PURGATIVE SALINE WATERS. 365 



quantities of meat and beer, upon the false notion 

 that these are required to give them the necessary 

 strength, discover, as they get older, that a good 

 purge every now and then affords the greatest relief, 

 and they not infrequently communicate to others 

 their own experience. 



The various purgative saline waters Carlsbad, 

 Freiderichshall, Pullna, etc. and purgative salts, such 

 as Seidlitz powders, salts of magnesia, soda, etc. are 

 largely taken by the classes who are not dependent 

 for their livelihood upon muscular exertion, and who 

 take far more nutriment than their system requires. 

 It seems to me quite in accordance with reason to 

 conclude that, where the excreting organs of the 

 alimentary canal habitually act imperfectly, not only 

 will great benefit result from the judicious use of cer- 

 tain purgative remedies, but that the blood may be 

 preserved in such a state as to render the changes 

 which occur in fever improbable, if not impossible. 



Upon careful inquiry of those who are the subjects 

 of feverish attacks, it will aot infrequently be found 

 that the health has been slightly deranged for some 

 time previously ; and, among the many slight or 

 trivial symptoms experienced, .there is almost always 

 evidence of imperfect and irregular action of the 

 alimentary canal, and of the many important excret- 

 ing glands connected therewith.- 



Who can suppose that the very imperfect action of 

 the large bowel so frequently experienced by those who 



