Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1892-08-16
THE WATER cuRF


Next TO making laws to govern other
people, and keeping boarding house to
give other people dyspepsia, the energies
of the average crank, or philosopher,
turn lightly TO physic He is poor man
who has not some pet concoction to
recommend to an ailing enemy; she is
sad and lonesome woman who will not
delight in mixing the awful brews which
have come down through generations OF
tender but troublesome mothers and
maiden aunts TO vex but not cure
mankind.
Fortunately, most of these home
brewed panaceas are harmless; they
have no intrinsic merit except that they
are not fatal; they do not accomplish
anything more radical than to show
the pg-headed persistence of ignorant
oiliciousness.
One Of the most innocuous of these
cures is the water-cure. Water is really
a cure. It is excellent for thirst; it
relieves languor, stimulates the appetite
and washes down a piece of tough steak
Water has many uses necessary to all,
and grateful at least TO the Anglo-Saxon
race, but which are not generally men
toned in polite society The Indians
and Anarchists do not object TO the men
ton of additions but they never practice
them especially if there are any obnoxious
suggestions Of soap accompanying.
Water, like a successful politician, is a
good mixer 1t is unnec essary TO enlarge
upon the mixing qualities Of water in
semi-temperance community Immediately
after a long dry spell of areligious camp
meeting. Nearly everybody realizes the
delights Of water, even if he is forced to
take it through a straw diluted and
modified into a julep.
1t is not strange that a Bavarian
priest, Father Sebastian Kneipp, as
made a long alphabetical list of diseases
for which the sovereign cure is water.
Indeed the good father has written a
book about water as a curative agent
explaining the particular brands, where
to get them and how to apply them.
His book, wonderfully watery
work, is divided into three
parts. The first describes the various
methods of application of water and
gives brief directions about the drinking
of water Part the second gives an ac-
count Of divers medicinal plants-simples,
our fathers would have called them-with
which the author supplements the use of
water, and also Of several kinds of
strength giving foods Part the third
contains a long list of diseases which
have been treated by Pastor Kneipp.
He mentions all of the diseases for
which water is used here, in solution and
simple, and great many diseases which
no prudent man would have, no matter
how high the tariff might be. He varies
the regimen materially in many respects
and recommends water, straight, ON the
outside and entreats his readers to wade
in it. Concerning the perambulatory cure
he says:
The most natural and most simple
means of hardening is walking bare
footed. Grown up people, in towns,
especially those who belong to the higher
classes, cannot make use of this practice
that is quite clear Yet what is 10 pre-.
vent them from taking a promenade in
their bare feet for ten, fifteen, or thirty
minutes at night before going to sleep OF
in the morning when risingY A special
and extremely eilicacious kind of walking
barefooted, is walking in the grass, nc
matter If It be wet with dew. rain, OF
watering This practice / can highly
recommend 20 young and old. healthy
and sick no matter what other applica
; ton they may be using. The wetter the
grass, the longer one perseveres in tn,
, exercise, and the oftener it is
repeated, the more perfect will
be the success. The exercise is gener
ally taken for from fifteen to forty
five minutes.
That reads like a protectionist's idea Of
getting rich by taxing ourselves; or like
Farmers Alliance lecturers excursion
into aplan for little private sub treas
ury- It is neither. Father Kneipp neve
heard Of the tin-plate monomania or o
T. the sub-treasury scheme These ideas O
walking barefoot and promenadingas h
d suggests in one case in knee-deep waite
e for thirty minutes, are unique, original
a and as everybody will admit often yer,
Q useful if accepted literally by these Z
p whom water would do the most good