RHEUM. 187 
Affufion of a watery Fluid; therefore, in 
Cafes of this Nature, the frequent drinking 
of warm Gruels, Teas, and fuch fmall watery 
Liquors, mud: in like Manner gradually di¬ 
lute, feparate and difperfe the acrid Salts, 
and be probably the mod ready Means of 
carrying them off either by Urine or Perfpi- 
ration. 
Quere. May we fuppofe thefe Salts to 
have been abforbed from the external Air at 
the Time of catching Cold or to have ex- 
ided previoully in the Body, tho* fheathed 
and harmlefs till let loofe, put in Motion and 
rendered acrid by the retained Matter of Per- 
fpiration : as feems to be the Cafe in mod of 
the animal Juices when tending to Putre¬ 
faction ? 
* Mr. Freke fays, in his FJfay on the Art of Healing* 
■where he fpeaks of taking Cold ; “ tho’ every one know* 
that Colds proceed from receiving the Air into our Bo- 
“ dies improperly, yet few confider the State of the Air, 
“ as abounding at one Time with all the Means of reftoring 
“ Health to us and all the reft of the Creation, and at 
“ another as containing in it the Caufes of Plagues, 
s ‘ Peftilence, and Famine, by its occafioning Death to 
“ Cattle, and Blights to all the Fruits of the Earth.” 
Pages 147, 148. 
CHAP, 
