaineth Health more; [Page 125] for whereas it is by Nature moist, and moderately Hot; by its humidity it hu­mecteth, it dryeth, heateth, all cooled or congealed Humours; it strengtheneth the loosed by insensible Transpiration; it discusses and mundifies the Skin; all which is proved by daily Experience.

I find the Taste of St. Ann's Well-Water and Buxton-Bath to be the same as to Heat and Minerals. It is evi­dently of a Milky Tepor, very Salt and Rank, which the Ancients called Aluminous; but I will translate Dr. Li­ster concerning them, who gives the Ingredients of these Waters, and says out of 32 th. of both Fountains boyl'd to dryness, he had scarce two 3 of Salt, without any Flakes of Stone, tho' he observ'd in the boyling the Brass Vessel to be infected with the Pow­der of an Ash-colour'd Stone. The Salt coagulated into Chrystal of Com­mon Salt; amongst which were some Crystal of a Lapis Calcarius.

This Spring at Buxton runs plenti­fully; and the Bath may be empty'd in a Quarter of an Hour, and is im­mediately [Page 126] fill'd again in the space of an Hour, or less.

This Bath is contain'd in a Room built over it, the Air of which is very warm; and a Fume rises from it like boyling Water.

The Water does not feel very Tepid upon our first Immersion into it; but after some time, you may find it warmer; and in some particular parts of the Bath more warm to your Feet; and it fumes most in the Win­ter.

Their stay in this Bath is an Hour or more, till every one feels themselves very cool; and then they are wiped, and put to a warm Bed, to lie half an Hour, and sleep; but no Body sweats with it, nor catches cold, tho' they go in naked: But I think the Men ought to use Drawers, and the Wo­men Shifts of Linnen or Flannel. But Custom hath taught the Sexes to have separate times of bathing.

The Bath-Water is so clear, that we may see to the Bottom, tho' the Wa­ter be usually up to the Neck.

[Page 127] It is convenient to dip the Head all over in these Tepid Baths, or lay a wet Cloth on it; for it cools the Head much, and checks the arising of Fumes.

The Times of bathing are Morning and Night; fasting in the Morning, and after Supper.

They usually swim and walk about in the Bath; for it is impossible to stand still without chilling too much.

The Well of which we drink is St. Ann's Well; and of that some drink two, three, or four Pints, which may cause Vomiting if drank hastily; but I and some others drank it with­out any great offence, except its styp­ticity and saltness, or Tepor, make it nauseous to some.

I could not find any Vitriolic Taste in the Waters, but can fairly give an Account of their Virtues from their cooling effects on our Bodies; for they are made cooler by the use of it; and the actual Heat has not any considera­ble Effect on us; for by that we are [Page 128] neither heated, nor sweat; therefore no more Heat was necessary, but to prevent the inconveniences of too sud­den a coldness by the Water.

The Saltness of the Water cleanses, and has an effect as well as all Salt Baths have, as a Diuretic, &c. Vide the account of Salt-Baths.

The stypticity of the Water helps the Coldness to stop the Pores, to strengthen the solid Parts, and stop Fluxes; so that from the moderate coolness, the saltness, and stypticity, I may give a fair account of the Virtues of this Water.

Buxton Water, by reason that it rari­fies the Parts, it provokes Transpiration, and wipeth away the Filth of the Skin; and it also confirmeth, joyneth, consoli­dateth the loosened, severed, and weak­ned Parts, qualifying the Over-Heated Members, drying such as be over moist; therefore good for all Diseases as come of over-much contrary heat, and for such as come of overmuch Moisture; for all Cho­lerick and Salt Humours.

[Page 129] If these be the Effects of Buxton-Baths, they are the same as in all Cold bathing at St. Winifred's, and St. Mun­gus's; for they strengthen, and cool, and constringe the solid Parts, and cure the hot Cacochymia's of our Blood; for which reason I may esteem Bux­ton one of the most temperate and safe Cool Baths in Europe, as Experi­ence has confirm'd it.

The Diseases it cures are Rickets, In­flammations, Fevers, and Rheums; Head­aches, weak Sinews, old Scabs, Ʋlcers, Cramps, Numness, Itchings, Ring-Worms, Impostumes.

These Wells help Women, who by rea­son of over-moisture be unapt to Con­ceive. Also all such as have their Whites too abundant: Also weak Men that be unfruitful: Likewise for all that have a Priapismus, and that be parboyl'd in Venus's Gulph; all these it cools, cleanses, and strengthens by its coldness and styp­ticity.

It beautifies the Skin, and cleanses it.

It is profitable for those that have the Consumption of the Lungs. It cools them, [Page 130] and stirs all Evacuations, or Looseness, Haemorrhages.

It cureth Apoplexies, Palsies, Trem­blings, Vertigo, King's-Evil, Redness of the Face, St. Anthony's-Fire, Melancho­ly, Hypochondriack Winds, Jaundice, Dropsie, Pains in the Breast and Stomach, the Scurvy and Night Pains, Rheumatism, Sciatica, Gout, Stone, Ʋlcers, Cancers, Schirrhus, Cholic, Hysteric Passions, Ca­tarrhs, Asthma's, Leprosie, Dysentery.

It is beneficial to all such as vomit Blood, as hath been well proved.

It is very good for the Inflammation of the Liver, and excellent for over-much Heat, and stopping of the Veins, and for such as have burning Ʋrine, or Tenesmus.

In stoppeth a Gonorrhaea, Haemor­rhoids, Piles, Menses.

It stoppeth Vomitting, Hickup.

It openeth Obstructions of the Milt and Liver.

It is good for the Short winded.

It stops the Fluxes of the Milt and Liver.

It cureth the Green-sickness perfectly.

It cureth the Morphews, and defends from the Stone. And,

[Page 131] It preserveth the Health in a good State.

By this Catalogue of Diseases we may see how great and numerous the good Effects of this Bath are in all the hot Cacochymia's, in all hot Defluxions, Pains, Evacuations; so that it equals the Bath Waters in the Virtues and good Effects, but has no ill Effects on any Person, because of that exact Temper of its Heat, which wants but little of the Natural Tepor in Animal Humours.

As to that long Discourse about Diet and Exercise, in Jones, I think them not necessary, nor fit to be printed, because there is nothing new in them, but what occurs in Galen, Aetius, Avicenna, and many more, Jones quotes; by which we may be convin­ced he was as well read, and of as good Judgment, as any of that Age.

He recommends both Dinner at E­leven a-clock, and Supper about Five; and that the Persons who come from the Southern Parts be well cloathed, because it is a much colder Air, but very pure; and that good Fires do [Page 132] well; and he says you may use a more plentiful Diet at Buxton than at Bathe: And I see no reason to alter our or­dinary Diet at these Baths; for as we use more cooling Diet in hot Bodies and Baths, so in the cooler Baths we must use a more heating Diet; and that is an ordinary Diet of Flesh-Meats, and moderate Drinks. In the Morning after bathing drink either St. Ann's-Well, or 2 Quarts of the Vitriolic Chalybeate Water lately found out there: And Water-drinking does not only cool and strengthen the inward Viscera, but hinders the breeding of hot Fumes, Vapours, or Spirits in the Body, which could not safely be stopt in the Body; and both together seem to me powerfully to alter the hot Ca­cochymia's in Animals.

At Dinner eat of your accustom'd Diet: Herbs, Fruits, Legumens, Milk-Meats, and Salt Meats are usually con­demn'd at Baths, being at all times but indifferent Food. But if the Diet must be Physical, it must be ordered as the Strength, Custom, Disease, and [Page 133] the Nature of the Bath requires. And since the Bath cools, and the Diseases be hot, the Diet here may be made as for all hot Cacochymia's; more cold and moist, if the Disease require it: And the weak and thin are to be more plentifully nonrished, and the Quality of the Diet contrary to the hot State of Humours; but in healthful Persons the ordinary Diet is most convenient in these Baths.

Bath-Waters seem improper with Meats, because Diuretic.

In the use of those Baths, we must avoid all Excess, Lassitude by great Ex­ercise, and Retention of Excrements, or Evacuations too much, by Venery, Stools, Sweats.

The Ancient Writers prescribe Exer­cise before these Cold Baths; and Per­sons commonly bathe as soon as they come thither. The design of the Exer­cise was to excite a greater Heat, to conflict with the cold Water; but can­not be necessary here, because the Bath is Tepid.

[Page 134] Jones orders to tarry two or three Days before you enter the Bath; and truly this time might be well spent in Vomiting with St. Ann's Well-Water, for those it is convenient: And after purging with Epsom Salt, or Sal Mira­bile, dissolving ℥ ss or ℥ j. in two Quarts of that Water.

The time of bathing Jones orders to be in the Morning and Evening, but after your Exercise and Purging, and altogether before Meat, in the Summer Season, between the beginning of May, and the latter End of Sep­tember.

In the Bath you may tarry two or three Hours if you please, and the Body be fit for it, and the Disease require it.

But I think the Time is to be di­scerned by every Person's own Sense; for when they are very much chill, they ought to go forth.

After you come forth, your Clothes well air'd (in the next Room) your Bodies well dry'd, and especially your Head, they may go to Bed, and Sweat, with two Bladders of Water apply'd to them hot.

[Page 135] This Practice is disus'd; for it is not rational to Sweat when we come to close our Pores, and cool our Hu­mours; but we go to Bed only to keep our selves warm.

The Diet, Exercise, Friction, Pur­ging, Bleeding, mention'd in Jones, are no more than common Rules writ by Galen and others.

He advises to continue at Buxton Fourteen, Twenty, or Forty Days; the common practice is a Week.

All the Exercise necessary is what is usual at any other time for our Healths; he who when he is very hot, would go into the Water to chill him; that is, to create hot Fumes, and stop the Pores; and will certainly pro­duce a Fever or Defluxions.

He proposes a Register of the Pati­ent's Name, Disease, Country, coming and going thence, paying for it ac­cording to the Quality of the Person, some to the Poor, and the rest to the Book-keeper.

An Abstract of some Cures performed by Buxton-Bath; taken from Di­vers Certificates and Letters sent to me by Mr. White, the Keeper of that Bath.

IN the Gout the Virtues of this Wa­ter have been well experienc'd; and were successfully tryed by Caleb Pott, Schoolmaster of Audlem in the Coun­ty of Chester, who came thither on his Crutches, and went away very well, and testify'd this under his hand, 1689.

I met with an old Divine there last Year, who constantly frequents that Bath every Summer, and acknowledg­ed to me, that he had received great Benefit by that Bath against the Gout.

I met with a Person who had been there for a Scorbutic Rheumatism, and he assured me, that after general Evacuations, his Pains immediately ceased by frequent bathing.

Mr. Stephen Kaye, Rector of Mar­ton in Lincoln-shire, who used the Baths [Page 137] four Years successively, was cured of the Gravel in the Kidneys, which tor­tur'd him for several Years: And also of the Gout, to which he was sub­ject. Of this he gave his Testimony in writing.

This Bath hath had good success in Lameness, and Pains of the Limbs, as appears to me by a Certificate under the Hand of Edmund Horncastle, of Clarbrough, in the County of Nottin­gham, who by the use of this Bath re­cover'd of his Lameness and Pains, and went away without his Crutches.

The Statute of 43 Eliz. provided for the passing of cripled or sick Per­sons to Buxton as well as Bathe; which is a sufficient Testimony of its being e­minent for curing Lameness in those Days.

Mr. White the Bath-keeper gave me many Instances of Cures done on the Scurvy, Leprosie, Dropsie, Lameness, Pains, Gravel, Stone; and in the Gra­vel it had great Effect on Robert Downs, Bath-keeper there; and another Per­son from Hull. And he farther gave [Page 138] me an Account of a young Woman from Ʋttoxeter, who long languished under a Consumption, and was there cured.

It is very useful in Distillations and Asthma's, by which I believe I received much Benefit; the Pseuchrolusia is no less beneficial than the Hydroposia. And here we drink the same kind of Wa­ter we bathe in, as they do at Bathe. And we alter the Humours by drink­ing, which helps the Effects of the Bath-Water externally.

Mrs. Tripp of Weston-Ʋnderwood, in the County of Bucks, was cured of a high Scurvy, and of a Consumptive Cough, Ann. Dom. 1689.

Mr. Fauler of South-Wells in Nottin­gham-shire, 1691. was cured of a Rheu­matism mixt with the Dropsie and Scurvy.

Thomas Redford of South-Wingfield, in the County of Derby, was cured of an Universal Leprosie, 1696. And, Elizabeth Cruchbow of the same Town, was also cured of the same.

Josiah Stocke of Sheffield in York-shire, was cured of an Ague about thirty Weeks standing.

[Page 139] This Water did not curdle Milk, as I try'd by boiling; nor did it much precipitate White with Spirit of Harts-Horn; but it turn'd a little.

A brief Description of divers rare and admirable Cures (from Lidia More­wood) and the same perfectly effected by the Virtue of Buxton-Bath.

MRs. Elizabeth Dorley in York­shire, was by Sickness and Pains almost depriv'd of the use of her Body for Five Years; and by the Ap­plication of this Bath, in one Week she regain'd her Strength so much, that she could walk abroad, and within Sixteen or Seventeen Days, she per­fectly regain'd her Health and Strength of Body.

One Manforth of York-shire was brought by three Men, who in one Week regain'd his Strength so much, that he could walk abroad, and by a conti­nued [Page 140] Application of the same, he per­fectly recover'd.

Mr. Bateman's Son of Youlgreave, who had lost the use both of his Speech and Limbs, was perfectly cured by this same Bath.

A Stationer's Daughter of Nottin­gham, which had her Body wholly overspread with Scurf and Scales, re­gain'd a pure and free Flesh by this Bath.

Mr. Gill, near Ragby in York-shire, was seized with a Tumour in one side, which the Physicians and Surgeons failing to cure, he came to this Bath, and thereby receiv'd an absolute and perfect Cure.

Dr. Wheatly near Barnsley having for several Years frequented this Bath, but having this last Summer omitted the same, acknowledged a decay of his Health thro' his omission; which within the same Year gave an Exit to his Life.

Several People, which being Stran­gers to me, I cannot express their Names; but I can assuredly testifie, [Page 141] that many who have had Red Spots within their Flesh, wholly de­facing their Body, were taken away by this Bath.

And very many lame and impotent People, which have come hither, some by the help of Crutches, others born by Men and Horses, have regain'd their Strength, and the use of their Limbs, by the same Bath.

These were truly penn'd by Thomas Bishop, Schoolmaster in Buxton, from me Lidia Morewood.

A Boy having his Hands and Feet overspread with an obdurate scaly Matter, regain'd a pure, soft, and free Flesh by this Bath. Attested by Lidia Goodwin of Buxton.

Mr. Low of Arraslee in Derby-shire, having very dangerously hazarded his Life by excessive drinking, with other Companions, which died thereupon, con­tinu'd in this Bath for Twelve Hours, and from the same receiv'd a Cure. By Roger Goodwin of Buxton.

[Page 142] Sarah Middleton of Buxton having a Lameness in one Knee, so that for half a Year she was supported with Crutches, was by this Bath perfectly cured.

A certain Man which came from Nottingham, went by Crutches; in one Months time by this Bath regain'd his full Strength. By Sarah Middleton of Buxton.

Mrs. Hill from York was so lame that she went by Crutches; in one Weeks time regain'd her full Strength and use of Limbs, by this Bath.

A Gentleman from York having a Relapse of a cold Palsey, in two Weeks time was cured by this Bath.

A certain poor Man near Warrington in Lancashire, having many Sores and Runnings upon his Body, in two Weeks time receiv'd a perfect Cure from this Bath.

Ralph Saxon of Buxton, having seve­ral Sores and Runnings of his Body, was cured by this Bath.

Mr. Jackson, a Minister of the Go­spel, having left a Place of considera­ble Value, came and serv'd at this mean [Page 143] Place of Buxton, in expectation of the benefit of this Bath; and receiv'd a per­fect Cure for the Stone from the sameBy Anthony Cleaton Sen. of Buxton..

These are all impartial Ac­counts, as testify'd by
Cor­nelius White.
23 Jan. 1696.

New Improvements at Buxton-Baths, Anno Domini 1695 and 1696, by Cornelius White, an Attorney of his Majesty's Court of Kings-Bench at Westminster, and one of the So­ciety of Clement's-Inn, London; present Tenent to the Premisses, un­der his Grace William Duke of De­vonshire.

BY taking off some of the cold Springs from the hot, the antient Bath repaired and paved, and new one made, for the better conveniency of the poor and impotent; And a Sough [Page 144] about 200 Yards in length, to drain both, for the cleansing thereof every Day; with more private Apartments for Lodgings, new Stables, new Gar­dens, new Bowling-Green, and several Green Walks; a cold Mineral Spaw now discover'd within 200 Yards of the warm Spaws, the warm Springs be­ing separate, and about 40 Yards di­stant from the Bath, approved of by the most eminent Physicians. About the middle of the Sough a Cistern of of Lead was found two Yards square, and one Foot deep, being four Yards within the Earth, supported by several Oaken Planks: Something higher, in the same Sough, was found a place seven Yards wide, and twenty Yards long, being smooth and even on both sides and at the bottom, two Yards deep in the Earth, and made of Stone.

FINIS.

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