Domestic Encyclopædia (1802)/Baths, Medicated

BATHS (Medicated), are those saturated with various mineral, vegetable, or sometimes animal substances. Thus we have sulphur and steel baths, aromatic and milk baths;—there can be no doubt, that such ingredients, if duly mixed, and a proper temperature be given to the water, may, in certain complaints, be productive of effects highly beneficial. We well remember the pompous reports published several years ago, by two notorious empirics, and attested by many of our first nobility, who permitted their names to be bandied about publicly, in consequence of wonderful cures said to have been performed by the most whimsical combinations of things and circumstances. Although we are not inclined to question the truth of these specious cures, yet, it is remarkable, that such extraordinary facts, if they were facts, should, in the course of a few years, so far from being improved upon, and rendered of practical service to suffering humanity, have been totally consigned to oblivion. Like fiery meteors, those mysterious masters of the healing art, their medicines and patients, all have disappeared. Such seems to be the universal fate of human pursuits, when involved in mystery; and as the practitioners thus engaged, carried on their secret trade in an empirical manner, without being able sufficiently to distinguish between the nature of different cases, and the constitutions of the unwary victims of disease, they had recourse (as quacks are always obliged to have) to an indiscriminate administration of their medicated baths; a precarious practice, which could not fail to diminish the number of cures, and to reduce their ill-acquired reputation. Notwithstanding this unfavourable result, it would be unreasonable to impute the want of farther success to the inefficacy of medicinal substances, or the baths themselves; on the contrary, we venture to pronounce, that both will operate, when properly used, in an uniform manner, so long as the nature of man, and diseases, are conformable to general laws. Hence our success will always less depend upon the specific virtues of substances, or drugs, than upon the manner in which they are used for particular purposes.

Water impregnated with the scales or rust of iron, which abound with the saline and sulphureous particles of that metal, is of great service for strengthening the part to which it is applied; re-invigorating debilitated limbs; stopping various kinds of bleeding; restoring the menstrual and hemorrhoidal discharges, when obstructed; and, in short, as a substitute for the natural iron-bath. In the vicinity of smelting works, large quantities of the slag of copper, antimony, and cobalt, are generally thrown away as useless; but these substances contain a considerable proportion of sulphur and vitriolic acid, combined with an earthy base, which renders them valuable in baths designed for bracing and giving tone to the weak fibres, or relaxing mem when they are preternaturally rigid. Besides, such baths are possessed of detersive properties, so that they may be used with advantage in many cases, if due regard be paid to those circumstances which we have pointed out under the head Cold Baths. In preparing such artificial baths, however, the slags ought to be thrown into the water immediately after they are taken from the furnace, or they should be previously heated: these preparations may then be used, occasionally, either in the form of baths, or fomentations.

There are various other medicated baths, such as those saturated with alum and quick-lime, sal ammoniac, &c. by boiling them together or separately in pure rain water: they have long been reputed as eminently serviceable in paralytic and all diseases arising from nervous and muscular debility.—Lastly, it is worthy of remark, that all mineral waters presented to us by the beneficent hand of Nature, may be artificially prepared, with tolerable accuracy, and sometimes of superior efficacy, when we are sufficiently acquainted with the component parts of such springs.