216 A count of the Baths and Waters of Bareges. extremely well, being used to carry guns for the defence of their flock against wolves. The first born, whether a girl or a boy, iberits the paternal estate, and the brothers and lifters generally live A as fervants with the heir, having no portion fufficient to place them in a fuperior rank. Hufbandry is practifed in as great perfection as the place will admit, and confifts principally in the judicious management of water, which is conveyed in due time and measure to the B lands by finall channels, which, during the cold weather, convey warm fprings, and during the fcorching heats, fnow water to refresh the ground and preferve the herbage; by this means the fides of the mountains are covered with perpetual verdure, and the meadows are fo fertile that they afford C three crops of excellent hay in a feafon, among which there is fuch plenty and variety of aromatic herbs, that the cattle never fuffer by epidemic difeafes. Forage being the chief product of this country, flocks and herds are the principal commodities, by vending D which the inhabitants procure from thofe of the plain, corn, and whatever ele they need, which is not much, for having no factitious talte or appetite to gratify, they find in bread, and their own excellent milk and cream, wild fpinnage, and other herbs, more delight and better nourishment than E the most costly tables of learned luxury can fupply. F As a reward for this temperance and fimplicity of life, they are exempt from all difeafes but fuch as affect the eyes, and are produced by fudden transitions from the mild foft air of the vallies, to the keen penetrating breezes of the hights,except that fome who have naturally a weak digeftion are troubled with worms. The author faw a man in his eightieth year, who was employed in building a wall, lift large ftones with furprizing vieour; he was freight, agile, and full of fpirits; his complexion was fresh, and his teeth found, and G white as ivory; he had never been blooded nor taken any medicine, having never known fickness or pain, except a foreness in his eyes, of which he then complained as a mighty evil, being unacquainted with "all the nat'ral pangs that flesh is heir to," in other countries: upon being questioned concerning his manner of life, he said that he had never eaten flesh or drank wine but once a year at the fair of Luz. H The company however that come to the village for the benefit of the waters, are accomodated with fuch food as they have been used to eat in great plenty, and at a reasonable rate: The mountains furnish excellent mutton, venison, pheafants, gelinots, quails, and white partridges; the lakes and Itreams,trout in great plenty, and the neighbouring plains of Tarbe supply every thing else that is defirable, except good wine, which may be eafily procured from Jurançon near Pau in Bearn not very far diftant. Three very confiderable navigable rivers, the Garonne, the Dour, and the Gave, take their life in the neighbourhood of Bareges; the Gave falls from its fource in a calcade at Gaverny, and is in many respects a very extraordinary natural curiofity; The fummit of the rock from which it is precipitated, has the appearance of a ruined amphitheatre, being femicircular with the concave outwards; it is perpetually covered with fnow, and the irregula rity of the ridge over which the torrent flows, divides it into a great variety of ftreams, fome of which are broken into a kind of rain, which when the fun fhines upon it reflects the prifmatic colours in the form of a rajnbow: As the fummit of this mountain is covered with fnow, fo there is alfo a large tract of fnow many feet high under its shade at the bottom, in this fnow the falling water running in feveral rivulets, has formed inumerable cells, vaulted apartments, and bridges regularly arched, which have probably fubfiited ever fince the univerfal deluge. Even thofe mountains that are naked offer their tribute to mankind, fome of them contain metal, and others the most curious maible and chryftal: Of chrystal the author has feen many very large pieces detached from a rock near Bareges, which in cut and polish were not interiour to the productions of art. Affaciated with the chryttal in the rocky clefts of thefe mountains there is found alfo the Abellos, an incombustible subLance well known for its ufe among the ancient Romans who made bags of it, in which they burnt their dead and by this means preferved their afhes intire and unmixed: It fhoots out in filaments from fibrous roots of a stony fubftance; whence alfo the chrystal rifes in clusters, fome wholly tranipa rent, and fome tranfparent only in ftreaks. It has been a question among naturalifts, whether the afbeflos is a mineral or vegetable substance; it has many many appearances of being vegetable, The Pyreneans manufacture the afbeftos into purfes and garters, which they fell to ftrangers; it would certainly be convenient for lamp-wicks, and might be useful for other purposes. In the clifts with the chryftal and af. B beflos there is alfo found a very remarkable fand; it is of an olive colour, of impalpable fineness, and abounds with particles both of the afeftos and chrytal: This fand being put into a crucible, and kept in the fire fix days, affumed a new appearance, and came out a yellow heavy powder, refembling limel, or the filings of metal, having among it a few lumps of a vitrified fubftance refembling chryftal. A farther examination of this fubject is recommended to the curious and able. C The medicinal fprings of Bareges rife in the lower end of the village, at the foot of the mountain which bounds D the valley to the South; a vaulted stone building has been erected over them by order of the King of France, and the area is divided into four bathing rooms; three of these are in a line, and the fourth is one fide, their fituation being directed by that of the fprings. The hottest rifes in the middle room, called the great bath, and fupplies two lateral pipes which go into each of the neighbouring rooms, one of which is called the little bath, and the other the new bath; the pipe that conveys the water into the little bath is not more than 5 feet long, yet it lofes much of its heat in the paffage; the pipe that carries it into the new bath is longer, and the heat is proportionably diminished. In thefe two rooms there alfo rife two fprings, which are only blood-warm, and form what are called the Pleafure Baths: The warmth of the water of the spring that rifes in the lateral room is a middle degree between the pleasure baths and the great bath; the name of this lateral bath we are not told. The waters of all thefe fprings are fpecifically the fame; they all iffue directly from the earth, and bubble as they rife; they are well inclofed within feparate vaults, very closely cemented, which prevent the diffipation of the fpirituous parts, and convey them (Gent. Mag. MAY 1764) ༢ E G to their proper outlets, free from alteration or taint. Under thefe outlets, or pipes, bathing-tubs are placed, which have a vent below of exactly the fame capacity as the pipe above, fo that as the water is always running in and out of the tub at the fame time, and the tub is ftill full, the patient lies in a ftream of fresh water perpetually renewed, and his bath has the fame falutary virtues the last minute as the firft, how long foever he continues in it. The floors of these rooms are paved with ater that flows over them, which with marble,& kept conftantly clean by is collected as it runs out into a fewer that conveys it to a common receptacle, called the Horfe Bath, where that ùfeful and noble animal finds a cure for a broken wind, stiff finues, fwellings, ulcerations, and many other dif. eafes. From this receptacle the waters are discharged into the neighbouring ftream that nows through the valley. The author judiciously obferves, that very little can be known of mineral waters by chemical analyfis, because tho' diftillation and evaporation exhibit the elementary principles of a mixed fluid, yet its properties cannot be determined from fuch principles, fince they do not remain the fame either in fpecies or effect as before they were difunited. A chemical analyfis fhews, indeed, the power of fire in dividing and new modifying bodies, but it can teach us nothing of their primitive conftitution and ceconomy. Neither acids nor alcalis raise a fenfible effervefcence in any fresh drawn waters, and therefore the alcali found in the waters of Bareges after evaporation and diftillation, is manifeftly a new creation, and can bear no more analogy to their native falt, than a volatile falt chemically extracted from our blood bears to that of the circulating mass, There is scarce any fubftance which. fire does not fpecifically change; Laurel leaves diftilled yield a ftrong poifon, barley and other foft farinaceous fubftances a burning fpirit; rhubarb, a purgative when in its natural state, becomes an aftringent when toasted; nitre which naturally cools, when raised toa fpirit is violently hot, and alum by cal cination becomes cauftie; analytical experiments, therefore, can never fhew the constitution and œconomy of miH neral waters, It is indeed of little confequence, to know how these waters produce falu. tary effects; it is enough for us to know that falutary effects are produced Ff by 1218 Cures performed by using the Baths. by them. The following account of the appear nces which they exhibit in a natural ftate is added chiefly as a gratification of curiosity. They fend forth a very fenfible feam, which has a bituminous smell. A They have al o a bituminous taste, and are finooth, sweetish, and refreshing to the palate, somewhat like a very fmall quantity of fine manna diffolved in water, but without its maukith quality. The furface is covered with a fine pellucid oil, which very foon difap. pears. They are perfectly clear and colourlefs. White filaments are feen Aoating in them, when first they issue from the Spring. B These filaments fubfide, and with C them an oleagenous fubftance, for which they form cells. Thefe unctuous particles are difcernable while they are fufpended, for the water flips through the fingers like oil, and the body, when immersed in it, feels as if it had been rubbed with pomatum or cool cream. This precious balfam is found whereever the waters glide or ftagnate, fome of it is left in the pipes through which it paffes, the bathing tubs are lined with it, and it may be taken up in handfuls along the fewer that leads from the rooms to the horse bath. The water, if exposed to the air 24 hours, lofes its bituminous taste and finell, its unctuous quality and pellucidity. The fediment fpread on a leaf of paper will exhale in a few hours, and leave little more than a filamentous fcum. vice of the King of Pruffia, and Lord Crawfurd, with many officers of diftinction who had been defperately wounded, and notwithstanding the affiftance of the most skillful furgeons, were afflicted with fitulous ulcers, finus's, carious bones, contractions of the mufcles, anchylofis or inflexibility of the joint caufed by the end of the bone above, and that of the bone below growing together, attended with languor, waiting, hectic heats, lofs of appetite and reft, and every other dreadful and dangerous fymptom, yet found a perfect cure by the internal and external use of these waters. A magiftrate of Metz had a fiftulous ulcer in the middle of his thigh, occafioned by vitiated juices; the probe entered to the bone which was become rotten, and there were many finus's, or long cavities in the flesh, reaching as high as the hip, through which flowed a profufe quantity of fœtid malignant matter, yet he was by bath. ing, pumping, and drinking the waters perfectly cured in one feason. A failor had been cut for an empyDema, or collection of matter in the left breaft, at the hofpital of Bourdeaux, but the wound became fiftulous and could not be healed; great quantities of foetid matter iffued from it thro a canula, or pipe, which was placed in it for that purpose: The water of the hot fpring was injected into the wound; at firit it brought away vast quantities of matter, which gradually decreased; after seven weeks the water returned clear without mixture or fmell, the ulcer clofed, and the patient recovered perfect health. E F The heat of the spring in the great bath is, by Farenheit's thermometer, 111, that of the water fupplied from this fpring to the little bath 110, of the water fupplied from the fame fpring to the new bath 109, of the fprings that rife in the little bath and new bath, G which form what is called the pleasure bath, 94. The heat of the spring that rifes in the lateral building, as afcertained by the thermometer, is not mentioned. These waters taken internally are principally difcharged by perfpiration and urine, for they feldom purge. From the catalogue of cures effected by these waters, the following are felected as an encouragement to the af Acted. General Keith, since killed in the fer H A magiftrate of Thoulouse had a fiftula in ano, for which he had been cut without fuccefs: After 15 months the perforation in the intestine was ftill u..healed, callofities were formed, and extremely foul matter difcharged. The pump, temperate baths and injections, with embrocrations and lint dipped in the mineral water effected a cure in about two months. The daughter of a merchant in Bourdeaux had a fiflula lachrymalis in each eye, and after nine months was cured by fomentation, pumping, and injections of the water into the lachrymal ducts by means of a fyringe, pro perly contrived, in fix weeks. A lady who had been long afflicted with a malignant ulcer in her womb, which wasted her extremely by a conftant and copious difcharge, was perfectly cured in a month by injections of of thefe waters, at the fame time taking them internally, and using the temperate bath. Another lady afflicted with the fame diforder in the very bottom of the womb, aggravated with hyfteric affections, and great lownefs of fpirits, was alfo cured by the fame means. A married lady about 26 years of age finding herfeif greatly out of order, was examined by Mr Douglas, a celebrated man-midwife of that time, who discovered a schirrous tumour on the left fide of the interiour orifice of A the womb, a most difadvantageous fi- B rous part, which was happily effected by a tin pipe, one end of which was formed into a funnel, and the other by an intermediate leatbern duct was joined to a very smooth ivory pipe. This inftrument was contrived by the author, and the patient being properly feated before the hot fpring, intrɔduced the cannula into the paffage of the womb as high as the inward orifice, and then a female attendant held the funnel under the fpout, by which means the water, in the manner of pumping, was poured against the fore. By this operation a fanious matter con tinued to drain from the pant more than a month, after which all the fymptoms difappeared: She took the benefit of the waters another season, af. ter which, being re-examined, the furgeons found no traces of the fwelling, and, to the author's knowledge, 14 years elapfed without the leaft token of its having ever existed. Thefe waters, though they do not cure, yet they stop the progress of a true cancer, and procure eafe to the patient. They radically cure the king's evil. DA child feven years old was fo bad with this diforder that all the falival glands were deeply ulcerated with hard inverted lips, and many other glands were obstructed. The waters, affifted by mercurial frictions, effected a perfect cure. Being then at Paris, fhe was fearched again by two of the most eminent furgeons of that city, who found the Ichirrus tumour to be of the size and fhape of a pear, preffing laterally on the rectum, the pfoas mufcle, and fci- E atic nerves, in confequence of which fhe had become lame. Bleeding, domeftic baths, anodine clyfters, emoli、ent injections, aperatives and gentle purgatives were adminiftred in their turn, but all without effect; and during an accidental fever the local ailment acquired new malignity, and the F tumour degenerated into a perfect carcinoma, or cancerous ulcer. She then went to Leyden to confult the celebrated Dr Boerhave, who fent her to Aix-la-Chapelle, where the used the waters externally and internally two fummers without benefit. In 1739 fhe went to Bareges; the firft temperate baths gave her eafe and fleep, and by continuing them with in jections and clyfters of the water, all the symptoms gradually abated, and in about three months fhe thought herfelf well. G A relapfe, however, obliged her to H return the next season, and to be certain of a radical cure, fhe went a third feafon. The great point was, to bring the waters in contact with the fchir A gentleman of Montpellier was perfectly cured of a fleshy fwelling in his testicles, called a farcocele, which had at length impoftumated, and made its way through the gland in many finuffes, fo that the beft furgeons were of opinion that the lofs of the part could not be prevented. A poor lad, about 20 years old, whofe legs had from his infancy been quite bent under him, by a contraction of the flexor tendons, fo ftrong that no force could extend them, was perfectly cured, and got his living by going on errands for the company at the baths. A French officer, M Sefredy, had an anchylofis in the knee of 14 years ftanding, fo that all that time he had worn a wooden leg, yet in one season he was fet on his feet. Another officer having been fhot in the thigh the member became pary. litic after the wound was healed, and wafted away, but he obtained a perfect cure at Bareges. A magiftrate of Thoulouse who had a large nodus adhering to the flexor ten dont 220 Cures performed by dons of his right leg, which prevented him from walking, was perfectly freed from it in fix weeks. Several perfons were cured of exoftoles, or boney protuberances in vafious parts particularly in the angle of the lower jaw, and the cheek-bone. The moft inveterate hereditary fcurvies, and even the leprofy, yield to the falutary power of these waters. A A gentleman fubject to cutaneous eruptions from his infancy, became so bad at thirty that his body was one univerfal fore; and in this dreadful B condition he continued no less than 15 years, though being very wealthy he tried, during that time, all the re medies that the most skillful in phyfic could advise, and particularly mercury in every form. It was generally imagined that his diforder arofe from an inveterate fcorbutic taint, but the C author imagined it to be tetterous, than which no evil is more difficult to eradicate. This gentleman in two months was cured by a milk diet and the waters, and the author faw him fix years afterwards, and he had then had no return of his complaint. A lady from Martinico was cured of itching puftules and running fores in fix weeks. The author faw the Erysipelas, or St Anthony's fire, cured by staying only three hours in the temperate bath. D There are many local cutaneous difeafes that are wholly independant E of all taint or vice in the blood, which are, notwithstanding, extreamly diffi. cult to cure; thefe however, yield to Bareges waters, and cold bathing afterwards prevents their return. Thefe waters diffolve carnofities in the urethra, which frequently happen in the venereal difeafe, efpecially affifted with the Bougie; they alfo remove callofities in the mouth, and other evils which fometimes are the effects of falivation. A fervant of Lord Crawford's had been afflicted with the venereal disease many years, notwithstanding repeated G falivations, and other medicinal courses; when he was at Bareges with his Lord, he was extremely emaciated, his nails and hair had, in part, fallen off, he had a deep ulcer in his loins, feveral in his throat, and others about the privities; he had, befides, many H indurated excreffencies, and the uvula had fallen off by a mortification; be had conftant pains in his legs, arms, and head, and the want of reft greatly #ggravated his fufferings, and he had he appearance of a spectre, using the Baths. For the particular manner in which this patient was treated by the author the reader is referred to his work, but the iffue was that he went away with his lord found and hearty in little more than a month. A huntfman of the king of France was cured of a rheumatism in his loyns that bent him double. Several patients were cured of the Hemiplegia. A gentleman of Martinico had been many years a martyr to the gout, fo that the tendons and ligaments of his feet were become rigid, and the joints motionlefs, his legs and knees were greatly fwelled, and he was often feized with excruciating pains in his bowels, head, fhoulders and arms. This patient the author faw perfectly cured, in two months. An ecclefiaftic of Thouloufe had been many years fo bad with an irritation in the urinary passage that he was feldom able to move a step in his room without lofing blood, yet in a few days, by the ufe of the waters, he was feen walking about the streets, and before the end of the feafon, was perfectly cured. These waters are frequently effectual in what is called a bad habit of body, when the folids and fluids are unfit for the functions of nature: Bareges, therefore, is a happy refource, for those who have impaired their conftitution by irregularities, and intemperance. A gentleman of Thoulouse had, by continual excefs, fo injured his conftitution when he was no more than 40 years old, that his ftomach was incapable of digefting or even bearing any folid food, his head was confufed, and his memory impaired; he had feminal weakneffes, & fuch a tremor that he could not use a pen, he had also hæmorhoidal complaints, great anxiety, extream leannefs, a fallow cadaverous complexion, & every other appearance of a decay of nature. By drinking the waters of the hot spring mixed with milk, a few days, he begun to taste the fweets of reft. At the end of 15, there was a fenfible renovation in his habit, his ftrength gradually encreased and in fix weeks he was tout and well. Cholics, however caufed, & of what. ever kind, are cured at Bareges. The author relates the cure of feveral pati, ents under his own eye, who had bili ous cholics, with depraved appetite, eructations of a bad favour, frequent vomitings, with a wan, meagre com. plexion, and univerfal weakness. 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