Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1846-02-14

he does not SELL or has not sold, his kno,cledge of
English intrigue TO the Spanish government"
This is certainly an extraordinary epistle, and
as regards the predction-nous rerrons.
CuRrous EFFEcrs OF WATER.-A late mum.
Der of the Water.Cure Journal. amonga varie-
,y Of interesting matter, contains an article on
the Effects Of Water in Intoxication.' founded
on very remarkable case related by DR.. Cur
rie in his Narrative published 80 years ago. The
facts occurred at Barbadoes. are thus stated:
"a gentleman of this island, whose name was
Weeks, great vo,ary of Bacchus, was in the
practice, from fifteen to twenty years. of 2ung.
ing into cold water when he rose from his bot
tie, and actually going to sleep in trough full
of water. with his head supported on kind of
surface. When he dned abroad. and had not
the convenience of his own trough, he used to
strip off his coat, waistcoat and shirt and sit ex
posed ip the open air, and in that situation go to
sleep, whether it rained or not-And sometimes
he went and bathed in the nearest adjoining
pond, to which he generally required assistance
to be conveyed. The effect of this practice was,
that instead of experiencing debility, laasitule,
head ache, and nausea. he found himself on a
waking cheerful and refreshed, and free from
all the effects of intoxcaton. In the year II
50. dining one day abroad, he got alternately
drunk and sober three several times before mid.
night, each time recovering his sohriety by inn
mersing himself, and sleeping in cold water :;
and on awakening returning to the company
The last time, after supper, he was so lmmoder-
ately intoxicated, that he insisted on his com
panions undressing hlm and carrying him them
selves to the pond. They carried him accord.
nglv in chair, and set him up TO the chin in
water, where he continued upwards of an hour,
a person supporting him. had this last cir
cumstance from gentleman, one of the party,
whose ver.c'y may be entirely depended on.
"At home, however, he used, as have already
mentioned, trough made for the purpose. with
a bench in it aS pillow, having been nearly
drowned wheHsleeping in his pond, from the
ing himself fallen asleep. In this watery bed
he would sleep, one, two three or even more
hours, experiencing always the creates: refresh
ment. HIS wife and family, when they wished
him to change his quarters used to draw out the
plug and let the water run of. when he awokr
and humurously complained Of the loss of hi'
bed-clothes. At length this expedient began Il
lose its effects in rousing him. and one time he
continued to sleep in his empty trough. In con
sequence OF this he vas seized with extreme ri
gors and chills, followed nv n fever attack q
rheumatism. which affected him a long time
and made him dcsist from the practice in future
But to the end Of his life he was in the hahi
OF sitting. when intoxicated with his clothes G
pen, and sometimes quite naked. exposed to tn
wind and rain. This extraordinary characte
died Of apoplexy about three weeks ago, age
sixty.thrce."
On this remarkable case DR.. Shew make
some observations which we would copy Q
length but for want ofroom. He defines into'
ication, considered in reference To its effects n
the body, as "a state Of fever. caused by the st
mulus drank and maintains that water is vi
creates, febrifuge or cooling agent in mature
In many cases Of drunkenness were a man car
not walk or remember long enough TO speak
sentence through remedy may be found in
good shower bath. The man above referred
was enabled to endure the cold bath in cons
uuence of the unnatural heat generated by II
alcohol; but he was not thereby enabled to e'
dure fatigue; on the contrary he was dispose
10 sleep. To well man it would have bee
exec sdingly dangerous to lie thus in the waite
but the drunkord was able to endure it on a
count Of the extraordinary amount ofheat in b
system. Such in substance is DR.. Shew's IN
ory. The facts are certainly very curious.
TEMPERANCE.
THE PLEDGE.