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contact with the skin. And this salubrious method of washing I 

 would recommend to all ranks of the people, from an infant to the 

 exit of the gray-headed, making allowance for the few infirmities 

 which cold bathing is against, in the greatest heats of summer." 

 He quotes various authorities in favour of the use of soft water, 

 amongst others. Dr. Rotherham, who says — "the water in some of 

 our lakes in this island is, I apprehend, as- pure and good as we 

 shall find elsewhere. I pretend not indeed to have analysed many 

 of them, nor even to have tried their specific gravit)', but I 

 remember well to have drunk of the waters of Winander-mere, 

 Ulls-water, and others of our large lakes of Westmorland and 

 Cumberland, and have found them very soft and good." Mr. 

 Crosthwaite continues, "There are many lakes in Cumberland 

 which the Doctor hath not named, particularly three, which are 

 situated about three miles from each other, extending in a right 

 line from south-west to north-west, and are known by the names of 

 Wythburn-water, Derwentwater, and Bassenthwaite-water. Wyth- 

 burn-water is the least, and in compass nearly one square mile ; 

 Derwent is situate in that delightful and much admired valley in 

 which Keswick stands. They all receive and emit running waters, 

 and that perhaps on the average, at the rate of their whole contents 

 in the space of a month in the summer season." These opinions 

 were published one hundred and two years ago, and seem to 

 indicate that the writer looked forward to the adoption of soft 

 water for domestic purposes. When he settled in Keswick he had 

 a well sunk at High Hill, and a pump placed there. It stood at 

 the corner of Crosthwaite Sunday School. The water was filtered 

 through a gravel bed from the river, and was remarkably soft and 

 pure. Many persons derived benefit from the use of it, and the 

 last entry in his journal, mentions that he had sent to Mr. 

 Pocklington an account of its valuable properties. Southey, in a 

 letter to Mr. Grosvenor Bedford, thus playfully alludes to this 

 pump : he says, " I have discovered most poignant and good 

 galvanism in drinking water out of an iron cup — how far this may 

 improve fermented liquors remains to be experimented ; the next 

 time you see a pump with an iron ladle thereunto appended, stop, 



