[9] Farther THOUGHTS ON TAR-WATER. A S the many Experiments that are daily made of the Virtues of Tar-Water, furnish new Dilcoveries and Reflexions, fome of these I have thrown together, and offer to the Public in hopes they may prove useful. It is a frequent Complaint, that Tar-Water is made of bad Tar, being of a reddish Colour, fweetish or disagreeably infipid. But though the Dregs of Tar are often foul, and make foul Tar-Water, and though Tar already ufed is often made ufe of by unfair Dealers a fecond, if not a third Time, which produceth a vile Potion, void of the genuine Flavour and Virtue of Tar-Water. Yet I apprehend these Defects may fometimes be afcribed, rather to the Veffel wherein the Tar-Water is made, than to the Tar itself. Tar-Water being made in an earthen Veffel unglazed, or that hath loft Part of its Glazing, may extract (as it is a ftrong Menftruum) from the Clay, a fade Sweetifhnefs, offenfive to the Palate. It should feem therefore that the beft Way of making TarWater is in a Stone Jug, or earthen Veffel through out out well glazed, and, as it will not fail to extract a Tincture from any metallic Veffel, it fhould be warmed in a well glazed Pipkin, rather than a Sauce-pan. By increasing the Proportion of Tar to the Water, and by ftirring it longer, Tar-Water may be made ftrong enough for a Spoonful to impregnate a large Glafs, a Thing very useful on a Road. Those who in chronical Disorders, or as a Prefervative, have for a long time drunk Tar-Water, muft in acute Cafes drink the more. Tar-Water must be drunk warm in Agues, Smallpox, Meafles and Fevers, in Colics and Disorders of the Bowels, in Gout also, and Rheumatism, in moft other Ailments cold or warm, at the Choice of the Patient. In Fevers the Patient cannot begin too foon, or drink too much. By undoubted Experience it is found to cool the hot, and warm the cold, and to be a most successful Medicine in Fevers, notwithstanding its great Virtue in Palfies and Dropfies. When not long fince an Inflammation attacked the Throat, Breaft, and Lungs of Children, and became general in my Neighbourhood, Numbers were recovered by the Ufe of Tar-Water, nor did I hear that any miscarried who used it, though many perished who did not. Nor is it a Medicine lefs proper and efficacious in old Age. At the fame time that this inflammatory Diftemper raged among the Children, a Woman in her fixty-eighth Year, from violent Cold was feized at once with Ague, Colic, and Jaundice, of all which Maladies he was cured in a Fortnight, by drinking three Pints of warm Tar-water every Day. Numberless fuch Inftances daily occur, which fhew it to be a fafe and efficacious Medicine both for old and young. Evacuations Evacuations by Sweat, which usually render Patients very weak and difpirited, have not the fame bad Effects when produced by Tar-Water, which I have frequently known to give high Spirits in all the Stages of a Fever, and under the lowest Regimen, therefore old People and weak Perfons, who cannot well bear common Evacuations, are best cured by Tar-Water, which in fome Sort feemeth to renew those who are worn out with Age and Infirmities. Tar-Water is of fingular Use in ftrengthening the Stomach and Bowels, and agrees particularly well with Infants, taken either by themselves or by the Nurse, and best by both. Though as it throws the ill Humours out into the Surface of the Skin, it may render them for a Time, perhaps, unfeemly with Eruptions, but withal healthy and lively. And I will venture to fay, that it lays in them the Principles of a good Conftitution for the reft of their Lives. Nor is it only useful to the Bodies of Infants, it hath alfo a good Effect on their Minds, as those who drink it are observed to be remarkably forward and fprightly. Even the most heavy, lumpish, and unpromifing Infants, appear to be much improved by it. A Child there is in my Neighbourhood, of fine Parts, who at first seemed ftupid and an Idiot, but, by conftant Ufe of Tar-Water, grew lively and obferving, and is now noted for Understanding beyond others of the fame Age. Infants are eafily brought to take it by Spoon, and even grow to a Liking of it, and as their Disorders arife chiefly from Indigeftion, they receive the greateft Benefit from a Medicine fo well calculated to ftrengthen the Inteftines, and preferve them from Fits. In a word, if it were the common Practice to accuftom Infants from the Beginning to take TarWater, Water, this would greatly conduce to the Health both of their Minds and Bodies. There is, I am verily perfuaded, no one Thing in the power of Art or Nature, that would fo generally and effectually contribute to repair the Conftitutions of our Gentry. and Nobility, by ftrengthning the Children, and cafting off in their Infancy thofe Impurities and Taints, which they often bring into the World. An Infant may take one Quarter of a Pint in the Day, warm, by Spoonfuls; lefs may do good, and there is no fear of Excels. When I confider the private Woe of Families, as well as the public Lofs occafioned by the Death of fuch an incredible Number of Infants, under two Years of Age, I cannot but infift on recommending Tar- Water, both as a Remedy and Prefervative in that tender Age, which cannot bear the common Treatment and Methods of Phyfic, or with fafety take thofe Drugs which are fitter for grown Perfons. Another Reafon which recommends Tar-Water, particularly to Infants and Children, is the great Security it brings against the Small-pox, to thofe that drink it, who are obferved, either never to take that Diftemper, or to have it in the gentlest Manner. There is no Diftemper more contagious and deftructive than the Small-pox, or more generally dreaded, attended with worfe Symptoms, or that leaves behind it worfe Effects; I obferve at the fame time, that Tar-Water is in no other Cafe a more fafe and fure Remedy than in this; of which Captain Drape's Certificate, fworn to before the Mayor of Liverpool, in the prefence of feveral principal Perfons of that Town, is a moft evident Proof. That one hundred and feventy Perfons, feized at once with the Small-pox, deprived of all Conve niencies, niencies, and in the worst Circumstances of a narrow Ship and hot Climate, fhould all recover by the fingle Medicine of Tar- Water, except one who would not drink it, is a matter of Fact, fo plain and convincing, and fo well attefted, as to leave no Doubt in Minds free from Prepoffeffion, about the Usefulness and Efficacy of Tar- Water in the Smallpox; a Point I had been before fufficiently convinced of, by many Inftances in my own Neighbourhood. It hath been furmifed by fome celebrated Phyficians, that one Day a Specific may be discovered for the peculiar Venom of the Small-pox. There feems to be fome Reafon for thinking that TarWater is fuch a Specific. I fay this on good Grounds, having by many Experiments obferved its Virtue. in curing, as well as in preventing, that cruel Diftemper; during the whole Courfe of which, it is to be drank warm; a moderate Glafs (about Half a Pint) every Hour, in common Cafes, may fuffice, in bad Cafes more may be given; there is no Fear of Excess. Those who endeavour to difcredit this cooling Cordial, and falutary Medicine, as an Inflamer of the Blood, do very confiftently decry its Use in the Small-pox; but there can be nothing more clear, full, and fatisfactory than Captain Drape's Affidavit, to convince reasonable People of the great and furprising Efficacy of Tar-Water, in the Cure of the Small-pox; and confequently of the groundlefness of that Report, which afcribes a heating or inflaming Quality to it. And yet that groundless Report hath hindred many from reaping the Benefit they might otherwife have done, from the Ufe of this Water, which is of excellent Virtue in all kinds of inflammatory Diforders, Fevers, Quinfies, Pleurifies, and fuch like of the hot and inflamed Kind, whereof |