An authentic narrative of the success of tar water, in curing a great number and variety of distempers; with remarks ... Carefully abridged / To which are subjoined, two letters from the author of Siris: shewing the medicinal properties of tar water, and the best manner of making it.

Thomas Prior

Date:: 1793

Credit: An authentic narrative of the success of tar water, in curing a great number and variety of distempers; with remarks ... Carefully abridged / To which are subjoined, two letters from the author of Siris: shewing the medicinal properties of tar water, and the best manner of making it. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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$23 35, troubled with a hard cough, Sor 10 years together, worn away by it greatly, and troubled witha wheezing and fhortnefs of breath, by drinking Tarwater in the fum- mer of 1744, all the above com- plaints wore off equally to her fur- prize and joy. 124. Joan Ardle, a gatherer of yuthes for candles, ftuffed up and choaked with a cough, without Stomach or fleep, and ner hufband aff-éted much the fame way, both cured by z bottles of Tarwater : they are aged perfons. 125. Lawrence Kane, pedlar, about so years old, laboured under an ague, about Hollandtide, 1743, which was followed by a fevere cough, that held him for 6 months; he drank but 2z bottles of Tarwa- ter in May, 1744, and found him- delf perfectly recovered. 126. Bryan Mee, troubled with @ pain in his ftomach, and lofs of appetite, cured with one bottle of ‘Tarwater. _ 127. Three children in one fa- tmily, between 6 and 8 years old, took the fmall-pox in the fummer of 1744, and ‘came very fafe through it, without any other pre- paration or medicine than Tarwa- ter, which they had drank cop- itantly from April foregoing, and continued it during the whole time of their illnefs, except about 2 days, when the pocks in their mouths and throats became fore, and broke, and {marted by the Tarwater: they have gone on drinking Tarwater ever fince with- out any reluctance to, or mifchief from it; on the contrary, they not get it at the ufual times ; and by the conftant ufe thereof, one of them hath been kept from the re- turns of a threatening fever; to which he was fubjeét, and had been feized by it 3 times in 6 months. Another was troubled - with lumps under his jaw, and other glandular fwellings, which, fince his drinking Tarwater, sre almoft gone; and all] three have better ftomachs and more fpirits, and are much freer from coughs and colds, than formerly. 128. Aletter from a gentleman of charaGer and integrity, June 18, ot et by . What Mr. Arthur Hilltold you, of the benefit ] have received by Tarwater, is fo much faé, that I now enjoy a very good ftate of health. 129. About 25 years ago, I hed the firfl regular fit of the gout, which ufed to lay me up frequent. ly after, in autumn and (pring ef- pecially; but never affected me higher than my feet or ancles until 1738, when I was feized with « moft violent fever, which occafioned my being feverely bliftered on my legs, which gave the humours a courfe that way, and being mixed with gouty matter, prevented the fores, made by the blifters, from healing, though all care was taken by the phyficians for that end: af- ter J recovered from my fever, it was thought that this prevented the regular fits of the gout, which about my body and head, from whence indigeftion, Jownefs of fpirits and iweatings followed ; and at length! ufed to be frequent- ly feized with a fwimming in my head, efpecially after eating, which would continue until I had light. ened my flomach by puking: in hopes to get better relief for thefe diforders from the phyficians in town, I went to Dublin in 1742, and by the directions of two there, juftly$