Advice to the people in general, with regard to their health

by S. A. D. Tissot

With Respect to their HEALTH.

Chapter I.

Of the most usual Causes of popular Maladies.

Sect. 1.

he most frequent Causes of Diseases commonly incident to Country People are, 1. Excessive Labour, continued for a very considerable Time. Sometimes they sink down at once in a State of Exhaustion and Faintness, from which they seldom recover: but they are oftener attacked with some inflammatory Disease; as a Quinsey, a Pleurisy, or an Inflammation of the Breast.

There are two Methods of preventing these Evils: one is, to avoid the Cause which produces them; but this is frequently impossible. Another is, when such excessive Labour has been unavoidable, to allay their Fatigue, by a free Use of some temperate refreshing Drink; especially by sweet Whey, by Butter-milk, or by [⁸] Water, to a Quart of which a Wine-glass of Vinegar may be added; or, instead of that, the expressed Juice of Grapes not fully ripe, or even of Goosberries or Cherries: which wholesome and agreeable Liquors are refreshing and cordial. I shall treat, a little lower, of inflammatory Disorders. The Inanition or Emptiness, though accompanied with Symptoms different from the former, have yet some Affinity to them with Respect to their Cause, which is a kind of general Exsiccation or Dryness. I have known some cured from this Cause by Whey, succeeded by tepid Baths, and afterwards by Cow's Milk: for in such Cases hot Medicines and high Nourishment are fatal.

§ 2. There is another Kind of Exhaustion or Emptiness, which may be termed real Emptiness, and is the Consequence of great Poverty, the Want of sufficient Nourishment, bad Food, unwholesome Drink, and excessive Labour. In Cases thus circumstanced, good Soups and a little Wine are very proper. Such happen however very seldom in this Country: I believe they are frequent in some others, especially in many Provinces of France.

§ 3. A second and very common Source of Disorders arises, from Peoples' lying down and reposing, when very hot, in a cold Place. This at once stops Perspiration, the Matter of which being thrown upon some internal Part, proves the Cause of many violent Diseases, particularly of Quinseys, Inflammations of the Breast, Pleurisies, and inflammatory Cholics. These Evils, from this Cause, may always be avoided by avoiding the Cause, which is one of those that destroy a great Number of People. However, when it has occurred, as soon as the first Symptoms of the Malady are perceiveable, which sometimes does not happen till several Days after, the Patient should immediately be bled; his Legs should be put into Water moderately hot, and he should drink plentifully of the tepid Infusion marked No. 1. Such Assistances frequently prevent the Increase of these Disorders; which, on the contrary, are greatly aggravated, if hot Medicines are given to sweat the Patient.