New-York daily tribune., 1843-11-18
HYDRopATHY, OR WATER CURE.
BY CAPT. cLARIDGE.

is rapidly extending It's tame ano multiplying ITO
disciples throughout Europe, and already we are
made acquainted with some partial attempts 10
introduce it in this country We trust tflat some
adequate experiment will soon be made on this
side of the Atlantic. for We have no doubt that
important and beneficial results are destined TO
flow from this reform. Prom the Glasgow
Scotch Argus of Sept. 2lst, We copy the fol
lowing report Of Lecture by Capt CLAElDGE,
an eminent English apostle of this system, when
we commend to the attention Of all inqulrers.
VIC 'o' Ed.
OK Thursday evening, Capt. Giaiiu 80 o@ia
cred a second lecture on hydroPa'hy' ~ shI
water cure, to large and highiy
0a &c occasion charge was made lor adInls-
resarved seats 1s.-the rest OF the house
6d.-for the purpose of paying the expenses con-
nected with the meeting; it having at the same
time been resolved to hand over any surplus
which might accrue to some charitable lnstltu-
ton. The Lord Provost was expected to take
the chair, but, being necessarily absent on otnef
business, w. P. Patton, Esq was, on the molioh
of R. Kettle, Esq. called TO PRESIDE.
Mr.. Patton, after thanking the meeting iof the
honor done him, and referring to the necessary
absence of the Lord Provost, stated the OBJECT Tor
which they had assembled together, and INTRO
duced Capt Claridge to the audience.
Capt. Claridge began by stating that though,
on the former evening, he had explained VINO
Vincent Prelssnitz was, where ne resided, ana
what was the nature Of the water cure which ne
had introduced, still, as many might be present
who had not an opportunity OF hearing hn be-
fore, he presumed it would be agreeable to them
that he should say something on these points
again Preissnitz was the son OF larmer VINO
possessed the property on which the estaplish-
ment at Graefenburgh was now situated. WINE
a boy he had frequent opportunities OF seeing an
old man in bis neighborhood, who cured cattle by
means Of cold water, and from hum ne learned the
mode of treatment which, III the course OF tune,
he made applicable to the cure OF diseases III the
human frame. This led to his being consulted
by his neighbors, with whom he was almost lnva-
riably successful, though at that time ne knew
little of the water cure compared with what ne
afterward did. His fame spread, and he was
soon visited by the respectable part ol the peo-
pie both in his own and other countries, who were
afflicted with diseases He now began to make
a profession of it. and, like second Columbus,
might be said to have discovered a new world
In 1929 he began his first establishment, when
he had fortysx patients. The numbers gradu-
ally increased, till in the year before he visited
ii, which was in lS40, the patients amounted to
1870. And Of what classes were these conpo-
sed Among them were ten Princes and Prn
cesses, and one hundred Counts and Barons, SO
that people Of the very highest rank and title put
faith in his mode of cure. There were indeed
people of all descriptions, military as well as
medical men of the latter there were IL, and
among them only one EDglshman. But it might
be said, ''How came it, If Pressnltz has per
formed such extraordinary cures as related OF
him, that he has not, instead of 800 at least
$4,000 patients under treatment ?" The answer
to this was, that there at that time about Do
other establishments of the same kind In Poland,
Russia, Hungary, &c. and he believed they had
now increased to nearly 100; there were five es-
adjustments on the Rhine alone.
Another objection urged might be this" You
state that most extraordinary cures have been
witnessed by you, and others at Graefenburgh,
,ut tits possible you may have been deceived the
whole time; you thought you saw cures per-
formed, but they might not be real Now, let
it be admitted that he was deceived-tl;at he was
misled as to the cures he believed he had witnes
sed-stll it was to be remembered that he was
not the only person who had been at Graelcn-
burgh; there were hosts of other witnesses, and
among them II medical men, who were not likely
to permit themselves to be deceived In a matter
of such Importance. There were persons present
from great number of different countries, who
surely could not all be made dupcs Of, especially
on matter that concerned their own health
Here the Captain read q list Of the numbers who
were at the establishment from Austria, Galllcla,
Poland, Hungary, Russia, Saxony, England, &C.
All these 1876 could not be deccived-nor could
the vast numbers who had preceded them. But,
he begged TO ask how came 1t, If the cures were
not real, that not single line had ever been writ
ten against this establishment? If there was
any thing wrong about it--if the volumes which
had been published setting forth the cures that had
been performed at Graeienburgh, were not true
how had they not been contradlcted? Where
was Graefenburgh On the confines of Austria
and Poland, situated on mountain, one thousand
feet above the level of the sea. Here PrieSsnitz
had erected a large establishment, and from | S29
down to the time of his visit, not fewer than 500
people had been under his treatment, You will
naturally inquire how many deaths took place
during that time out of this number His
swer was, only thirty -siX-only thirty-slx deaths
out OF 1900 patients This would be looked upon
as very extraordinary, considering that Graeten-
burgh was the public hospital of Europe-the
place TO which people rcsorted who could not get
themselves cured elsewhere, for he had found that
the patients there had consulted the most emi-
nent medical men of their own, and some ofthem
of other countries, before they ever thought Of
proceeding to this temple of Hygeia.
The statement. therefore, would be regarded
as very extraordinary, and 1t would very properly
be asked, how did he know to a certainty the
truth of this statement Z 1t was ascertained by
the following means They obtained it from
the police. The Austrian Government was cx
ceedingly jealous of the congregation of people
within its dominions. Whenever few people
were known to be assembled together, the police
were employed to take notice of them, and watch