New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1845-10-08
Bulwer on Wafer Cure. co~ti"a1d.

/
| Of this innoyating German school.
81 resolved then to bctake myself TO Malvern
ON my way through town paused in the limo
cepce of my heart to inquire Of some Of the faculty
If they thought the water cure would suit my case.
! with one exception. they were unanimous ia the
vchemencc Of their denuncaiions. Granting even
| that in some cases, especially Of rheumatism by
! drOpaihy had produced q curc-tO my complaints II
YVES worse than inapplicablc-it was highly danger
ogs-it would probably be fatal had not stamina
for the trealment-t would fix chronic ailments into
organic discase-surely il would be much better TO
| Try what had not yet tried What had not yet
| tried 4 course of prSsslC acid Nothing was
better for gastric irritation which no doubt the
main cause Of my suffering IT, however. | were
obsiinatcy bent upon so mad an experiment, Doc
| tor Wilson was the last person | should go to.
was not deferred by all these intmdaliOns, nor Sc
duced by the salubrious aluremenis OF the prussc
acid under its scientific appellaton OF hydiocamlc
\ little reflection taught me that the members oi
learned profession are naturally the very persons
leas, disposed to favor innovation upon the prac
tees which custom and prescription have rendered
sacred In their eyes A lawyer is not the person
to consult upon bold reforms in Jurisprudence. \
physician can scarcely be expected 10 own that a
Slesian peasant viii with water the diseases
which resist an armament Of phals And with re
card to the peculiar objections to Doctor Wilson
had al in his own pamphlet attacks upon the or
rhOdOx practice sufficient 10 account fOr-perhaps
10 ustify-the disposition 10 deprecate him in re-
turn.
Still my friends were anxious and fearful to
please them ! continued to inquire, though not Of
physiciays, bnt OF patients ! -oHght out some OF
those vino had gone through the process. ! sliied
some ofthe cases Of cure cs,d by Doctor Wilson. |
found the account of the patients so encouraging,
the cases quoted authentic, that grew impatient
of delay. threw physic 10 the dogs. and went to
Malvern.
1t is not my intention Mr.. Editor, 10 detail the
course / underwent The different resources Of
water as a medicamen, to be found in many
works easily to be obtained and well worth the
study. In This letter | suppose myself to be aid
dressing those thoroughly acquainted with the
system my self was at the first and deal there
fore only in generals
The first point which impressed and struck me
was the extreme and uticr innocence of the Water
Cure in skillful hands-n any hands indeed not
thoroughly new 10 the system. Certainly when
went believed it TO be kill or cure system
fancicd il must be a very violent emedy-ihat II
doubtless might effect great and magical cures-but
that if it failed il might be fatal Now, speak not
alone Of my own case, but of the immense number
of cases | have secn-pailcnts OF all agcs-a!l spe
cics and genera OF disease kinds and conditions
Of constitution when | declare upon my honor,
that never witnessed one dangerous symptom pro
duced by the Water Cure, whether at Doctor vii
sons or the other IIydropalhic Institutions which
afterwards visited. And though unquesiionably
fatal consequences might occur from gross nsman-
agemCnt and as unquestionably have So occurred at
various establishments am yet convinced that wa
ter in itself is friendly 10 the human body, that 1t
requires very extraordinary degree OF bungng,
of ignorance, and presumption 10 produce results
really dangerous; that a regular practitioner does
more frequent mischief from the misapphcation OF
even the simplest drugs, than water doctor OF
very moderate experience does, or can do, by the
misapplicatiOn of his baths and friction. And here
which appear to the unnitatcd as the most peril
Gus are really the safest aud can be applied with
the most impunity to the weakest constitutions;
whereas those w3sch appear, from our greater ia
miliarity with Them, the ieas, startling and most in
nOcuous,t are those which require the greatest
know hedge of general pathology and the individual
constitution. | shall revert to this part OF my sub
jet before ! conclude.
The next thing that struck me was the extraordi-
nary ease with which, under this system good hab-
its are acquired and bad habits rcllnqushed. The
difficulty with which, under orthodox medical treat
ment, siimuants are abandoned is here not wit
messed Patients accustomed for half a century to
live hard and high, wine drinkers, spirit bibbers
whom the regular physician has sought in vain TO
reduce a daily pint OF sherry, here voluntarily re-
sign all strong pOtatiOns, after day or two cease to
feel the want OF them and reconcile themselves TO
water If they had drank nothing else all their
lives. Others who have had recourse for years
and years TO medicnc-their potion in the morning.
their cordial at noon. their pill before dinner their
narcotic al bedtime, require these aids TO
life as If by charm Nor this alone. Men TO
whom mental labor has been a neccssary-whO
have existed on the excitement of the passions and
the stir of the intellect-who have fell these with
drawn the prostraon OF the whole systematic
lock to the wheel of the entire machinc-return at
once TO the careless spirits Of the boy in his first
holiday.
Here lies great secret water thus skully
administered is IN iisef wonderful excitement
supplies the place of all others-it operates power
fully aud rapidly upon the nerves, sometimes To
calm them. sometimes 10 rritate but always 10 &C
cupy Hence follows a consequence which all pa
TENTS have remarked--the complete repose OF the
passions during the early stages OF the cure they
seem laid asleep as II by enchantment The intel
leci shares the same rest after short time mental
eXertlon becomes Impossible even the memory
grows far less tenacious of its painful impressions
cares and gres are forgotten The sense Of the pre-
sent absorbs the pas, and future there is certain
freshness and youth which pervade the spirits, and
live upon the enjoyment of the actual hour Thus
the great agents of our mortal wear and tear-the
passions aud the mnd-calmed into strange rest
/ Nature seems 10 leave the body 10 its instructive
tendency, which is always towards recovery. All
that interests and amuses - OF healthiul character
exercise, instead OF being an unwilling drudgery,
becomes the inevitable impulse OF the frame braced
! and lnvgoraied by the clement A series OF reac-
lions Is always gong on-the willing exercise pro
duces refreshing rest and refreshing rest willing
exercise. The extraordinary effect which water
taken early in the morning produces on the appe
/ iIie is well known amongst those who have tried
it, ev en- before the W alter Cure thought of. an
appetite il should be the care OF the skiul doctor
to cheek into moderate qualification; the powers OF
nutrition become singuarly strengthened the blood
grows rich and pure-thc constitution is not only
amended--it undereoes a changoi
The safety of the system then, struck me first -
its power Of replacing by healthiul stmulanis the
morbid ones Il withdrew. whether ply steal or moral
surprised me next that which thirdly impressed
me no less contrary 10 all my preconcelvcd no
tons. | had fancied that whether good or bad. the
system must be one OF great hardship. extremely
repdsnant and disagrceablc. | wondered at my
self 10 lind how soon II became associated with
pleasurable and grateful feelings as 10 dwell upon
the mind amongst the happicsI passages OF exist
ence. For my own part; despite all my ailments
or whatever may have been my cares have ever
found exquisite pleasure IN that sense OF otsRS
which i Is II were the conscience. the mirror. OF
the soul. | have known hours of as much and as
vivid happiness as perhaps can fall TO the lot OF
man but amongst all my most brilliant recollec-
a.. !. 4