Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1846-02-07

u 1HE WATER CURE JouRNAt.--We have
received the first six numbers of this excellent
work, edited by DR.. Joel Shew Of New York.
and published semi.ponthly, at 81 per annum.
The great discovery of Preisnitz, that almost all
diseases can be, not only speedily cured, but en-.
trely eradicated from the system, by the appli.
cation of water, is one of the most useful and i'm
rortant discoveries of modern times Some years
since cold water and fresh air were entirely ban
shcd from the sick chamber Now the virtue
Of cold water, in many cases, is admitted by |
practitioners of all classes. The first number of |
the Journal contains Bulwer's celebrated article
giving an account Of his restoration to health by
this process after he had Abandoned all hopes of |
relief under the hands of the most eminent ply !
sicians in England We have made cop ous ex-
tracts from the article, in this weeks paper. The
article was evidently written while under deep
seated feeling of gratitude, and is invested with
that captivating style, familiar to all the readers
of Bulwer We make the following ex
tracts
AT this time, about January Of lS44,
was thoroughly shattered. The least attempt
at exercise exhausted me. The nerves gave
| way at the most ordinary exctemen--a chronic
| irritation Of that vast surface we call the mn'
cous membrane, which had defed for years all
medical skill, rendered me continually liable TO
acute attacks, which from their repetition ard
increa sed eebleness of my frame, might at any
time be fatal. Though free from any organic
disease Of the heart, it's action was morbdly
restless and painful My sleep was without
rcircshmen, At morning rose more weary
than laid down to rest
at was ut this time tha, ! met by chance, in
the library o, St. Leonards, with Captain Cla-
ridges work on the "Wator.Cure," as practsed
by Priessnitz at Graefenberg. Making allow
ance for certain exaggeratiors therein, which
appeared evident to my common sense, enough
still remained not only TO cap'ivate the imagl'
nation and hatter the hopes of an invalid, but to
, appeal with favor to his sober Judgment. Till
then perfectly ignorant Of the subject and the
system, except by some such vague stories and
. good tests as had reached my ears in Germany
i ! resolved q, least to rend what more could 5t
l. said in favor Of the GrisiOn udor, and examine
i dspessIora,ely into its merits as medicament
/ | was then under the advice Of one Of the frs
= physicians of our age had consulted half tht
+ faculty. had every reason to be grateful 70
u the attention, and to be confident in the skill
V of those whose prescriptions had, from time t.
time, fattered my hopes and enriched the chem
D. ist Bu, the truth must be spokeu--far from
Of being better, was sinking fast Little remain
L. ed to me TO try in the great volume Of the her
or bal. Seek what wouid next, even if quack
y, cry, it certainly might expedite my grave, bu
n it could scarcely render llfe-at least the exte
Ne nal life-more unjoyous.
= "Still my friends were anxious and fearful
to please them continued to inquire, thong
=, not of physicians but of patients. sougi
out some OF those who had gone through III
-. process sitled some Of the cases Of cures C
-, ted by Dr. Wilson found the account of II
patients so encouraging, the cases quoted so al
tIen,ic. that grew impa,ien, ofhelay. | ,hre
'rs physic to the dogs, and went to Malvern.
~ "The first point which impressed and struC
'o' me was the extreme and utter innocence uftl
W Water-Cure in skilful hands--in any hands
"e deed not thoroughly new to the system c.
~ tainly when went, | believed it to be kill
cure system. tancieG it must be very
his olent remedy-lhat it doubtless might effo
,cv great and magical crres--hut that ifit failed
Mr. might be fatal Now, speak not alone of r
du. own case, but of the immense number of cas-
st- ! have secn--patents of all ages-all spec
'or- and genera ofdlsesse--all kinds and condtiC
att of constitution, when declare, upon my hon
'ie. that never witnessed one dangerous systt
and produced by the Water Cure, whether at d.
ond tor Wilson's or the other Hydropathc Insti
"'' tions which afterwards visited. And thou
unquestionaby fatal consequences might OCT
nts r .
r ably have so occurred at various establishment
,ro | am yet convinced that water in itself is
ex friendly to the human body, that it require
ei. very extraordinary degree of bunGling, of ig
be rance, and presump, ion, to produce results rt
ion. ly dangerous; that regular practitioner d
We more frequent mischief from the misapp
be ton of even the simplest drugs, than wa
irge docter Of very moderate experience does, or
e no do, by misap ppcaton of his baths and frictic
10 "Ilere lies great secret; water thus s
- fully administered is in itself wonderful
citement it supplies the place of all other
:. il operates powerfully and rapidly upon