And, in the Small Pox, water hath also been proved to be an excellent drink. Salmon, in his Synopsis Medicinæ, saith, that in this distemper you may safely give the sick fair water, of which, says he, they may drink liberally to quench thirst; the want of which plenty of drink, hath been the death of many a patient. Which opinion of his was right, as by experience I have found in two of my own children, when sick of this distemper; to whom, after I had given a gentle vomit of emetic tartar, I gave no other drink but water, and they both recovered safely, and were not in the least light-headed, as two others before were in the same distemper, when treated otherwise. And I remember that one Dr. Betts, being consulted in a case where the eruption did not come out kindly, ordered two quarts of cold water to be drank as soon as could be, upon which they came out according to expectation, and the party did well.
Burning fevers.
It is also certain, that, in what we call burning fevers, water is found to be a safe and effectual remedy. It is said by Dr. Primrose, in his Popular Errors, that many great physicians have commended the drinking cold water in diseases, and they attribute to it the chief place in fevers, where the sick must drink largely; for thus taken it will quench all heat, p. 374. And Galen is said, by an English author, to reprove Crasistratus for denying cold water in burning fevers; and says, that this is a remedy for any fever, provided it be drank in great abundance. With which opinion I find Dr. Oliver to agree, who, in his Essay on Fevers, says, that in fevers we must drink oftner than thirst calls for it, and such draughts as are plentiful; and the drink he prescribes is either cold water or barley-water. Dr. Wainwright affirms also, that water is proper in fevers, and that the ancients gave as much of it as the patient could drink. And by another it is said, that if you give the patient nothing but water for three days, that in the third day the fever will be cured generally; but, if it is not, give for food a little barley-broth, and the fever will not exceed the seventh day. And by another we are informed, how one in a fever, that was past hope, being forbidden to drink water, which he greatly desired, did find means, in the absence of his nurse, to get a large potfull, which he drank off, and lay down again, being well cooled; after which he fell into a sweat, and so was cured. Dr. Cook of Warwick, in his book of Observations on English bodies, prescribes for the cure of fevers, first a vomit, and afterwards as much cold water as the patient can drink; and he saith, that, if he sweat upon it, the sweat must be continued as long as can be. And it is said by another, that it is an excellent remedy in fevers to drink a quart of hot water, and sweat upon it, being covered warm. Dr. Quinton, in his book of Observations, writes, that to one in a malignant fever, whose pulse was so low it could scarcely be felt, there were three quarts of water given, at several draughts, to make him vomit; but it did not operate that way, yet the event was this: It refreshed him much, raised his pulse, brought him into a breathing sweat, and passed off by urine; which lowness of the pulse I have often found to be raised in other cases, by drinking water plentifully. And I know a woman, who, tho’ she in a fever had the advice of two doctors, yet became distracted; I bid the nurse give her a pint of cold water, which she drank up, and in three or four minutes came to her right senses; and desiring to drink more, she recovered. And I have observed, that when in fevers the patient can relish no other drink, yet water is always drank with pleasure, as it also will always be after the eating of sweet things, that spoil the relish of other drinks; which is one excellence peculiar to water, and shews it to be most agreeable to the nature of mankind, tho’ now so much slighted. And, besides this, it is a drink that will not turn sour in the stomach, as all fermented drinks will do, to the increase of distempers already begun there, by acidity or sourness.
Gout.
And as for the gout, which Dr. Harris saith, in his Anti Empiric, is gotten either by high feeding or drinking much wine, or other strong drink; it may be cured, as that author affirms, by a very spare diet, and drinking water: According to what is said also by Sir Theodore Mayhern, who, in his Medicinal Counsels, adviseth to leave off all strong drinks in this disease, and drink only water. And Van Heyden saith also, in his Treatise of help for the rich and poor, that there is not any greater remedy for the gout than drinking water, not only by young, but old men; many of whom, he saith, have drank cold water for many weeks, which hath succeeded so well, though they were far gone in years, that they found great ease thereby, without that offence to the stomach, or hindrance of digestion, which some did not seem to fear. And he also commends the large drinking of water in the sciatica or hip-gout, he having often cured that distemper, by this means, in less time than could reasonably be expected. And the same I have found to be effectual in a pain in the shoulder, which had continued very bad for three months: For, being taken with a fever, I drank in one day about four quarts of water; which tho’ it did not make me sweat, because I lay not in my bed, yet it cured me so that I slept well that night; and, in the morning when I rose, the pain in my shoulder was not felt, neither did it ever return. And the same success I have had in the pains of other parts; whereby, I judge, that, in all pains whatever, the drinking of water is proper, as well as in the gout: And accordingly I find cold water advised to be drank largely for the cure of the head-ach from hard drinking; that pain proceeding from the same cause the gout does, namely, from heat, as all pains do, that are not from bruises.
Inflammatory distempers & wind.
It is said also by Dr. Wainwright, that in the itch, scurvy, leprosy, and all hot inflammatory distempers, such as pleurisies, rheumatisms, and St. Anthony’s fire, water is a proper remedy; but he adviseth to drink it hot in some cases, as doubtless it ought to be done in pleurisies. He also saith, that water is proper in head-achs, catarrhs, vapours, falling-sickness, dulness of sight, melancholy, shortness of breath, scurvy in the mouth, and windiness in the stomach: And for this wind in the stomach, I, by long experience, have found it the best remedy, who in the former part of my life, through a disorderly diet, and drinking strong drink like others, was never free from windy belchings, and sometimes very sickish qualms after meals; from which at length I was delivered, by drinking only water at meals; so that for above forty years I have been seldom troubled: And, if I find myself troubled, a pint or more of cold water, in less than half an hour will set me free, by drinking of it.
Hard drinking.
And that water is the best remedy for the mischiefs that come by hard drinking, experience teacheth; there being nothing that so effectually frees from these nauseating and reaching qualms the next morning, as the drinking a pint or more of fair water; which effectually allays the inflammation of the bowels, occasioned by strong or hot drink, which spoils the strength of the stomach, and of all other parts; nothing being a greater enemy to the vigour of the nerves and sinews, since by much drinking, men make themselves unable to stand or go; which effect would never follow, if liquors that abound with spirits were strengthening; nor would the fibres of the stomach be so weakened after drinking strong drinks, as to make men sick; which sickness will soonest be recovered by the drinking cold water, this being also the best remedy, if taken largely, for that heat of urine often occasioned by hard drinking.
Colds and bad digestion.