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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$6. This medicine of Tarwater worketh various ways, by urine, by per- -alterative, and fometimes as a gentle purgative or emetic, according to the cafe or confticution of the patient, or to the quantity that is taken ; and its operation fhould not be difturbed. I knew two brothers ill of a fever about the fame time ; it wrought on the one by copious /qweating, on the other altogether by urzze; and] have known it to aét at different times differently. even.on the fame perfon,and in the fame diferder; one while as a diaphoretic, or fudorific, another as a.diuretic. Its general character is diuretic, which fhews, that it cleanfeth the urinary paflages, preventing thereby both fone and gravel, againft which it hath been found very ule- ful, and) much fafer than mineral waters, by .reafon of its balfamic heal- ang quality. : 7. Tarwater doth recover and impart vital heat, but imparts wo in- flaming heat. | have fcen a wonderful cure wrought on a child about eight years old, and paft all hopes, by pouring feveral fpoonfuls of Tar- water down his throat, as he lay quite fubdued by a .moff violent fevers awithout any appearance of fenfe or mation, the noftrils drawn back, the down by, {poonfuls, feemed tokindle up life anew; and this after fage tea, faffron, milk water, Venice treacle, Sc, had been ufed without any fuccels. : 8. This is of itfelf a fufficient cordial, friendly and congenial to the vital heat and {pirits of a mean. If therefore frong liquors are in the ac- cuftomed quantity fuperadded, the blood being already, by Tarwater,. fuficiently warmed for vital heat, the ftrong liquors fuperadded will be apt to over-heat it, which over-heating is not to be imputed to the Tarwater, fince, taken alone, I could never obferve it attended with that dymptom. ) g. And though it may be no eafy matter to perfuade fuch as have, long indulged themfelves in the free ufe of ffrong fermented /iquors, and Stilled fpirits, to forlake their pernicious habits; yet 1 am myfelf tho- roughly perfuaded, that in weakness or fatigue of body, or in -Jow /pirits, ‘Tarwater alone doth far furpafs. all thole vulparly cheemed cordials, which heat and intoxicate, and which coagulate the fluids, and, by thetr ‘caultic force, dry up, fliffen and deftroy the fine vefle!s and fibres of the unhappy drinkers, obfiructing the fecretions, impairing the animal func- toms of old age. Nothing doth fo much obftruG the good effects of Tarawater, as the abufe of firong liquors. Where this is avoided, it feems no chronical _ malady can keep its ground, or ftand before Tarwater, conftantly and re- gularly taken, not even Aeredizary diflempers, as the smoff inveterate king’s evil, nor even-the mof confirmed gout; provided it be drank a quart a day, at Gor 8 glafles, and at all feafons, both in and out of the fit, and that for a great length of time, the longer the better. It isto be noted, that in fits of the geut, colic or fever, it fhould be always drank warm. Oa ather occafions, warm or cold, as the patient likes. syater, have lefs need of any other cordial, and would do well to facsifice a$