The medicinal virtues of tar water fully explained ... To which is added the receipt for making it, and instructions to know by the colour and taste of the water when the tar is good, and of the right sort. Together with a plain explanation of the Bishop's physical terms / [George Berkeley].

  • Berkeley, George, 1685-1753.
Date:
1744
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The medicinal virtues of tar water fully explained ... To which is added the receipt for making it, and instructions to know by the colour and taste of the water when the tar is good, and of the right sort. Together with a plain explanation of the Bishop's physical terms / [George Berkeley]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ( *7 ) had twenty-five Fevers in his own Family cured by this medicinal Water, drunk copioufly. The fame Method was pra&ifed on feveral of his poor Neighbours with equal Succefs. It fuddenly calm’d she feverifh Anxieties, and Teemed every Glals to refrefh, and infufe Life and Spirit into the Patient. At firfb Tome of thofe Patients had been vomited 5 but afterwards he found that without vomiting, bleeding, bliftering, or any other Evacuation or Medicine whatever, very bad Fevers could be cured by the foie drinking of Tar-water Milk warm, and in good Quantity, perhaps a large glals every Hour taken in Bed. And it was re¬ markable, that fuch as were cured by this com¬ fortable Cordial, recovered Health and Spirits at once, v/hile thofe who had been cured by Evacu¬ ations often ianguilhed long, even after the Fever had left them, before they could recover of their Medicines and regain their Strength. In Peripneumonies and Pleurifies he has obfer- ved Tar-water to be excellent, having known Tome pleuritic Per Tons cured without bleeding, by a Blifter early apply’d to the Stitch, and the copi¬ ous drinking of Tar-water, four or five Quarts, or even more in four and twenty Hours. And he recommends it to farther Trial, whether in all Cafes of a Pleurify, one moderate Bleeding, a Blifter on the Spot, and Plenty of tepid Tar-water may not fuffice, without thofe repeated and im¬ moderate Bleedings, the bad Effects of which are perhaps never got over. He thinks that a pleu¬ ritic Patient betaking himfelf to Bed betimes, and drinking very copioufly of Tar-water, may be cured by that alone without Bleeding, Bliftering, or any other Medicine whatever: His Lordfhip has found this fucceed at a Glafs every half Hour. D