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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$fits of the cholic twice or thrice a with racking pains, fo that it was thought that his life was in great he was advifed by his phyfician to drink the water, which he did, a pint a day, taken morning and’ evening ; in 3 weeks his pains be- gen to abate, and in fix weeks all his colic pains went off; and he he feldom-fails to drink the water. continue the conftant ufe of it, hav- of the gout ever fince he began to arink Tarwater, but the full ufe of his-limbs, and walks as well as ever he did, and: imputes all. his cures to larwater only. . years old, to whom the late E. of Aildare \eft an annuity of 20]. for his father’s faithful fervices under him, was miferably afflited with the king’s evil for 4-years, and be- ing long under the care of fur- geons in Dabiin, was fent, in Auguf, 4744, to his relations in the Coun- ning fores in his arms, hands and feet, and {wellings on each fide of his throat,. without appetite or-di- geftion. Hé was immediately put about a quart a day, a naggin [half pint] at a time, and after fome days drinking the water, they wathed his fores. with ftrong Tar- water, and fora plailter ufed the oil of Tar, which was fkimmed. off the water, {pread on linen : the effect was, that in a fortnight’s time moft of his fores were healed _up, and {wellings gone, and in lefs >shan 6 weeks time he was perfeRtly 3F recovered, and now continues very well, with good appetite and fpi- rits ; hé continues to drink Tar- water, but in fmaller quantities. 137. Michael Carney, of Proteft- ant Row,-Dublin, about 16, was troubled with the king’s evil 6 years, having running fores in his arms, neck; legs and body, and: had been in Mercer's hofpital a year without benefit, and had al- moft loft‘one of his eyes by the that this boy was in danger of hav-- ing his eye rotted out of his head by the evil, dire&ted the: writ plaifter to be applied’ to him, which was attended with fuch fuc- cefs, that in a fortnight’s time, in the latter end of the year 1743, the evil was quite driven from: his eye; but the boy continuing: fulf of running fores, and’great pain in one of his arms, of which he had little ufe, in April, 1744, he gave. him Tarwater to drink, a pint a~ day; ina little time he difcharg- ed two fplinters of bones. black and~ had immediate eafe there, and con- tinuing to drink Tarwater, and- wafh his fores with it alfo, in.2- months time all his fores healed up, - his appetite and -ftrength returned,. and he was perfectly recovered, - and continues very well, and now- lives with Mr. Barry Colles, attor- ney,.at Szephen’s Greenim—Thelex inftances, and many more, fheve- that the king’s evil, hitherto rec- koned ineurable, may, in a fhort: time, by the method before men~ tioned, be perfectly cured. - The Rev. Dean Madden, of Molef- - worth-ftreet, Dublin, i July, . 1745, communicated the g follow - img cures. 138. The Rev. Mr. Geo. Phitips,. of Ann-freet, Dublin, was {eizec: with,$