THE SQUIRE TRIES THE WATER-CURE. 109 



own person, barring his three or four glasses of good sherry, 

 which he never abandoned, but he sedulously recommended 

 the water-cure to every sufferer within his reach. The 

 writer was one of those whom he urged to submit to the 

 discipline, and he has never seen cause to repent of it. 

 Many instances occurred, where persons in the lower class 

 of life were without adequate means to leave their homes 

 or business in order to carry out the treatment ; these Mr. 

 Smith generously furnished with the necessary funds for 

 that purpose. He was so convinced of the merits of 

 hydropathy, that he introduced it into his stables, and used 

 to have his horses sheathed in wet bandages after a severe 

 run, or when any symptoms of swelling or disease showed 

 themselves. His own habit was, after hunting, to undress 

 and go to bed for an hour, or until dressing time, and then 

 go into his bath, b}^ which process he was thoroughly invi- 

 gorated and refreshed. One day, during the height of his 

 zeal for hydropathy, he was returning with a friend across 

 the downs from hunting, after a fine run and a " whoop," 

 when he fell in with a shepherd who was ministering some 

 nostrum to a sick ewe. " What is the matter with that 

 sheep ? " inquired the squire. " Giddy, Sir," was the reply. 

 " If you would just try the effect of cold water on her, she 

 would soon recover." " Cold water," sneered the rustic (as 

 Mr. Smith rode off), " why what on earth else has she been 

 drinking ever since she were waned ? " (weaned). But, 

 although an ardent disciple of hydropathy — and we have 

 seen that in that very year, 1843, he christened a sailing 

 yacht by the name of " The Water-cure " — he used to 

 relate with great zest an anecdote respecting the treatment, 

 which, as it was concerning a fox-hunter, may not here be 

 inappropriate. 



The story goes that a lover of the chase who was some- 

 what addicted to the pleasures of the table, and loved more 

 glasses of port wine than was quite good for him, consulted a 

 hydropathic Galen respecting some syaiptoms in his "kitchen 



