Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1856-06-09
Wholesome and Timely.

Dr. Chas. Cooke, Of Albemarlc, writing to Or.
Thomas L. Walker on the efficacy of the ALeghs-
ny Springs in cases Of dyspepsia, Of an aggravated
case of which he was cured by them, makes the
following sensible remarks a. to the use Of mineral
waters generally:
May i, In this connexion, avail myself Of the oc-
casion to throw out, in spirit Of philanthropy,
few suggestions TO valetudnariAns in the habit Of
visiting watering-places for the recovery Of their
health. In 90 cases in the 100 they fall into
two great and fatal errors. They use the waters
unadvisedy and injudiciously, and they use them
too short time to derive the full benefit from
them, even If properly used. A sick man at home
never thinks of taking physc unless prescribed by
his physician after examining his symptoms. He
may stroll through an apothecary shop, but he win
not venture to help himself 70 dose Of medicine
out Of the nearest jar on tho shelf; but let him
visit the great laboratory and drug store Of Nature
mineral spring--to check or TO cure = dissass
which is hurryng him to the grave, he dashes
pell-mell into the use Of the waters, without In
quring whether their properties are suited to his
case, and without asccrtaining the proper mode Of
using them. Nature is no quack-shc has not
prepared one remedy which is panacea for " all
the ills that flesh is heir TO- but in the mineral AZ
in the vegetable kingdom she has created many
remedial agents, adapted to many diseases. But
these agents are not like the old woman'f remedy,
the chief recommendation of which Is, that "f it
does no good, it will do no HARM" If they have
power at all, they have power for miscAie fwrong-
directed, as for good If properly used.
remember, some years ago, meeting with an
old gentleman of Richmond at the White Sulphur
Springs, whose regular potations were eighteen
glasses of water three times day. Hit had been
lager-bier or ginger-pop with which be thus dis
tended his stomach, there would certainly have
been "a burst"--an internal explosion. But tho
water being powerful diuretic the distillaton was
almost as rapid as tho inhibition, and / suppose
the chief effect was thorough dilution Of the
blood, and complete securing out Of the veins
and arteries. sD aeit ha F
The other blunder usually committed by invalids
visiting the Springs for the recovery of health is
the impatience with which they hurry from place
to place without giving to any one water the op-
portunty Of rendering the service II might afford
if judiciously and perseveringly used. Any doctor
could tell them that though acute diseases may be
checked and cured in few days, chronic affections
require time for their successful treatment You,
my dear sir, backed by the whole faculty Of your
city, and by that of Philadelphia to boot (Which is
as famous for doctors az for awyers) with the whole
Inateria medica at hand, would not engage to cure
case Of long-standing dyspepsia in . week or ten
days. And this is about the time that every inva-
lid spends at any one watering place, and he comes
away unbeneHtcd, depressed, and grumbling at
,he want of efficacy in the water gg
n + = z.