The works of George Berkeley, D.D. late Bishop of Cloyne in Ireland. To which is added, an account of his life [by J. Stock] and several of his letters to Thomas Prior, Esq., Dean Gervais, and Mr. Pope, etc

발행: 1784년

분량: 705페이지

출처: archive.org

분류: 미분류

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Siris.

ap a d angerous remedy in ali cases Where an inflammation is apprehended. And as inflammations a re osten occasioned by obstructions, it mould stem an acid soap was much the laser deobstruent.

detergent qualities, have yet been observed by their warnith to disposeto inflammatory tum ours. But the acid spirit ' being in Q great proportion in tar water renderS it a cooler and fas er medicine. Anit thectheriat Oil os turpentine though an admirable dryer, heater, and anodyne, When out ardly applied to wounds and ulcers, and not less u fui inclean sing the urinary pas ages and healing their Ulcerations, yet is knownto be of a nature so very relaxing as semetimes to do much misthies whentaken in vard ly. Tar water is not attended with the sanae ill essects Whicli I belle ve are owing in a great mea re to the etheriat Oils being de- prived of the acid spirit in distillation, whicli vellica ting and contractingas a stimulus might have proved a counterpol se to the excessive lubricat- log and relaxing qualities of the oll.

juice, as that whicli is deposited in the celis or loculi terebinthiaci, and spontaneoussy ooges Dom them. And indecd though the balsam os Perii obtained by boiling wood and scum ming the decoction, be a very valva-ble medicine and of great account in divers cases, particularly asthmas, nephritic pains, nervo us colics and obstructions, yet I do veri ly th in li and I do not say this without experience) that tar water is a more essi cactous remedy in ali those cases than even that costly drug.

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equat success. It contains the virtves even of gua iacum which seems themosi essi cactous os ali the woods, warming, and Meeten ing the humours, diaphoretic and useful in gouis, dropses and rheums, a s weli as in theso ut disca se. Nor mouid it Ieem strange, is the virtu es obta ined by boil-ing an old dry Wood prove inferior to those extracted stom a balsam. 6 . There is a sine volatile spirit in the waters of Geronster, the mos este emed of ali the solanta ins abo ut Spa, but whose waters do not beat transporting. The stomachic, cardiac and diu retic qualities of this fountain semewhat resemble those of tar water, whicli, is I am not greatly misi alien, contains the virtu es of the best chalybeat and sulphureous waters ; with this disserenoe, that those waters a re apt to affect the head intal in g, whicli tar ater is not. Besides, there is a regimen os di et to beobserved, especialty willi chalybeat waters, whicli I ne ver und nece iasary with this. Tar water layeth under no restra in t either as to diei, hours, or employment. A man may study or exercise or repose, keep hisown hours, past his time cither With in or Without, and take wholeso me nou ristiment of any Lind.6s. The use of minerat Maters, however excellent for the nerves and stomach, is osten suspended by colds and inflammatory di sorders; in whicli they a re achnowledged to be very dan gerous : Whereas tar Galeri A so far Dom hurting in those cases, or being discontinued on that account, that it greatly contributes to their cure '. 66. Cordi ais, vulgarly se called, act immediately on the stomach, and hy consent of nerves on the hea d. But medicines of an operation too fine and light to produce a sensibie effect in the primae Viae, may, never-theless, in their passage through the capillari es, operate on the sit des of

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tho se sinali vesteis, in such manner as to qui chen their oscillations, and Consequently the motion of their contenis, producing in issue and effeci, ali the benefits of a cordial much more lasting and salutary than tho se of distilled spiriis, which by their caustic and coagulat ing qualities do incomparably more mischi ef than good. Such a cardaic medicine is tarwater. The transient fits of mirili, produced froni fermented liquors, and distilled spiriis, a re attended with proportionable depressioris of spiritin their intervals. But the calm chear inesse arising fro in this water of

health as it may be justly called) is permanent. In whicli it emulates

the viriues of that famous plant Gen Seng, so much valued in China asthe only cordial that raises the spirits without depressing them. Tar vater is so far frona hurting the nerves as common cordials do, that it is highly useful in cramps, spatas of the viscera, and paralytic numbness. 67. Emetios a re on certa in occasions administred with great succe sis. But the oversi raining and wealiening of nature may be Very justly apprehended stom a course of emeties. They a re ne verthel est prescribed and substitu ted for exercise. But it is weli remarhed in Plato's Timeus that vomits and purges are the worst exercise in the worid. Thero is semething in the mi id operation os tar water, that seems more friendly to thece conomy, and sorwards the digestions and secretions in a way more natural and benign, the mi idnest of this medicine being fuch that I have linown child ren ta ke it, sor above si x monilis together, with great bene- fit, and without any inconvenience and after long and repeated experience I do est lem it a most excellent di et-drinla fit ted to ait sea fons and

68. It is I thinii allowed that the origia of the gout lies in a saut tydigestion. And it is remari ed by the ablest physicians, that the gout isso difficult to cure, hecause heating medicines aggravate iis immediate, and cooling iis remote cause. But tar water, although it contains active

S f s et principies

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principies that strengthen the digestion beyond any thing I know, and

consequently must he highly useful, et ther to preveni or tessen the sol lowing sit, or by in vigorat ing the blood lo cast ii Upon the extremities, yetit is not of hea ting a nature as to do harm even in the fit. Nothing is more dissiculi or dissigreeable than to argue men out of their Prejudices, I shali not there re enter into controversi es on this subject, but is mendis pute and object, mali leave the decision to time and triat. 69. In the modern practice, soap, optum, and mercury bid Di rest soria niversat medicines. The first of these is highly spolien of But thenthose who magnify it most, excepi against the use of it in such cases where the obstruction is attended with a putrefactive alliati, or where an inflammat ory disposition appe ars. It is achnowledged to be very dangerous in a pthisis, sever, and so me other cases in Ghicli tar Water is not

o. Opium though a medicine of great extent and essica cy, yet is frequently known to produce grievous di sorders in hysterical or hypochondriacat persons, Who malle a great pari, perhaps the great est, Athose who lead sedentary lives in these istanda. Besides, upon ali constitutions dan gerous errors may be committed in the use of opium. 1. Mercury hath of late years become a medicine os very generaluse. The extreme minute ness, mobili ty, and momentum os iis paris, rendering it a most powerfui cleanser os ali obstructions, even in the most minute capillaries. But then we mould be cautio us in the use of it, is

me consider, that the very thing which gives it power of doing good above other deobstruenis, doth also dispose it to do mischi es. I mean iis great momentum, the weight of it heing abo ut ten times that of blood, and the momentum being the joint product of the weight and veloci ty, it must nceds operate With great force ; and may it not be justly Dareo, that

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SCIthat so great a force enter ing the minutest vesseis, and breal ing the obstructed matter, might also breali or wound the fine tender coats of thos Gali vesseis, and so bring on the unti mely effects of old age, produc ingmore, Perhaps, and worse obstructions than those it removed i Similarconsequences may justly be apprehended stom other minerat and ponderous medicines. There re ut on the whole, there Will not perhaps befound any medicine more generat in iis use, or more salutary in iis effecta

a. To suppose that ali distem pers arising nom very di Terent, and it

may be nom contrary causes, can be cured by one and the fame medicine must stem chimerical. But it may with truth be assirmed, that the virtve of tar water extendS to a surpri Zing varie ty of cases very distantand unlike '. This I have experienced in my neigh bours, my fami ly, and mystis A ad as I live in a remote Corner among po Or ne ighbo Urs, who sor want of a regular physici an have osten recourse to me, I have had frequent opportunities of triai, whicli convince me it is of so just a temperament as to bo an enemy to ali extremes. I have known it dogreat good in a cold watery constitutiora, as a cardiac and stomachic : andat the fame time allay heat and severim thirst in another. I have knownit correct costive habiis in some, and th et contrary habit in others. Norwill this stem incredibie is it be consita ed that naiddie qualities naturallyreduce the extreme. Warm Water, for instance, mixed With hol and cold will lessen the heat in that, and the cold in this. 3. They who know the great virtu es of common soa p, whose coarse Iixivial salts are the product of culinary fire, will not thin k it incredibie, that virtu es of mighty sorce and extent mould he found in a fine acidsoap ', the salis and oit whereos, are a most elaborate product of natureand the solar light.

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7 . It is certain tar Water Warnas, and theresere seme may perhapssill think it cannot cool. The more effectualty to remove this prejudice, Iet it be farther conssidered, that as on the One hand, opposite causes doso me times produce the same effeci, sor instance, heat by rarefaction and cold by condensation do both increa se the air's elastici ty: so on the other hanit, the fame cause mali some times produce opposite estedis: heat sorinstance thins, and again heat coagulates the bl ood. It is not there ronrange, that tar water mould warm orae habit and cool another, have orae good efleet on a coid constitution, and another good e Tect on an in- flamed one; nor, is this be Q, that it should cure opposite di sorders. Alt whicli justiti esto reason, what I have osten found triae in fact. The salis, the spiriis, the heat of tar water a re os a temperature congenialto the constitution os a man whicli receives Dom it a Lindly warmth, hut no inflaming heat. It was remarkable that two child reri in my neigh-hou rhood, being in a Cour se of tar Water, Upon an intermission of it, ne ver Diled to have their is es infla med by an humo ur much more holand marp than at ollier times. But iis great use in the smali pox, pleu risi es, and sevcrs, is a sufficient proof that tar water is not of an inflam-

ing nature.

s. I have dri eli the longer on this head, hecause me gentiemen of1he faculty have thought sit to declare that tar water must infla me, and that they would ne ver visit any patient in a se ver, Who h ad been adrinker of it. But I will venture to affirm, that it is so far frona increa sing a severisii inflammation, that it is on the contrary a most ready means to allay and extinguish it. It is os admirabie u se in se vers, heingat the fame time the furest sesest and most esse cluat both paregoric and cordial; for the truth of whicli, I appeal to any person's experience, who mali talae a large draught of it milh warm in the paroxysm os ast ver, even When plain water or herb teas mali be found to have litile orno effeci. To me it scenas that iis singular and surpri ging use in se vers of

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ali hinds, were there nothing et se, Would be alone lassicient to recommend it to the public. 6. The best physicians mahe the idea os a se ver to consist in a too,

great veloci ty of the heari's motion, and too great ressistance at the capillaries. Tar water, as it sostens and gently stimulates those nice vesseis, helps to propel their contenis, and so contributes to remove the lalter

part of the di sorder. An d for the former, the irritating acrimony whichaccelerates the motion of the heari is diluted by watery, corrected by acid, and s tened by balsamic remedies, ait whicli intentions are ans ered by this aqueous acid balsamic medicine. Besides, the viscid juices coagula ted by the febrile heat a re resolved by tar water as a soa P, and not too far resolved, as it is a gentie acid soap; to which we may add, that the peccant humours and salts are carried oss by iis diaphoretic ana diu retic qualities. . I seund ait this confirmed by my own experierace in the late sicli ly season of the year one thousand se ven hundred and sorty one, having. had twenty-sive se vers in my own fami ly cured by this medicinat water,drianti copiousty. The fame method was practi sed on severat of my poorneighbours with equat success. It suddenly calmed the severisii anxietios, and see med e very glast to res res , and infuse lise and spirit in to the patient. At first me of those patients h ad been vomited, but asterwards ΙΩund that without vomit in g, bleed ing, blistering, or any other evacua tion or medicine Whate ver, very bad se vers could be cured by the soledrin king of tar Water milh warm, and in good quantity, perhaps a large glasi every hour or ostener talien in hed. Arad it was rema rhabie, that suci, as were cured by this comfortabie cordial, reco vered health and spiriis at once, While those Who h ad been cured by evacuations osten lan- qui med long, even after the se ver had test them, he re they could reco- ver of their medicines and rega in their il rength.

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Siris.

8. In peripneumontes and pleurisi es I have observed tar water to beexcellent, having known se me pleuritic persens cured without bieed ing, by a blister early applied to the stitch, and the copious drinhing of tar

I do recommend it to farther triai, whether in ali cases of a pleurisy, onem oderate bieeding, a blister on the spol and plenty of tepid tar water may not suffice, without those repea ted and immoderate bieed ings, thebad effects of whicli are perhaps ne ver got over. I do even suspect thata pleuritic patient betali ing himself to bed betimes, and drini ing very copio usty of tar water, may be cured by that alone Without bile ling blis tering, or any other medicine What ever, certainly I have sound this sue ceed at a glasse e very half hour. q. I have linown a bloody flux of long continuance, aster divers medicines h ad been trita in vain, cured by tar Water. But that whJch Ιtake to be the most speedy and essectual remedy in a bloody flux, is aclyster of an ounce of common brown resin dissolved over a fire in truo ounces of Oil, and ad ted to a pint of broth, whicli not long since I had frequent occasion of trying when that distem per reas epide micat. Norcan I say that any to whom I ad vised it miscarri ed. This experiment Ιwas led to mal e by the opinion I had of tar as a balsamic: and resin ison ly tar in spissa ted. 8o. Nothing that I know corroborates the stomach so much as tar water '. Whence it sollows, that it must be of singular use to persens afflicted with the goui. And Dotn what I have observed in five or si x instances, I do verily belle ve it the best and salast medicine ei ther to pre-vent the go ut, or 1b to strengthen nature afainst the fit, as to drive itfrom the vitais. Dr. Sydentiam in his treati se of the go ut, declares, that Whoe ver finds a medicine the mosi essicaci ous sor strengthening digestion,

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Siris.

wili do more service in the cure of that and other chronical distem pers,than he can even serm a notion of And I leave it to triai, whether tarwater he not that medicine, as I myself am persuaded it is, by ali theexperiments I could malle. But in ali trials I would recommend discretion; sor instance, a man with the gout in his stomach ought not todrinii cold tar water. This est y leaves room for future experiment in every part of it, not pretending to be a complete treati Q. 81. It is evident to sense, that blood, urine, and other animal juices, heing let to stand, soon contradi a great acrimony. Juices, there re frona a bad digestion, reta ined and stagnating in the body, grow marp and putrid. Herace a sermenting heat, the immediate cause of the goui. The curing this by cooling medicines, as they would increase the antecedent cause, must he a va in attempl. On the other hand, spices and spirituous liquors, while they contribute to remove the antecedent cause,

or bad digestion, would by inflaming the blood increase the proximateor immediate cause of the gout, to Wit, the fermenting heat. The scopotheresere must be, to find a medicine that strali corroborate, but not in fame. Bitter herbs are recommended ; but they a re weali in compari son of tar Water. 82. The great force of tar Water, to correct the acrimony of the blood, appe ars in nothing more than in the cure of a gangrene, fio m an internat cause; which was persormed On a servant of my own, by prescrib-ing the copious and constant use of tar water sor a sew weelis. Frommy representing tar Water a s good sor so many things, fome perhaps may conclude it is good for nothing. But chari ty obligeth me to say, whati linois, and what I thinli, how e ver it may be tahen. Men may censure and object as they plea se, but I appeal to time and experiment. Essedis misimputed, cases wrong told, circumstances OVerlooked, perhapstoo . preiudices and partialities against truth, may sor a time prevali and

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Siris.

nom, whicli infecis the blood in the smali pox, and that the prospect osso great a public benefit should stir up men to starch for it. lis Wonder- fui succese in preventing and mitigat ing that distem per ', would inclineone to suspect that tar water is such a specific, e specialty since I have und it os fovere igia use a s weli during the finali pox as besere it. Somei hin k an erysipelas and the plague differ only in degree. Is se, tar waters hould be use fui in the plague, for I have linown it cure an erysipelas.

8 . Tar Water, as clean sing, healing, and balsamic, is good in ali di L. Orders of the urinary passages, whether obstructed or ulcerated. Dr. Lister supposeth, in deed, that turpentines adt by a caustic quali ty, whichirritates the coats of the urinary ducis to expel sand or graveL But it mouid stem this expelling diu retic virtve, consisted rather in the saltsthan the resin, and consequently resides in the tar Water, gently stimulat ing by iis salts, without the dan gerou S force of a caustic. The vio lent operation os i pecacuantia lies in iis resin, but the saline extra et is agentie purge and diu retic, by the stimulus of iis salis. 83. That whicli acts as a mild cordial ', net ther hurting the capillaryvesseis as a caustic, nor assecting the nerves, nor coagulat ing the juices, must in ali cases be a frien d to nature, and assist the vis vitae in iis strug- e against ali hinds of contagion. And Do m What I have observed tarwater appe ars to me an usesul preservative in ali epide mical disorders, and against ali other infection whais ever, as weli as that os the smali ps x. What essedis the animi pathemata have in humari maladies, is

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