WATER. 



lybeates, is ufually from May to November. On entering 

 upon the ufe of this water fome aperient fhould be premifed ; 

 and Dr. Scudamore recommends that the firft dofe ftiould 

 be taken at feven or eight o'clock in the morning, the 

 fecond at noon, and the third about three in the afternoon. 

 The exaft quantity to be taken mult be varied according 

 to circumftances ; but " as a general ftatement," fays Dr. S., 

 " I would fay that half a pint daily is the extreme fmalleft 

 quantity, and that two pints daily is the extreme largeft 

 amount to found a juft expeftation of benefit ; and further, 

 in the way of general outline of direftion, I conceive that 

 half a pint, a pint, a pint and a half, and two pints, fhould 

 form the progreffive ratio of the total daily quantity to be 

 taken at the three intervals. As the patient arrives at the 

 larger proportions, they may with advantage be fubdivided 

 with the interval of a quarter or half an hour, which ftiould 

 be occupied in exercife." Tea at breakfaft is direfted to be 

 avoided ; and in cafes when the water difagrees at its natural 

 temperature, it is recommended to be adminiftered warm. 

 " On the firft employment of the water, either cold or warm, 

 fome inconvenient fenfations very commonly arife, fuch as 

 fluftiing of the face.flight fulnefs of the head, with drowfinefs 

 and an uneafy diftenfion of the ftomach, together with con- 

 tinued flatulence. In- general thefe efFefts are not of im- 

 portance, either in degree or duration, and are much to be 

 prevented by previous attention to the ftomach and bowels." 

 — " As a general ftatement, it may be added, that the employ- 

 ment of this water is improper in a very plethoric ftate of the 

 circulation ; alfo when there is an inflammatory determination 

 to any particular organ, or even vifhen local congeftion exifts 

 without inflammation. In cafes of fimple debihty of the con- 

 ftitution, the water promifes to produce its happieft effefts. 

 The proofs of its immediately agreeing with the patient are 

 increafed appetite and fpirits, and thefe aufpicious fymptoms 

 are followed by a gradual improvement in the general en- 

 ergy and ftrength." The bowels ufually become confti- 

 pated under its ufe, and require the affiftance of medicine. 

 The warm bath is occafionally of fervice in conjunftion with 

 this water, as was long ago pointed out by Hoffmann. 

 Exercife alfo after its ufe is generally of great importance. 

 In dyfpepfia depending on debility of the ftomach, and ac- 

 companied with general languor and nervoufnefs, this water 

 is remarkably reftorative. In uterine debility alfo, and chlo- 

 rofis, its ufe is often of the utmoft fervice. It has been much 

 recommended likewife in fome cutaneous affeftions. For the 



complaints of children, efpecially when young, (that is to fay, 

 under fix or feven years of age, ) it is not in general adapted, 

 for reafons fufficiently obvious. A courfe of this water may 

 vary from three weeks to two or three months, according to 

 circumftances. b. With refpeft to the medicinal properties 

 of waters containing the fulphates of iron and alumina, as the 

 Ifle of Wight and HartfeU waters above-mentioned, they 

 differ little perhaps, except in degree, from thofe of the 

 fimple chalybeate waters. The Ifle of Wight water is fo 

 ftrong, that it is always proper to dilute it at firft with twice 

 its quantity of common water ; and even then the dofe cannot 

 well exceed two or three ounces, which may be gradually 

 increafed to about a pint in twenty-four hours. Dr. Saun- 

 ders recommends the fame quantity as the maximum dofe of 

 the HartfeU water. Both thefe waters are often much im- 

 proved by being gently heated, efpecially in cafes where the 

 ftomach is very delicate and irritable. Dr. Lempriere, who 

 has written a pamphlet on the Ifle of Wight water, ftates, 

 that he found it particularly ferviceable in the debility in- 

 duced by the Walcheren fever, chronic dyfentery, &c. as 

 well as in every inftance when the conftitution had been 

 undermined by previous illnefs, and the ordinary tonics had 

 failed. It is particularly neceifary to guard againft coftive- 

 nefs during the ufe of thefe waters. 



Compound Chalybeate Waters. — Thefe may be divided into 

 a. Saline chahbeates, and b. Acidulous chalybeates. 



a. The Cheltenham waters, properly fo called, are a good 

 example of the /aline chalybeates. ( For the hiftory of thefe 

 waters, fee Cheltenham. ) Since that article was written, 

 however, feveral fprings of different quahties and powers 

 have been difcovered by Mr. Thomfon ; an abftraft of the 

 compofition and properties of which, as lately publifhed, we 

 fhall now take the opportunity of laying before our readers. 



The fprings which have been defcribed and analyfed by 

 Meflrs. Brande and Parkes are fix, viz. 



1. The ftrong chalybeate faline water. Sp. gr. 1009.2. 



2. The ftrong fulphuretted faline water. Sp. gr. 1008.5. 



3. The weak fulphuretted faline water. Sp. gr. 1006. 



4. The pure faline water. Sp. gr. loio. 



5. The fulphuretted and chalybeated magnefia fpring, or 

 bitter faline water. Sp. gr. ioo8. 



6. Saline chalybeate, drawn from the well near the 

 laboratory. 



The following Table prefents a view of the contents of a 

 wine pint of thefe different fprings. 



The 



