Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1845-10-22
MISCELLANEOUS.
From the U. S. Saturday Post.
THE WATER CURE.


In Coiburn's New M onlhly Magazine
for September, is curious article from
the pen o. Bulwer; the novelist. The sub.
iect is the Water Cure. Our readers will
recollect that, about two years ago, a par.
asraph appeared in the papers stating that
this authors health was completely bro
ken down. The article in Colburn con-
firms this rumor. II Itappears III at for six
.een years, owing to the combined effect
of weak constitution and constant men.
tai labor, the health Of Bulwer was in a
very precarious condition, until finally it
completely gave way, and he became so
much of a valesudinarian. as to render
life no longer an object. His own state-
menl is that existence became burden.
In vain he tried physician after physician
travelled abroad, or sought relief by ab.
stemiousness:- his nerves were shattered,
his spirits gone, and his whole constitution
deranged. 1s+
Under such circumstances he was in
duced 10 Try hydropalhy, or as it is called
s-in popular phrase. the WatergC Cure,AHe.
lefSeft
belief in lis efficacy, but rather in state
Of reckless desperation, ready to "kill or
oure.n The result was the entire renova-
lion Of his health after few months, d.
ring which he followed this method only
AT intervals. He is in consequence con-
yer, TO the theory of Preissniiz, and has
written this article in the first burst Of
proselytsm.
We gather many curious facts from il.
The chief remedy of the system is wha,
is called the wet sheet. This consists in
sa,ura,ins the sheet with water aud a(ier-
wards wringing it out; the patient then
being enveloped with the sheer, is wrap
ned up hastily in blankets and placed be-
tween two feather beds. Such treatment
would seem, at first sight, TO be painful in
the extreme. Bu: il is not SO. Instead
of being chilled by this process, the inva-
lid in pervaded with delightful glow and
soon sinks iuto refreshing sleep. On
awaking he is plunged in bath, rubbed
,lry aud clothed To This mode of treat
ment we mus, add plentiful but ordinary
food. daily exercise, and an adherence TO
cold water beverage. Some patients are
treated 10 The plunging bath; but this
Is less frequently resorted to aud is more
violent than the sheet. Bulwer says,
,ha, in all acute disorders, hydropaihy is
nm instant and certain cure; aud that in
20 chronic affections, the restoration 10 health
though more difficult, is nearly as certain.
He disavows the popular notion, thai
tits violent and dangerous method, tho
he himself entertained this idea when he
Grsi resor,ed to the Water Cure. He
oiyes i, as his opinion that course under
hydropa,by is neither more unpleasant.
nor more perilous than course OF medi-
cines under regular physicians.
: For the first few weeks the novels, de
c,ares his sensations TO have been of The
most delightful character He felt a new
life within him. The buoyau, spirit of
boyhood returned. He walked with a
free, elastic step. such as he had not known
for wears. But after lime these exulling
sensations passed away. HIS spirit flag
ged, his nervousness, returned, he became
peevish and fretful. 1t was at,his period
he thinks, that the change in his consltu-
ton, which has occurred, took place.
From this time he emerged new man.
And now the epjoymen. of his present
health, compared with that of former
days,-;o use his own simile-is like be-
ing suddenly raised from poverty to affiu-
ence. -
Bulwer contends thai the wet sheet is,
byn means, a new discovery in medi-
cine. Itis but The mud bath Of the old
Germans, or the gentle vapor bath of .he
Romans. The early palrarchs used The
same remedy when they caused an iuva.
lid to be wrapped in The skin Of sheep
jus, slain. Nor is there any danger in lis
use. On the contrary, in all cases Of
rheumatism, in the early stages of con,
sumption, and in levers of every charac-
ter, the novelist declares his belief its ef-
ficacy, belief drawn from personal oh.
servation in grca, variety of cases.
The paperis altogether curious one.
II is remarkable fact that one of The
prominent literary men Of lhis country,
also, is converlto hydropa,hy-we mean
the poet Lopgfellow, who is now at Brat
tleboro, VT, where there is an Institution
devoted to this system. The Wafer Cure
has many followers ia this city. As a