DIURETICS. | 71 
That isit; water is the manufacture and gift of God. Some 
of our devout readers may say that all things come from God. 
That is true as far as the pure or crude material is concerned, 
but as Solomon says, man himself was first made pure, but he 
has found out many inventions, not only to debase himself, 
but also the gift of his Creator. Without further moralizing 
we affirm that water is the best diuretic, not only as the medium 
in which nearly all medicines are given, but in itself. It has 
been termed the water of life by some sufferers who took it hot as 
directed for the cure of foul stomach, chronic dyspepsia, &c. 
The faculty are now prescribing it in bladder complaints, which 
organ it washes out thoroughly; passing first through the 
kidneys, it cleanses them also, and in some forms of blood 
disease it must act beneficently in thinning it, and dissolving 
out the waste products of the body. While it thus cleanses 
the kidneys and bladder, there are other diuretics which 
stimulate the urinary organs, causing an increased secretion 
from the blood and drainage of dropsical accumulations in the 
cavities and cellurary tissue. Some of these we will now deal 
with. First beginning at home, we find our native 
MANUKA SCRUB (Leprtosrrermum), 
Or tea tree, is a well-tried and approved diuretic. There 
is no need to describe it, at least to our New Zealand readers, 
as it grows in various parts of the colony. Still there may be 
many who have not had it made known to them, and who 
would like a description, which would enable them to identify 
it, for this purpose we will give a picture ofit. (See illustration 
index. ) 
It is no use denying the existence of the form of folly 
which despises things because they are cheap and easily got. 
This is one reason why this valuable native plant is not more 
used. We know of a very estimable M.D. in Dunedin, who 
told a patient that had dropsy to go out to the bush and get 
this scrub, directing her to infuse a handful of it in a quart 
jug of water and drink it freely. She did so and was cured. 
Thissimple prescription, for whichnothing was charged, reminds 
