Vapours.
There is also another experiment that I have often seen of good effect; and that is, that if persons, subject to what is called vapours, or that are afflicted with fits, commonly called the fits of the mother, will but drink water when they find their fits approach, it will immediately yield relief. There is in this case a mealy julep, prescribed by Dr. Bates, which is, to take a spoonful of fine wheat-flour, an ounce of fine sugar, and a pint of water, brew them together, and drink it off: This is pleasanter than water alone; but water of itself will be as effectual, or rather better, as hath been often proved upon persons in those fits.
How to distinguish Water.
Some perhaps may desire to know how to distinguish good from bad water. And the way to do this is, by the taste and scent; for being purely fresh, not salt, nor sweetish, nor ill-scented, it is good, provided it be pure and clear: Of which kind is the common water used in London, when well settled, or in fair weather. As for those who are curious, and will be at the charge, they may procure the best water for drink by distillation, either in an alembick, or in a cold still used in drawing any cold water from herbs; for no earthly or metallic substance, nor any kind of salt will rise in distillation: So that the water so distilled will be pure, and admirable to drink when cold, and will keep as long from stinking as any of the cold distilled water in the apothecaries shops; according to what Dr. Quincy hath affirmed about it in his Dispensatory.
Those who have not the conveniency of distillation, may boil it a little as they do for tea; for then, when kept a while after it is cold, it will become more fine, by suffering any mixture contained in it to settle to the bottom of the vessel, and that will render it still more pure: In short, all water that will make a good lather with soap, is wholesome to drink without boiling, but none else.
Pains in the stomach.
Since the collecting together the fore-mentioned accounts, I have met with a book written by Dr. Boerhaave, the present professor of physic at Leyden in Holland, who affirms that drinking water, made very warm, is a good remedy to pacify griping pains in the stomach; and that it is proper to bathe wounds in the face with it, when they come to be just healed, so that the place be kept continually wet, which I conceive is best done by applying often linen cloths wet, and binding them on till they begin to be dry, for this will prevent scars: And he saith, that warm water is better to attenuate or thin the blood than cold.
Fevers.
There is published lately a book of experiments made with water, by Dr. Hancock, a divine, called Febrifugum Magnum; wherein he saith, that drinking a pint or a quart of cold water in bed will raise a copious sweat, and cure all burning fevers, which at once taking hath done the business: It will raise a sweat without much more covering than ordinary. And he further affirms, that the same taken at the beginning of the cold fit of an ague, and sweating upon it, at two or three times taking, will cure that distemper. A large quantity of hot water, I know, hath been advised to take off the cold fit of agues, but the party was not ordered to sweat. Which discovery of the reverend doctor about fevers, is confirmed by the following accounts, which I received from a worthy gentleman, Mr. Ralph Thoresby, F. R. S.[1] to whom they were transmitted by Mr. Lucas, a pious and learned gentleman of Leeds in Yorkshire, who says, that
‘One Captain Rosier fell into a violent fever, which as soon as he perceived, he said he must have some cold water. The gentlewoman, at whose house he lodged, not thinking that proper, boiled the water (unknown to him) and put some spirits therein, and sent it up cold; but he smelt it before it came to his head, and refused to drink it, saying, he knew what he did, for he had several times tried it. Afterwards, some clear water being brought, he drank it, sweat profusely, and was well the next day.