New-York daily tribune., 1843-11-23
HYDRoPATHY, OR WATER CURT
BY CAPT. CLARIDGE.


BY CAPT. CLARIDGE.
Coa,inued.l
Now. here was fever checked at once by thus
si1nple process For scarlet!na, measles, small
pos, il was equally effectual. II this system
were adopted, he was satisfied that they would
not lose one child in thousand that now died
from these and other diseases. BY this adoption,
even vaccination would become unnecessary, as
the moment the smallpox appeared, the VET
sheet would be put on as necessary, the virus
extracted, and the child cured, and all the time
after each application the child might be sent 10
play. There was no lying IN bed under the co'o
water cure. Air, exercise and water, were thc
whole paraphernalia Of Prcssnitz, and at his cs-
tablishIncnt no one lay a-hed while under 'lc
treatment. Here the Captain related the cure OF
his daughter of scarletina, as described IN the
former lecture, and went on to enforce the utlhty
Of the wet sheet in almost all diseases; indeed he
did not care what the ailment was, his recom-
mendation was to try the wet sheet. He next
referred to the Douche, or fall of water, which
was employed when it was necessary TO create d
commotion in the system, and to the sltz, or MP
bath. which was q very valuable par! OF tue
treatment. This was used by simply sitting down
IN a washing.tub, with the feet out, and a wet
cloth round the head 1t was exceedingly use
full in all cases of heat or fever about the head
and upper parts of the body. Bathing the feet
IN cold water-never in warm--was also an ex-
ce'lent remedial agent; and he recommended
putting wet cloth, with dry one over, rourd
any part of the body affected by disease. This
might be done in bed with the most perfect secu-
rity. In the case of a cold with pam IN the
chest, for example, place wet cloth over the
chest and throat, cover it with dry one, and 60
to bed. Children when teething, were greatly
relieved by an application of wet cloths.
He next recommended the drinking of cold
water because water was the greatest dissolvent
known. Every person should take as much cold
water as he could use, and avoid alcohol and
other stlmuants. He must say, Judging from
what he saw on the streets, that he did not re-
gard the people of Scotland as very favorable to
hydropathy. Hear 1t was very different IN
Ireland. During the three months he was there
he never saw a man drunk-or raising his hand
against his noighbor-nor during the whole OF
these three months did hchcar oath. Whatc-
might be the agitation now gong on there
more quiet unoGendng people he never saw
(Iiear) lie would recommend, whatever a man
chose to do during the day that he should drink
at least tumblcr of water before breakfast if
i'll of indigestion or dyspepsia, let him drink four
or FIVE tumblcrs BUTT should be horne IL mind
not digest without exercise, 4 man might be
as i'll Of indigestion from bad water as from any
thing else. Another matter of great Importance
was the publication of the skin. The SKIN was
the great eSecretivc and sccrctvc function of the
body. The pores were fine that ;lov could
not be seen by the microscope: Il was clear
therefore, that Il the skin w2s not regularly and
thoroughly cleansed. these 'rnumera5e pores
would close up, and the matter which ought 20
cxuded from the body, arrested its progress
ouiward--and il it did not get egress, !, would
sgain be sent back INTO the system. Capt. ca
ridge next showed the propnety ol the cold Wa
ter cure from the fact that by means n II we g!
ever get cut Of those noxous things called drugs
but which were neither more nor less than POI.
SONS He had himself at one time been cap.
tai customer with the doctors. He consulted the
most eminent medical men in every place he
went to- and swallowed their eoiso!ls in great
quantities; but now he was done with them and
their prescriptions and believed he would never
feel pain for any length Of time again. There
was nothing that doctors could produce with
drugs which he could not produce with water
therefore he would never be q customer 10 sn
apothccarv again.
Now TINS mode Of cure that might he
taken up by any OF them; but he perceived that
here there was only one medical mau who had
adopted the system. Though about fifty books
had been published on the subject, and these
books reviewed by The puh!ic press all over the
country, he nevertheless found that there was
only one medical man here who had taken il up.
and that was Dr.. Patterson. (Cheers) He had
had a conversation with Dr.. Patterson, and found
that he fully understood the cold water treat
ment. That gentlemen had been at the estah.
lishment OF Vincent prieSsni,z, wncrc he Wit
messed the mode of cure pursued by that cxtrac,-
binary genus, and he had the courage, in spite
OF all opposition, and in the knowledge that his
doing SO would cause him to be denounced as q
quack-io commence establishment at Roth
say. He had no acquaintance with Dr. Pate
son; but from the conversation he had with HIM
he believed h'm to be fully acquainted with the
nature OF the water cure. He need scarcely tel
the audience that in thus travelling the country,
and holding meetings like the present, he had no
present object III view-he had no other motives
but those of humanity. (Checrs) The money
collected now was Tor the purpose OF paying the
expenses of the meetings; and he believed the
gentlemen who had taken charge of the matter
had arranged that, if there was any surplus, it
should be given some charitable institution
(Checrs.) Capt Clardge then proceeded to emu
merate some extraordinary cures, performed
through him while in Ireland. One or two OF
these we shall refer to. Dr. Russell, of the S6th
Regiment, lying at Limerick, took hun 10 the
hospital OF the regiment, where he succeeded III
curing man of severe chronic rheumatism,
but the principal cure was that OF soldier of the
10Th Hussars, who was lying i'll of sciatica una
bic to rise from his bed, and nuch reduced. He
was great iavorite IN the regiment, and ne was
told that, L that man could be cured, it would
certainly be regarded Us very extraordinary. He
accordingly went 10 visit hun. DIR. Gore, an old
physician, who accompanied them, said the cure