Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1844-11-28
From the Baltimore American.
THE WATER CURE.


der of the system. has, at the age Of AZ
realized fortune Of half a million of dol
lars. According 10 DR.. Graham, there
is not a little humbug or imposture con
nected with the water cure. The restor
ed regard Priessniiz with great Difference
and awe, while others speak of him as
an imposior. He has great advantage
over regular physicians. The latter are
compelled to undertake the cure Of all
cases, good or bad-while the forme,
makes his selection, rejecting aboni one.
fifth Of an average, OF patients, namely,
those unlikely 10 be cured, or likely to
die. Every failure, moreover, he ascri.
hes to want OF punctualty in obeying MS
instructions. He prescribes plenty Of
food, but no other drink but water. Not
even tea is allowed. Preissniiz tells his
patients tina; the cure is long extending
to three or four years. "Many o. the
patients leave in the second year, believ.
ing themselves better--others, who have
derived no benefit, leave also, endurance
being quite exhausted. 10 these cases
the want Of success is, Of course attrbut.
ed to want Of patience"
The food of Graefenberg is Of the worst
and coarsest quality, "such as would BE-
scarcely tolerated in our warehouses. "
Sour bread, cow-beef without particle
of fat, served up with sated cucumbers
or sourcrout, shapeless dumplings "made
Of the scraps Of bread, which have be n
left at table, and soaked in the skim
mings of po-lquor, sauce made Of Dutch
herrings," &c.--these are the delicacies
of the Graefenberg Table d'l1ote On
Sundays, however, besides a dance the
patien are treated with "baked geese,
lean, hard, and tough" "They looked
miserabIy, dirty, wet ind cold. half s,arv-
ed in an adjacent pond, frequently SAVING
tie cook The trouble ofkilling them"
There is no record kept at Graefen-
berg of the cures, failures, or deaths:--
"Col. b., who paid some attention 10
this matter, and watched the departures
in the Autumn Of 1912, assured me that
the number cured fell vastly short Of the
report"
The Inquirer proceeds to notice a few
cases, for the benefit Of the curious in
such matters.
"Mss S. S., aged eighteen, fair
and most beautiful, in excellent health,
and rather plump, accompanied her par.
ents TO Graelenberg "on a trip of pleas
ure." Having caught some OF the en,hu-
siasm Of the place, she determined to
make well better, and took to the water
cure gently at first. For time, the ba-
thing, the mountain air, and other aux'l.
iares, appeared very pleasant to the neo-
phyte, and she now went the whole hog.
Her parents left her at Graefenberg, to
get rid of the bad stuff in her blood,
and returned TO England Ia the course
of month"; the scene began to change.
Feversh excitement get in-lhe glands of
the neck swelled-and biles made their
appearance. These symptoms were hail
ed as the harbingers Of the crisis, and the
EXPULSION of the bad stuff The sweat.
ing process was therefore put in practice.
Passing over various details, we shall
quote the final, which our readers will do
well to show their patients who cOntem-
plate pilgrimage to Graeienberg.
Notwithstanding matters were in this
state for some time, Priessnitz expressed
himself confident of ultimate success. and
said that all was gong on most favora.
bly,. Seven weeks previous to the fatal
termination Of the cure, Miss S. S. was
removed by her friends 10 the neighbor-
ing town Of Freiwaldau. In seven days
after the removal fever supervened, &C.
companied by deirum, which lasted
fortnight. For this two mos. sheets
were ordered, in immediate success on /;
the first Tor half an hour, replaced by a
second, IN which she remained full hour.
On being taken from the sheet, she was
placed in the half or demi-bath, at the
low temperature Of 80 deg. Fahrenheit.
For the first three days after the attack
of the fever, she was well rubbed in the
bah with cold water for too hours af-
forwards for one hour, which treatment
was repeated twice in the day."
In short, the young lady soon after
died.
Case ga Prussian captain had been
afflicted with asthma for several years.
! He took the wet sheet, on which he per-
spjred, aud on going into the cold bath,
Immediately expired
Case An. Dzubc, a captain in the
Austrian service. had been some months
under treatment, when the crisis appear
ed in the form OF tumor in the throat.
1t burst internally, and he instantly ex-
PRED. There is no surgery employed
in Graefenberg. Nature and cold water
are to do all. The lancet would proba
bly, have saved the captains life.
DR.. Graham notices lis own case at
length. His age was 50, and he arriv.
ed at Graefenberg on the 18th of Octo.
Der, 1912. He had been subject to govt
at intervals for two years. The weather
at Gretenberg at the time of his arrival,
was keen and frosty and be gives this
account oil his treatment:
"At five in the morning was envelop.
ed in the moist sheet. The sensation Of
cold was at first so intense, that it seemed
as If | was packed ia ice and snow. A
quvering OF the muscles and chatting of
the teeth came on, similar to that which
is experienced in fit OF the ague. In
two OF three minutes, tho sensation pass
ed away, and the heat Of the body hay.
ing gradually created sort OF vapor-
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