The medical properties of the St. Catharines mineral waters.

Date:
1863
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The medical properties of the St. Catharines mineral waters. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    [3] THERAPEUTIC ACTION OF MINERAL WATERS. The greater number of mineral waters produce an excitement which arouses the vitality of the tissues, by communicating- to the constitution strength sufficient to effect certain necessary transformations. After the judicious use of mineral waters for a few days, what may be desig- nated a thermal fever is set up, marked by sleeplessness or drowsiness, depression of spirits, prostration of strength, loss of appetite, great in- crease of pre-existing pains, the re-appearance of former distressing- symptoms. This condition of the system, managed with prudence and tact, will be gradually dissipated, carrying frequently with it the original disease. After a morbid condition, which has worn out the body and left a sort of languor in the organism, mineral waters will be found most useful. Mr. Constantine James says:—The action of certain mineral waters has been compared, with some reason, to that of nitrate of silver. You touch, for instance, the engorged conjunctiva with the stick: the eye becomes red, weeps, its sensibility increases, then it heals. In the same way with the mineral water; it acts by determining a sub- stitutive re-action. But if, in place of a simple engorgement of the mucous membrane, you have a disorganization of the eye, the cauteri- zation can only hasten the progress of the disease. When a lesion, therefore, is too profound, we may often substitute, by the imprudent use of mineral waters, for a chronic incurable disease, an active state, also iucurable, but advancing rapidly to a fatal issue. In order to de- rive benefit from mineral waters—first, the patient must not be too weak for re-action after the crisis; secondly, the patient must not be affected with disease of the heart, or large blood-vessels; and lastly, the patient must not be threatened with congestion of the brain, or subject to violent hemorrhages. Muriated saline waters are adapted to the treatment of affections of the mucous membrane, chronic indigestion, rheumatism, gout, and rheumatic or gouty neuralgia, tumors, or chronic engorgements of the viscera, and various chronic inflammations of the uterine system. SPECIAL APPLICATIONS. Saline medicines generally promote the transpositions termed endos- mosis and exosmosis; in this way the St. Catharines waters are condu- cive to the various compositions and decompositions constantly proceed- ino-durino- life; readily absorbed, they are conveyed by the circulation into every organ and tissue, and by facilitating the excretions, they re- move congestions of various internal organs, and exercise a salutary influence in a great variety of disorders. This influence is exerted in a manner intermediate between that of diet and medicine, no artificial combinations of similar ingredients being so congenial to the stomach, so prompt and energetic, but yet so unirritating in their action. Their taste is intensely saline, and to many persons disagreeable; but all unpleasantness rapidly leaves the palate, there being no apres-gout. The bath, we naturally expect, should act principally by cutaneous ab-