A treatise on the use and abuse of mineral waters : Also rules necessary to be observed by invalids who visit the chalybeate springs of the Old and New Tunbridge Wells. Together with remarks on the immoderate use of sea water / By Hugh Smith.

  • Smith, Hugh, 1736?-1789.
Date:
[1776?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A treatise on the use and abuse of mineral waters : Also rules necessary to be observed by invalids who visit the chalybeate springs of the Old and New Tunbridge Wells. Together with remarks on the immoderate use of sea water / By Hugh Smith. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    [ ] Thefe Aphorifms being clearly comprehended, my Reader will be able to accompany me in the following Narrative without any Difficulty, and, I hope, with Pleafure, Let us firft take a curfory View of Nutrition,,’ Animal Life is fupported by the Food we daily receive. When the Aliments have paffed thro5 a State of Digeflion, the groffeft Parts, unfit for Nutrition, are carried off by Stool; the next impure Parts go off by Urine; and the Re¬ mainder, which may be fairly eftimated at one half of our daily Nouriffiment, ought to be carried off by infenfible Perfpiration; that is, by the Pores of the Skin, by the Breath, and the various glandular Secretions. So long as thefe Fundtions are properly performed, Man continues in Health; but when a Redundancy of crude and imperfect Particles are retained in the Blood and Juices, which Nature intended to be thrown off by infenfible Perfpiration, the Body becomes difeafed. The bold and forcible Efforts of the Confutation to throw off this in¬ tolerable Load produce acute Complaints. The . feeble Efforts of a too delicate, nervous, and re¬ laxed Conftitution, produce chronic Complaints. Thefe may be properly ftiled the immediate Caufes; but as chronic Complaints differ front each otlfer, fo alfo their fir ft or remote Caufes are different: Neverthelefs, it is this Load of crude and imperfedt Plumoiirs which produce the general Errors in all Conflitutions, and the