History of cold bathing, both ancient and modern / First published about the 1702. Abridged from 5th edition published in ... 1722.

  • John Floyer
Date:
1844
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: History of cold bathing, both ancient and modern / First published about the 1702. Abridged from 5th edition published in ... 1722. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    LETTER I. TO THE LEARNED PHYSICIAN, DOCTOR WILLIAM GIBBONS. Sir,—I design in this letter to represent to you the great antiquity of cold bathing, which I shall evidently prove, by reflecting on tbe ancient lustration begun by the patriarchs, and afterwards imitated by the Eg3 ptians, Jews, Greeks, Romans, and almost all mankind, which both sa- cred and profane histories sufficiently testify. If the reli- gious lustrations came from revelation, a short use of them would sufficiently discover the effects of cold water upon immersion, whicn evidently invigorates the actions both of body and mind, and renders both more sedate and calm, and therefore well prepared for devotion; but it is most probable that the ceremonies of washing in water was [were] a part of natural religion, invented by our rational faculties, and grounded on the virtues of cold immersion, which might, by some accident, be then discovered; the use of water being so frequent, and tlie most natural and easy method for cleansing of the body, and that was thought by the common peojde to cleanse away sin; but by the pliilosopher, to represent and produce an inward purity in tlie mind; for which reason all mankind used to wash themselves before their sacrifices, and both religious and medicinal immersions must be as ancient as sacrifices themselves. The manner of purifying by water, seems as ancient as the flood; for Plato, in his “Third Book De Lfgibus, af- firms that tlie gods purified the earth bv the flood; for which end they brought it on the earth; and from this opinion sprang the custom of purifying, by immersion, mankind as well as the earth, which opiyiou is favoured by (irotius, where he discourses of strangers initiated into Judaism by baptism: Hanc opinionem arbitror fuisse inter inslitua velera orta post magnum Jiluvium in memo- riam aquee purgali mundi. And St. Peter culls baptism an antitype to the flood.