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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$juftly efleemed for their know- ledge, 1 went through a courfe of gentle phyfic, and was forbid every thing of nourifhment, but lighe, white meats, and alittle port wine, vatil fummer, 1743, when they ordered me a courie of Spa-water, with exercife. Thefe rules I ob- ferved pretty carefully, and found myfelf a good deal relieved from my lownefs of fpirits, and the gid- dinefsin my head, until the autumn following, when I-had a fevere re- turn of both, to which, I believe, -my great hurry and fatigue contri- buted not a little. This put me un- der a neceflity of returning to my courfe of phyfic during the winter, 1743, and until May, 1744, when I read the worthy Bifhop’s treatife on Tarwater, whereupon I altered my intention from Spa, to Tarwa- ter, and drank about half a pint in evening, not eating before or after for 2 hours, which foon produced a regular and pretty fharp fit of the gout in my feet and ancles, and feemed to warm me, and increafe my fweatings. In about z months after had areturn of the gout, but much gentler, and my f{weat- ings abated. Then I had a violent itchinefs over all my body and limbs, which was followed by blotches and eruptions on the fkin. In autumn got fome cold, and | be- lieve had lived too freely for an in- valid, which was attended witha Jittle of the {wimming in my head, and diforder in my ttomach; bur IT had fo much faith in Tarwater, that I made ufe of it warm, initead of fack-whey, or tanfey and fack, which I formerly ufed to take, with intention to repel the gout ; and through this laft fevere winter, ] have continued in very good {pi- nits, freed from she diforder of my rik 29 head and ftomach, though I have not confined myfelf to any regular, diet; and, notwithftanding Iam mych thinner of ficth,] find my- {elf much ttronger and abler to un- dergo fatigue than at any time fince my fever. 130. A collier, forced to quit his Jabour by an afthmatic difor- der, is wonderfully recovered, though he ufed it but a fortnight. 131. A_ gentleman was often feized with a violent palpitation in his heart, and had taken feveral me- dicines for it, but it was rather in- creafing ; when he made ule of ‘Tarwater about 3 weeks, and re- covered. 132. | have heard. of many per- fons being relieved by Tarwater, under very different diforders, though I am furprized they fhould ; for if the common people do not immediately receive all the relief they wifh and promife to them- felves upon once or twice drinking of it, like a charm, they give it up, not confidering what the Bifhop has fo plainly urged; that in all chroni- cal cafes it isan alterative, that re- quires time to change the mafs of blood. Ce 133. The caje of Mr. John Brooks, engraver, on Cork-hill, Dublin, (now in the Strand, London) communicated by himfelf to Tho. Prior, Eg; June 22, 1745. In November, 1744, he was feized ; with ftitches, and a pleuritic fever, which continued 8 or 10 days ; he was blooded once, and became bet- ter, but going abroad too foon, caught cold, and was much worfe than before, being feized with more violent flitches, oppreflion on his. cheft, difficulty of breathing, with fuch profufe {weatings as to wet his bed-cloaths twice s night, which reduced him to fkin and b Lbivhvs | bone,$