and its Economic Management. 351 



■the moisture of the pack or the bath, at one stroke, relieves 

 -the pores of the skin, while at the same time it gives back 

 to the blood its needed proportion of water, giving it 

 •again that mighty circulation, which restores its purity, 

 casting out its dross, and enabling it to laugh at the fever 

 microbes which are now hustled to destruction with no aid 

 whatever from drugs, which only ^too surely impede the 

 life-giving circulation. 



Just one instance, but I could give many. A patient 

 with fever was given up by his doctors ; the fever had done 

 its worst, and he was to die. But he could just beg to be 

 placed in a bath of warm water ; " What does it matter ? it 

 can do him no harm, after the doctors' hopeless decision." 

 And so he was placed in the bath, when that blessed 

 sleep which drugs and fever had hitherto denied him, 

 •came upon him there. He slept for a long time ; he 

 slept on after they laid him back in his bed — and he slept 

 ■to get well. 



I have had several estimable friends among the medical 

 faculty, but it is when one has retired from active practice 

 that he is most ready to speak lightly of the medical 

 practices of that honourable profession. One of the 

 fraternity, a greatly esteemed friend, now retired, asked 

 what medical attendant I had for my family ? After 

 •explaining that we never have a doctor in the house (pro- 

 fessionally), and relied upon common-sense treatment 

 ■only: "Well, there is one thing," he replied, "if you call 

 ■one in it is very uncertain if he will do you any good, 

 •but it is quite certain yop will have to pay him." 



Where one has no knowledge of his own anatomy, and 

 ■no confidence in himself, of course he feels he must rely 

 upon the medical practitioner ; and it is better that he 

 ■should do that than to drug himself. Again, there is of 

 ■course a great responsibility incurred in serious cases of 



