and Bath as a Health Resort. 175 



strengthen because they reduce action ; they bring into 

 subjection what was rebellious ; and they coax disorderly 

 elements into physiological rule. 



(5) Some forms oi Neuralgia are distinctly relieved by 

 a thermal regimen, the most common being sciatica and 

 lumbago. Other less common kinds of local pain yield to 

 the same treatment. More than a century ago cases of the 

 so-called Devonshire colic (or "cyder colic") were nearly 

 always sent to Bath, for the thermal Waters were deemed 

 nearly a specific remedy for them. The pains of hysteria 

 and of hypochondriasis have been submitted to the same 

 plan ; and from time immemorial the Bath Waters have 

 been counted " good for hypochondriacal melancholy." 



(6) What effect have our thermal Waters on diseases of the 

 skin 1 We denominate many of these by Greek names, 

 suggestive of fanciful or far-reaching metaphors ; but it 

 greatly simplifies matters if we say that most cutaneous dis- 

 eases denote the plain fact that the skin is badly nourished. 

 For the present purpose it is sufficient to put our cases into 

 two great groups — the dry group and the moist group. The 

 moist varieties of skin disease are made moister, and the 

 skin tissue softer, by thermal soaking ; so that healing is 

 checked rather than favoured. The dry varieties are either 

 soon cured or greatly ameliorated. In the medical litera- 

 ture of the Bath Waters during the eighteenth century there 

 are many records of the successful treatment of " leprous 

 eruptions." Dr. Oliver gives the history of a number of 

 such patients as they were admitted into the Mineral Water 

 Hospital. And a beneficent asylum this hospital is for all 

 whose occupations are unfavourable to steadiness of treat- 

 ment and permanent cure. Better elements of hygiene are 

 provided, rest is enforced, and the skin is protected from 



