THIS Paper being chiefly designed for the meanest Readers, I shall de­liver my self in as few, and plain words, as the subject Matter will al­low, hoping by several more Experiments made, and observed of this Mineral Water, hereafter by others, as well as my self, that Learned and Inquisitive Persons, (or any others that dislike this Propter Autho­rem) may receive a more large and suitable Satisfaction in deeper Notions, from some other more Learn'd and Philosophical Pen: And in the mean time, these plain Directions have been desir'd by some, and perhaps may be ac­ceptable, and useful to most sorts of Persons, that flock to this Spaw; therefore not regarding the Cenfures of the Momy's, observing Method, the better to be un­derstood, I shall,

First tell you from what Minerals, (as learned Physicians, and other Philophical Men do affirm) this Water doth receive its Medicinal Virtues. Secondly, I shall endeavour to answer an Objection thrown abroad against it. Thirdly, I shall tell you its Virtues, and in what Distempers it hath done, and in all probability it may do good. Fourthly, You shall have the best Method and Manner how to drink it, without any Prejudice to your Bodies.

First, The Minerals (upon Trials and Experiments) which are very strong in this Water, are Sulphur Flowers, and Iron Other, which unite into an imperfect Vitriol in the Water, that is (more plainly) chiefly Steel, some Sulphur, and a little Copper inter­mixt; which two last gives the Vomiting and Purging quality, this Water is so ex­cellently endued with, and from the Iron and Steel it works so strongly by Urine. Now, to illustrate this (for the satisfaction of the Inquisitive and Learned) not on­ly have I tried, and often found it (and many others) to turn with a few Grains of Gills into a deep Purple colour at the Well, and at my own House; but also it turn­ed so at Litchfield after their Carriage, and Keeping many days; some Bottles being sent to the Learned Sir John Floyer, Knt. and Doctor of Physick, who caused others, besides himself, to drink of it there; and by standing sometime in a Glass, a bleuish Skin appears on the top of the Water, and hence saith Sir John (in his Letters to me) we may conclude, that this Water hath the same Minerals, as the common Chalybeate Waters have.

But m [...]reover there is this singular in this Water, from all others that are Chaly­beate, that by Spirit of Harts-Horn dropt into it (at Litchfield, and many other pla­ces) it precipitated green Clouds and Sediment, (very pleasant to the Beholders) and not of an yellow Other colour, as other Chalybeate Waters do, neither will it turn green with Syrup of Violets, as other Chalybeate Waters use to do, but gives a green Tincture to old rusty Iron put into it; by which Experiments, and also by its Purging Faculty, it is believed that something of Copper is contained in the Pyrites, or Fire-stone, which furnish the Water, with its strong Chalybeate taste, from the Sulphur and Iron Ocher all Pyrites contain. Upon these Experiments 'tis adjudged to be stronger than the Waters of Quarne, Bromish, Poles worth, or Astrop; nay, some Learned Men at the Well have affirmed it stronger than Tunbridge, and may be compared with Scarborough Spaw, which purges as this doth, and therefore must needs have greater Success, than most other Steel Waters in England.

Secondly, The Objection is, 'tis a Coal pit-water, dreining dry thro' a Slough or [Page 2]Gutter, some Coal-pits, as well as the Iron Stone pits, on Meer Heath, therefore un­wholsome.

Answ. The same Objection is made against the Waters of Polsworth and Bromich, which are near Coal-pits also, and yet experience has proved them, (as saith Sir John in a late Letter to me) both to be useful and innocent: It is the Pyrites, or Fire-Stone, (found in Beds, in getting of Coal or Iron-stone, thro' which the Water runs) gives the Chalybeate Tincture to the Water; for if a little Pyrites be put into a Glass of fair Water, in a few Minutes (as often as it hath been tried) it gives a Steel taste to the Water, and by adding Galls to the same Glass, it turns of a deep Purple in a small time. Moreover, Chalybeat Springs lie shallow, and are often spoiled by digging into, and therefore come not from the Coal which lie deep, and the Fire-stone which gives the Chalybeat Virtue) lies very much above the Coal, as Miners inform us; furthermore, neither Iron-stone nor Coal can be dissolved in Water; the last be­ing a Sulphurous Oily Bitumen, cannot mix with Water no more than Oyl can; and being no Sulphurous stinking smell is found in Water, it is plainly evident it hath no ill quality from the Coals: Beside there is no such noxious quality in Coal (as the Objectors imagine) as appears by warming Drink with a red hot Coal, as many Country-men use to do, and others light their Tobacco with it, without pre­judice, and easily tast the Sulphurous Acid in it, and believe its good for the Lungs; and this sure is sufficient to satifie any Timerous (if Rational) Person.

Thirdly, I design not to erect a Creature of my own, by extolling the Virtues of this Water, so as to be accounted the Author of their Fame; but seeing it is a stron­ger Steel-water, I shall, for the Benefit of our Country, set down a Catalogue of some Distempers, for which you may expect Remedy by the use of it.

It is a very clear Water, and that is a peculiar Advantage to it; It hath to my knowledge cured the Green-Sickness in several Virgins, brought away Worms from Children, Gravel and Stones from many Men, and helped Pissing of Blood, bravely helped a Gentlewoman of great Quality of an ill Habit of Body, with Hysterical Maladies: Another good Gentlewoman (under my care) of a hot splenetical Habit of Body, and Hectical in the first degree; greatly efficatious in the Scurvy, as Mr. Atherly, Mr. Barber, and others can testifie; it procured to all that drank it regularly, a good Appetite, and amended the Colour in Womens Faces, &c.

By this it appears to be a great Opener of Obstructions, the causes of most Diseases. It purges the Bowels by siege, the Mesentery, Liver, Reins, &c. by Urine, carrying off, destroying and sweetening any Corrosive, Soure, and Scorbutick Salts in the Blood, thereby cleansing and purifying the same: With some it purged so much, as if it would leave nothing to pass by Urine; and yet passed so plentifully by Urine, as if it found no vent by Stool, scarce ever failing of purging (except in exceeding con­stipated Bodies, and in such as drank but two or three Pints for Pleasure or Compa­ny) turning the Excrements of all into a sad Green, or Blackish colour, as all Steel-waters and Medicines do: It Vomits also, as I observed in many, besides my self, who often drank it for trials sake.

To be positive in its Virtues till more Experimental Histories have given the Country satisfaction, were to extenuate the reality of the Premisses; but from its Mineral Principles, it justly may be recommended to be used in the hot Scurvies, Jaundice, Incipient Dropsies. Hectical and Hysterical cases, the VVhite Flux, and Bleedings at the Nose; in Diseases of the Breast or Lungs, that need or can admit Purgation; in Vomitings, decayed Appetites, and Indigestion; in Diseases of the Head, as Convulsive cases, Falling-Sickness, &c. and in Nervous Cases, as Tremblings, Pal­sies, old Rheumatisms, Palpitation of the Heart, Flatus, Hypochondriack Melancholy, and Cholicks arising from a hot cause: In old Gonorrhea's and Claps ill cur'd, Ʋlcers of the Kidnies or Bladder, Diabetes, Strangury, Sharpness of VVater: Outwardly it [Page 3]must needs be good in all Ʋlcers, Sore Eyes, Scorbutick running Sores, VVild-fires, Ring worms, Kings-Evil, Scabs, Itch, Cankers, and in Scorbutick Sores of the Mouth and Gumms.

Fourthly, Tho' those that are in perfect Health, (that come for pleasure) may drink it without any hurt to their Bodies, yet it may harm such as are sickly, if not used aright; and it's impossible to direct so, as to answer every Man's particular case: But a preparation of the Body, by purging, may be necessary, and safe in most Maladies, to make way for the Water: And bleeding some few days before (or after) drinking, especially in Plethorical Bodies, or hot Maladies, may be ve­ry profitable; for by it, Obstructions will sooner yield to the Water: And purg­ing once in ten or fourteen days (as I did some Patients the last Summer) may be proper in some cases, as may the taking some Alteratives, and appropriated Medi­cines, relating to the part Affected, or to the Nature or Complication of the Sick­ness. Therefore, understanding Persons that have distemper'd Bodies, do usually at Spaws, consult some Physician, whether the Water be proper or not for their Condition, &c. whereas in others, less discreet, and unadvisedly drinking of it, it may not do that good (but perhaps harm) as by a regular Method.

Begin at six or seven a Clock in the Morning with two half pint Glasses (walk­ing two or three Minutes betwixt them) then walk gently a quarter of an Hour, or something more, then take two more Glasses, and your Walk as before, so re­peat your Glasses the first Morning with your Walks, till you have taken eight or nine Glasses at most, and so walk or ride gently, till the Water is passed off, which may be in two or three hours time, after the last Glass, that is by twelve or one of the Clock.

The days following increase your quantity, by one or two Glasses each Morn­ing, till you come to 12, 14, or 16 Glasses (which will be six, seven, or eight pints) as you are advised too, or as it passes off, and you can bear it: And after you are come up to the just number of Glasses you intend, you may hold to that number every Morning a week, or more days, if your case require it, or you may decrease, daily abating one Glass, till you come to the number you begun with, or rather under, and so leave off; taking a Purge after it, as may be proper in some, tho' not in all Cases and Bodies.

Remember not to walk too fast thither, nor drink too fast, nor walk too fast home again after it, so as to heat or sweat; for thereby the Water is forc'd into the Habit of the Body, and hinders its working off thro' the Bowels; and this is one great cause of such Itchings, Pimples, and Breakings-forth, as many the last Summers com­plained off.

If the Stomach chill at them, and grow nauseous, a bit of a Stomachical Lozenge, Candid-Orange, Lemmon-Peel, Mint-Cake, or a few Carraway Comfits may be chew'd now and then, but the less the better: And if any have such weak Stomachs they cannot fast till Dinner, at twelve or one of the Clock, a Mess of warm Broth or Gruel will be exceeding proper for them at ten or eleven. Shun Salt and Fry'd Meat, Sallets, Cheese, exercise gently after Dinner; sleep not, nor drink hard, but remember Temperance in all things.

As to the time of the year to drink, 'tis usually from mid-May, till the end of Au­gust; the hotter, and drier the Season is the better. A fortnights time to drink them regularly may be the shortest, some Bodies and Distempers may require three Weeks, others a Month or more; Mr. Barber drank it six Weeks compleat in the two last Summers.

This Water, as many can testifie, has been carried six, ten, and many more Miles in Bottles, kept three or four days, drank, and work'd off very well, and so fetch'd fresh every third or fourth day for three weeks together; enquire of John Licet, [Page 4]of Hopton, who drank it older than ever I yet heard of with great Success; but purius ex ipso fonte bibuntur Aquae: 'Tis most efficatious no doubt when drank at the Well.

To conclude (Brevity having been my aim) I hope if any meet with help by the use of this Water, they will be so gratefully Ingenious to it, as to confess it to me, or some other Physician or Friend, so that the Virtues of it may be grounded on Matter of Fact and Observations: And if the poorer sort of People that come to this Spaw, where (Deo volente) I often shall be, require my Advice, I shall be ready to give it them Gratis, as I am bound in Conscience to do, and that as carefully, as to any other of our Country, to whom I am