Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1847-06-12
Tho Water Cure.

ceive it.
fhe Water Cure.
We have read various sober, methodical, mat.
ter.of.fact descriptions of the way in which peo-
pie are washed clean from disease at the EVA.
Ter cure" Embellishments; Dot here is one, sup.
Piled by victim at Bratteborough for the New
Haven Herald, which does up the process in
vivid. graphic, humorous kind of way. highly
effective, but probably not a whit less truthful
than the dullest of the others
A feeble young man leaves his home and the
nursing cares of doating mother or fond wife.
and comes here away North among the bills, to
seek tho will o-'wisp angel of health--in other
words to get his stomach washed ou, and his
liver put in order After a nights balmy re-
pose, or rather in the midst Of nights slum.
bers, in which he dreams of ireside and home
and the maternal coffee and toast that awaits
his wakening, the door Of his chamber ooens
and in walks figure with shaggy hair and bare
and brawny arms. who shakes the sumberer and
rouses him with the hollow spoken words "Youc
bed is ready" Your bath is ready he means,
without the politeness Of asking. "Are you rea.
dy for your bed1" As inexor.ble as fate he
stands, while the miserable victim rises and de.
nudes himself till no covering but his skin
shields his shrinking nerves from the chill ait
through the open window.
The turmen:or then strips the bed and
spreads first blanket, and then over il thick
sheet Just wet in water OF 46 deg. Fatenheit.--
Upon this the shvering, shrinking patient;
with his whole surface in state Of goosetiesh-
ishness. extends his length, and feels himself
instantly enveloped in its heart chilling iolds-
Then blanket after blanket is laid over nd tuck.
ed in. till he takes the form and has somewhat
the fceiings of en- Egyptian mummy, just jssI
and cold, bound hand and foot and wrapped up
for the tomb He is then leh 10 his own refiec-
lions and the resctve powers Of nature He
considers that if the building should take fire he
would probably, in his helpless condition, be
roasted alive, and makes up his mind that he
would not mind a roasting much provided it
were in 4 warm fire. Soon, however. nature
rallies her force, anu the blood vessels are in
excited action. FIRST. the surface OF the body
becomes warm, then the sheet. then everything
is heated to the stearning point, and there en-.
sues most soothing, sweet and heart-sohening
sensation. in which he again falls asleep. and
dreams Of Paradise and a he'd OF rose leaves.
"Ah whence is that spectre that pails of his
| clothes,
"Ah whence is that splash that now 'larums
his ear 2"
1t is tie same hard hearted william as before,
who, without deignng single word, throws
OF blanket after blanket, and comfortable after
comfortable, till only one envelope ie left, when
he seizes him by the shoulders, lif:s him upright
in the bed, uncovers his feet, puts on pair OF
slippers, throws a blanket over the head and
says "foliow me-" With one eye open, as do.
cile as lamb led 10 sacrifice, feeling like d
fool he goes slip.shod down stairs, seats himself
in tub Of water at ID, where bucket iull i5
poGnced over him, and two rough hands ru6s
him well--"But that is nothiDg--that amt"
gefore him is the terrible plunge bath, IA feet
by %, and 4 or Al deep. It's surfateis SO clear
that il seems only tank Of air with q sligh,
emerald tinge. Vain magnation! Thsl IL
quid is as real as rpck and cold as the dohbe ex-
tract of iceberss, and into that-4feiehsd NOR
tal-must you p'unee. So here goes; one
splash, and he rises to the top, feeling an icicle
thrust through his heart Out he Scrambled
and back again to the half bath, which now
feels like ho, water, 10 be again rubbed Then
dry rubbing with sheet and he is clothed
quickly for walk, and be struts forth to meet
the sun, with nerves trsced up to such pllch
that he cares no, what be meets.
Oses hili and IT. rough dell he siumps il with
vigor, till presently the resetlpp is complete, snt
he feels as il he had swspped himself awsy tr
another man, II he has even the hu,neltst
kpox ledge Of WHEELING, be puts. il 10 ptactices
or speeds long n,editatlng, The hrs, hslfof the
walk upos the beauties Of ss,uFe. and the latter
half on The probsbls quality os breakfast resu"-
ed to satisfy an appetite that has become more
.hsrkliAe Asn human.