66 



hypocondriacal and melancholy feelings evince the 

 abdominal nature of their case, and the necessity of 

 drinking desobstruent waters. Though English visi- 

 tors have not been hitherto so numerous as patients 

 from all other parts of the world , that slavery to 

 purgative medecines, that fondness for mercurial pre- 

 parations (calomel or blue pills') , that apprehension 

 of danger, if four and twenty hours pass without 

 having their bowels cleaned, have been particularly 

 observed among them. Many physicians of eminence, 

 such as Dr. James Clarke, of London, and Dr. John 

 Abercrombie , of Edinburgh , have of late strongly 

 blamed that national predilection. I shall not repeat 

 here their arguments , founded upon extensive expe- 

 rience 5 but I have attended many English invalids, 

 who, after a regular course of our waters, felt no 

 more the want of mercurial or other drastic and irri- 

 tating purgatives, as well as I have seen immoderate 

 eaters, great drinkers, and lovers of refined cookery, 

 contract here salutary habits of frugality and tem- 

 perance. 



BILIARY AND URINARY CALCULI. 



The renown of Carlsbad for the expulsion of cal- 

 culi seems to be old standing, and , according to the 

 Journal kept in 1571 by George Handsch of Limusa, 



