( «J* ) . 
means omit his Cordials. I fhould have been glad to 
have made this Account'yet more perfect, by acquaint- 
ing you, what the Specifick was the Do&or put upon 
the TurfF, before he fet them into the Oven, but I 
could not pofiibly prevail upon him to tell me. As to 
the Matter of Fad, or Story of curing the old Gentle- 
man, in this new and wonderful Manner, it was fam’d 
throughout the Country in the Day of it •, but the Par- 
ticulars I lately had an Opportunity of having from the 
Son, who fo happily made the Experiment. 
Houfes, to fweat in, were common among the Ab- 
origines , when the Englijh firfl came into New Eng- 
land, tho* now but little ufed. A Gentleman of the 
Illand of Nantucket , where the Indians fometimes 
pradife it, even at this Day, or very lately, gives me 
the following Relation. 
The Cave was ufually four Foot high, and to eight 
Foot Diameter ^ the Roof fupported with Sticks or 
Boards, covered with Earth, and they dug it in the 
Side of a Hill, and, as near as could be, to feme River, 
Pond, or Place of Water : The Entrance into this Cave 
wasfmall, and the Door (when any Perfon was fweating) 
was covered with a Blanket or Skm ^ near the Cave they 
make a good large Fire, and heat a Parcel of Stones, to 
the Quantity of five hundred Weight, and roll them in 
red-hot, piling them up in the middle of the Cave ^ 
when this is done, the Indians go in naked, and fet 
round the heated Stones as many as pleafe ; as foon as 
they begin to grow faint, which may be in a Quarter of 
an Hour, they come out, and plunge themfelves all 
over in the Water for a Minute or two, and then in 
again, as long as they can well bear it, and fo in the 
Water a fecond Time, and then drefs themfelves. This 
has been ufed with Succefs for Colds, Surfeits, Sciati- 
ca’s, and Pains fixed in the Limbs j and even the Eng- 
