This has arifen, in part, from the mildness and falubrity of its climates for it is the tered by diffent hills, as if placed in the ceuter of a large amphitheatre. But, as its chief reputation is owing to the celebrity of its (prings in curing bilious difeafes, it be comes an important confideration to have the nature of its water, and their modes of operation, in these intricate diforders, explained; which my experience in tropical climates has enabled me to undertake.

As my object was to render this treatife worthy the attention of medical men, and, at the fame time, as intelligible as poffible to invalids, I have endeavoured to give a plain narrative of the properties of all the mineral waters in Cheltenham and its neighbourhood; and bave prefixed a few introductory obfervations, explaining the new chemical names, and the acknow ledged medical virtues, of substances usually found in mineral waters, on purpose to avoid the frequent interpretation of terms which would have occurred in the courfe of the work.

"The fufpicions which prevailed among the vifitors at Cheltenham, during the two laft Summers, that the chemical properties of the faline waters were changed, and the apprehension that the fountains of health from whence they flowed would foon fail to yield a fufficient fupply of water for the ordinary confumption of their votaries, determined me to inveftigate the fubject; the refult of which I now piefent to the publick.

"The Lower or Old Well, of greatest renown, has yielded, during the two laft Summers, nearly the fame quantity of water as formerly; but, in conlequence of the increase of

kers, it has generally been drank dry in the pace of an hour and a half. The only difference of properties between the prefent and paft ftate of the water confifls in a lefs frequent difcovery of the fulphureous fmell than it originally poiffed; but its dofe and its virtues are nearly the fame as they ever were. they ever

"The Upper or King's Well has been gadually declining for fome years paft, particularly in the quantity of water it jupplies. Few falls were made from it latt Winter; and its water was fo fcanty this Su.amer that it was frequently cohfumed in less than half an hour. It feldom was perfectly clear, from the difficulty of rating fo fmall a quantity of water from a great depth. It has not the hepatic Imell it originally poffeffed; but its catliaṛtic properties continue und minished.

"The failure of this well, no doubt, inercafed the demand upon the other pa but not to fo great a degree as might be expected, because few perfons were in the habits of drinking the water of the Upper Well except fervants, who feldom vifit Cheltenham on account of their health.

"To remove all apprehenfions of future fcarcities of water, by any extraordinary influx of company to Cheltenham, the author has diligently employed himself the whole pait Summer in fuperintending the boring of the ground, in different places in the vicinity of the town, for the purpose of difcovering new fprings. It appears, from his refearches, that a fufficiency of water,, to fupply any demands that can poffibly he made upon the place, will foon be obtained.

"Two additional Iprings have already heen discovered, which contain faline wa ter not inferior to that of the established fpas in chemical or medical virtues; one of which fupplies fuch abundance of water that it is intended to convert it to a well.

"As this treatife is chiefly intended for practical uses, the hiftory of bilious diseases has occupied the largest part of it; and for the accurate difcrimination of those cafes which require a purging plan from thofe that do not, the whole of bilious complaints ufually occurring in this country have been feparately confidered, and, for the fake of perfpicuity, are arranged into a concife fyftem.

"As brevity has likewife been a principal confideration with the author, every fubject foreign to the profeffed objects of the treatife has been avoided. No more chemical difcuffion has been introduced than was abfolutely neceffary to fupport the opinions advanced. Some obfervations were neceffary to be made on baths, and thofe auxiliary remedies which render the waters more efficacious in curing diseases; and upon the nature of the foil of Chelten ham, a fubject unexplored, ent may lead to a knowledge of the origin of purging cha lybeate waters. Thefe fubjects, however, are confined to a very few pages of the work.

"As there never was any publication on the properties of the Royal Spa, I have briefly flated the analyfis I have made.

"The more valuable any remedy prover, the more liable it is to be abufed. This is moft obvious with refpect to fea-bathing, calomel, and Cheltenham waters, neither of which can be used imprudently without ferious confequences. This treatife is intended to remove prevailing errors with regard to Cheltenham water and calomel. The imprudent ufe of the former occafioned Dr. Saunders to calculate that a third of the whole number of the drinkers of Cheltenham water was hurt by perfevering in the purging plan *.

No doubt great mifchief has arifen from writers recommending the purging fprings of Cheltenham in nervous diseases,

Preface to Dr. Saunders on the Liand

ver, 3d edition."

and in cafes where the vital powers are greatly diminished. It is not furprising that patients fhould deceive themfelves, when the faculty propagate errors, and praife mineral waters indifcriminately. In a late treatife on Cheltenham water it is obferved, that it is proper for confumptions, dropfy, and nervous debility; for it braces the nerves, and endues them with new vigour*. And the fame dangerous doctrines have been fince promulgated in the Cheltenham Guides †. In a medical publication on Cheltenham waters, the latest and most popular, they are recommended, especially in nervous difeafes, which the author exemplifies by a cafe of pally of the fide being cured by them, as related to him by the patient himself; and adds, that feveral other cafes came within his own experience. Whereas, the only notice taken af bilious difeafes in that treatife is in the following words: "Complaints within the abdomen, from foulnefs of the alimentary canal, obstructions, or redundancy of the bilious fecretion, en

other fimple chalybeate that have been given for this water.

"I have called it Steel Well, to diftinguish it from the faline fpas, with which it has been frequently confounded, although they differ fo effentially in their nature that the faline and fteel waters are used in different kinds of difeafes, and most fre quently in thofe of an oppofite nature.

"From my own obfervations, as well as those of others, made upon this water laft year, it was then ftronger than it proved this Summer: perhaps the long-continued hot and dry we ther, from the fuperficial fituation of the well, decompofed its water; and there is reafon to believe, when fome projected improvements of the proprietor have taken place, that it will become a powerful tonick, and prove a valuable acquifition to the town of Cheltenham and its vifitors.??

In the neighbourhood of Cheltenham are feven other impregnated fprings: the Hyde fpring, in Prestbury parifh, two miles and a half from

waters.

"But another more frequent caufe of mifchief arifes from patients ufing the wa ter indifcriminately, without medical ad vice. It is not uncommon for perfons to commence a courfe of purging from a fuppofition that they are bilicus; and for thofe who are really bilious to profecute a purging plan without knowing to what extent purging water can be taken with fafety. Prudence requires that invalids thould al ways be directed, before they drink the waters, whether they are to purfue a laxative or a puiging plan; and, after they have continued their ufe a certain time, to know whether changes have taken place

.

in their conftitution or their difeafe to in terdict their farther ufe..

"I have fubjoined an account of the newly-eftablished chalybeate well at the upper end of Cheltenham, the nature of which the publick were unacquainted with, although many perfons drank the water. I have perhaps entered more fully into the confideration of its medical virtues than a fecondary object of this treatife tequares, or experience has authorifed; but, from its being a fimple carbonated chalybeate, fimilar to that of Tunbridge Wells, and numerous others in thefe kingdoms,

which differ little from each other in their medical application, the fame obfervations will ferve for the administration of any

"Barker on Cheltenham Water, pp.

28, 29, 33. 1786.” +Tour to Cheltenham by Moreau, pp. 55, 60, 1797"

"Dr. Smith on Cheltenham Water, PP. 52,62. 1787."

miles; one at Arle, a mile; at Walton, feven miles; at. Barnwood, eight miles; at Nanton farm, nine miles; at Walfworth hall, three miles from Gloucelter. All thefe different faline fprings in the vale, when examined by chemical tefts, afforded the fame kind of precipitations, differing from one another. in proportion of ingredients only. (p. 51.) Dr. J. intended to have made a particular analysis of the lower fpring, but was refufed, by the renter of the fpa, a fingle gallon of water for that purpose. (p. 58.) "European difeafes. in warm climates are few and uniform. In the East Indies the hepatitis and cholera morbus prevail in the dry feafon; and the remittent fever and flux in the rainy feafon. The two former are most common among those who undergo great fatigue; but the latter are the moft fatal. It is the remains of thete difeafes that fill Cheltenham with bilious patients." (p. 73.) "The waters are of inore fervice in thefe cafes than in moft others, to carry off the bile; but they ought to be drank in fmall dofes, that the ftomach loaded with bile be able to retain them. There will often be occafion to use the water warm in, this ftate of the ftomach. But not to encourage much vomiting; as, in all cafes of redundant bile, the proper exit is downwards." (p. 85.)

may

to explain the Origin and Nature of the Fever which lately appeared in Newcastle. Addreffed to the Inbabitants, by James Wood, M. D. one of the Phyficians to the Infirmary, Difpenfary, &c.

"THIS fever, called Typhus (from the Greek word Too, fignifying Stu por), appears in fome climates at certain fealons of the year, and difappears again at other feafons. In this country it commonly begins to prevail in the months of October and November; it is much lefs frequent in the Spring months, and very commonly almost disappears in Summer. Under certain circumftances it will appear almost in any feafon; but thefe circum ftances do not frequently take place in Summer; fometimes they do in particular fituations; and, when every other part of this town is free from fever, it will often rear its head in the Caftlegarth or neighbourhood, or in Pipewell-garth in Gateshead. Although it commonly appears more general in the Winter months, yet many years have paffed, within the laft feven years, with little or no fever in Newcafile; which can only be accounted for by that particular fate of the weather which is immediately favourable to its origin not aking place, as all other circum ftances are the fame. The fame fever alfo arifes under circumftances not connected with the general ftate of the air or weather; it will appear in places in which many perfons fleep, or are erouded together without proper ventilation and cleanliness, as in fhips, jails, lodging-houfes, or where a large family is confined to one room. The fame fever alfo arifes from fatigue, with great exertion, followed by expofure to damp or wet, and the ufe of heating liquors. The body, heated and weakened, is more fenfible of cold and rain; and chillinefs or fhivering takes place, which is the firft fymptom of the febrile flate. That particular flate of the weather, which commonly prevails at this feafon, produces more or lefs of debility, and lays a general foundation for fever. The prefent fever does not appear to have been alone the effect of the weather; fatigue, with great exertion, and local caufes, have combined with the weather to produce it, and made, perhaps, the effects of cold with rain or wet cloaths more fenfibly felt. Nothing more evidently Lews when the feafon is likely to be oghealthy than the vegetable kingdom.

It was remarkable that vegetation, during the lati dry weather, drooped more than ufual, and fuffered in a great degree in this neighbourhood. The fea fons, in America, which feemed most favourable to the production of fever, were long, hot, and dry.

"A fever, though but little heard of, appeared in different parts of Newcaltle in July and Auguft, highly nervous and not in the leaft putrid. This fever appears as little putrid, and much lefs nervous. Poor living, or want of fufficient food, is another concurring caufe of fever generally called Low Fever. Every variety of this fever, even the leaft putrid, may go on to produce contagion: the prefent fever has not appeared to me to go on to this flate. There was, in 1791 and 1792, more fever in Newcastle, with lefs alarm, becaufe more gradual; that of July and Auguft little heard of."

The refult of Dr. W's obfervations is, that the fever at prefent prevailing in Newcattle has nothing extraordinary in its hiftory, except that it affected many on the fame day, Oct. 19, and the few following; and that this extraordinary circumftance can only be attributed to the ftate of the air at that particular time, which does not now exift, and must have only exifted for a few days: nor is there now any danger to others, except from contagion, which may be avoided; but the tendency to produce it is increafed by vinous and fpirituous liquors; and that bark and wine and opium have not proved fuccefsful means for the cure of this fever, which is fubfiding almost as quickly as it has appeared; and that it has often prevailed in Newcattle before, to the fame and greater extent, without producing fo much alarm; and that the mortality attending the prefent fever has not, on the whole, been greater than in fevers of former yours; and that a juft medium is to be obferved between the doctrine of little or no danger from contagion, or of there being no fuch thing as contagion (as is now held forth by many members of the medical focieties of Edin burgh), and between the alarm lately given by one or two medical perfons of this town, of the great danger of contagion in the prevailing fever, by the fame perfon or perfous too, I believe,, who reprefented, laft year, that, under the fame circumftances, there was no danger from contagion."