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Trearment of Consumptions. I Iought to be prudently reduced, in order to give ali possibie easse to the lungs, and conciliate a re- posse to them, as much as is consistent with their ossices ; it seems highly improper to give medicines Whicli, let their modus operindi be what it may, are known to possessi a power of invigorat-ing, and are generalty made use of in ali cases for that purpole. And as there are many sithia . tions in the progress of Consumptions, in whichmedicines producing sucti essests, cannot but be injurious ; it will be always necessary to regard these siluations with ali possibie attention. of the use of Bristol-water in the cure of this distemper, so much has been said and written, and sicli are the diversity of sentiments Concerning iis emcacy, that it may seem to border Uponrastinesse to hazard an opinion concerning it. Is hali suggest, however, the result of my O n Observations, and submit most Willingly to bellerita sormation.
I have seen many persons recover stom pulmonary diseases after drinking the Bristol-water, whose cure seemed to be dou biful frona any Other processi; this circumstance, added to iis generat reputation in phthisical cases, has been a
iussicient inducement to me to recommend atrial of this water in the early stages of phthisical
And here I Would wissi again to inculcate this rem arti, that it is besore the approaches to a confirmed phthisis, that patients ought to repatr
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Those who can prevati upon their patienis togo thither besore the disease has affected thel angs, beyond a possibili ty of assistance from thisor any Other remedy, haVe osten the satisfaimonos seeing their patienis return in good health;whilst those who delay the Use of these waters tothe las: extremity, too osten fati sacrifices to theirown irresolution, and leave an impression on them inds of others injurio is to the water. It may be suid, that the journey, a betier ait change of siluation, and of objedis, have contri buted to the patient's recovery : be it so; these Circumstances are ali of them conducive to healthin every chmnie dis order. Perhaps, in nouemore so than in that whicli is the subject of theseremassis. But why should it be supposed that the Bristol-water has no mare in the recovery ῖSupposing the Water to be Void of any great efficacy, is it of no consequence to phthisical patienis, to be oblige i to be out of their roomsearly in a moria in g, in the cool. Desh air ξ Arerepeated di ghts of a light tepio water, of no
ase in washing os f impurities, allaying heats by mere dilution, and supplying the waste of juices exhausted by copio is perspiration 8 Hope iis et f
But it scems to me that the water dranti Deo
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Trea mens of Consumptions. I 9at the Pump, actualty contains principies condu-CiVe to the recovery of patienis affected withphthisical complaints. What these principies are, it may be difficult to define. The water feems topossessi a stight calcareous stypticity, and perhapathe air it contains may also have an antlsepticquali ty. In this place it may be enough to say, that I think the Bristol-water an efficaciotas medicine, and that I have osten found it os signat
benefit to consumptive patients. Were the annals of the Hot Welis consul ted, it WoUld appear, . that those recoriis are against me. BUt whence does this arisse ξ Fmm tu oeauses; first, Dona the patienis them scives, Who,
in these disorders, being seldum apprehensive ofany datager, Mil not listen to a prescription whichelther thwaris their inclinations, Op seems in Con
ney, which wastes the smali rematris of strengththey have, and brings to the Welis additionalproosse of their inabili ty to remove distempers totalty in curabie. Heiace it is, that the opinion
of the faculty is so much divided, in respeet to
Change of air is of much consequence in allchronic diseases of the lungs, metimes even
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seom good to bad. Ιt is not seldom that we seeastlimatic persons breathe more freely in the dampest: confined paris of this metropolis, than
in the country; at least I have met with naanysticli instances. In consumptive Cases, howCver,
the air of ali large cities is found by experien ceto be particularly injurious. Whence this arises, is in this place tan necessary to explain; the factis indisputabie. When the physici an advises his
Patient to a Change of air, to potnt out the most proper Change becomes an important object. In the neighbourhood of most great towns in England, as weli as London, there are places which have acquired a reputation amongst thean habitanis for the peculiar healthinesse of their siluation. Ι wili supposse these sitia attons areweli chosen ; that the soli is dry; no stagnant waters in the neighbota rhood ; properly Ventilated, yet not eXposed to the keen noriti east
cold. Such, Ι belleve, frona the sew places Iknow of this kind, are those selected sor the re treat os consumptive patienis, in the vicinage of large tomias and cities. And here it may not beimproper to take a generat View of such as arerecommended for the like purposse, in the neigh- bourhood of London. The town is surrounded, almost, by a rid ge of emineiaces, in closin g, bessides the City, a lowplain to the westward, os considerabis extent;
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Trearment of Consumptions. IS I
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ther we send our patienis to the villages at theeast or West end of this metropolis, the sola in orthe north. The town itself is covered almost continuatly with an atmosphere of s Ohe, em-bodied with other exhalations, so as to form actoud .more or tesse dense, Whicli is visibie at a
great distariCe. This vast hody of smolle is seen to extend forseverat 'Diles beyond the limits of the city andiis suburbs, and is dri ven by the wincis that prex ait in the severat seasons, according to their direction. In the summer se ason, sor instance, whilst the solitherly winds prevali, this dense hody is driven to the north and noriti east pares of the enVirons, and COVers the herbage, thetrees, and every thing, both living and dead, with blacti penetrating soot. In the winter an d*ring, While the northerly Winda preVait, the opposite Villages on the s Uth-west and west si de of London receive this thi CE atmosphere ; but withthis most remari able difference, the winter windspassing through this Warmed atmosphere, lose no
rious to animal S, and even to planis; for Vegetation is much earlier in generat to the solithand solath west of London, than on the opposite
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the town in similar siluations. It seems there fore necessary to consider the season and siluation,
besore we fix the abode os consumptive patienis: to whom it is not merely sussicient to aduisse them to go into the country ; they must beassisted also to determine lapstia a proper Place, aud proper condia et whilit they are there. They
persem y satisfied, how litile ought to be lest tothe discretion of the sicli, in most diseases, tot te consumptive es pecially, in respeet to their
condui'. I have known divers instances of per sons who have gone into the COUntry, in Conse
quence of rheir physicians advice in such cases, and have had so litile discretion, as to fleep withthe windows of their chambers purposely lestopen, for the benefit of the air, in the most inta clement pari us the spring. The consequenco was, that in a se nighis the malady was in creassed beyond the power of art to relieve it. A physician, theres ore, must descend to the mi nutest particulars in his directions.
Is an attention to circumstances like these is necessary, to enable Us to determine Upon thechoice of a proper residen e in OUr own neigh
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not be improper to suggest sonae hinis, relativeto the different paris Of OUT OWn COUntry. Bristia villi natural ly claim our attention, in the fit st instance, When Change of air is recommended, as in the net glibo hood of that place
lar Water is to be met Withi Dems ad vis able. To meet the advan Cing spving, to return Domthe approaching Winter, and by these means toavoid the severi ty of cold, so injurious to tenderbreasts, is the evident rule os conduct in such cases. Is it requires sonae consideration, a knowledge of places in delati in this COUntry, onay, even in the enVirons of London, to stetermine With propriety on the choice of places for theretreat os invalids; What must be our dissiciat ty, when
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When called upon to fix the route and resideiaceos a consumptive patient, Who ieelis an asylumon the continent l
t And here I cannot but lament the want os an institution, Whicli, at no great nationat expenCC, might be attended with vast national a luantages. Was a physician, or so me medicat person, to beplaced in the suile of every Britisti ambasi ador, enUoy, or resident, We should soon be insormed, and with sonae degree of certainty, of the properplaces to which we might send our patients withthe greatest prospect of successi. Nei ther the partiat opinion of the patients who have residedat different places, nor the transient visits of themost observing travellers, nor bun the observa
tions of ingeniolis sensibie physicians them-selves, without a longer residen ce in the placethan falis to the tot of most of them, Can enablexis to judge With accuracy of their comparative
The solith os France, Italy, Portu gal, Ι mention them in the order they are usu atly propos edto us) are the places Os generat resori. Whereuer the winter is saortest, the least se vere, and the least Change able, every thing et sebeing alike, that is the most adviseable. To whichmay be added likewise, the place of the mosteasy access. Thus, sor instance, Poritigal, bysome, Would be strongly objested io, on account of the sea-voyage ; Whilst others, perhaps, Would chuse it for the salie of this easy conveyance.
But is there be just reason to give one place in the
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the neighbourhood of London, and withio theeompassi os a very seW miles, the preferen ce tomother, the dissiculty of giving advice in this
case, With the precision we could wim, is too apparent ; and it must remain se, tili further ob servations enable us to form a be iter judgmenton this subject.
of ali the places we are acquainted With, perhaps the istand of Made ira e oys the moste luat temperature; but the Voyage, and other circumstances attending it, afford very formida-ble objections. Nice has of late been the generat retreat of the Englissi consumptive patients. Some places in the neigh bourhood of Marseilles are also welli polien os . The neighbourhood of Napies in Italy is also much commended; and in Portu gal, the vicinage of Lisbon, and Cintra, a plea-sant spol, not far froi m. that capital. In allthese places regard inould be had to situ atton;
To those Who object to the continent, a- tria of the ' vesteria colanties of England may be pro-
perly recommended: mouid it not prove salutary, the passage by sea to Limon frona then ceis, sor the molt pari, both safe and mori. Evensea siclinest is osten beneficiat to the consumptive, as weli as the sea-air. Impatred digestion, an i, not seldom, a redundancy of bile, attend