"As sooner or later a body must yield to the effects of drugs, it is quite impossible that any one suffering from chronic disease, unless healed by Hydropathy, should die a natural death. "Chronic disease cannot be permanently cured by drugs: Hydropathy alone will effect this, by changing the chronic evil to acute eruptions, which are cured in the same way that acute diseases are cured. "Men, like other organic beings, ought to live according to nature's law, without pain, and die a natural death, that is to say, without illness or suffering. But with us almost every body dies prematurely, from the effects of poisoning in some way or other."--ARBUTHNOT. It was stated to Priessnitz, that in a case of gout, the bowels of the patient by the treatment, had become constipated, to which he replied, "Cold water never produces torpor of the bowels, but on the contrary, it excites." "In the cure of disease, that which is most agreeable is not always the best. That which lowers the system, generally soothes and allays pain; bleeding, drugs, opium, and warm baths do this, but they may fix the disease firmer in the system, they diminish the energy so necessary to eradicate the disease. Thus Gout, Piles, and many other complaints, are never thoroughly cured by the faculty; they cannot abate the symptoms without lowering the system." "To promote a crisis, dress lightly; warm clothing relaxes the skin. The stronger and harder the skin, the better will a crisis be developed. Every sore and boil cannot be considered a crisis, some degenerate into disease, and have an inward tendency. In a proper crisis of boils, they rise, burst, and heal." "For itching rash in the arm, do not wear the bandage, unless great pain ensues, and in that case only at night." "Chopping or sawing wood is better exercise for the stomach and bowels than walking." To a lady who complained of want of sleep, and much pain from an eruption on her body, Priessnitz said "Take a tepid bath for some days, eat lean meat without salt, and indulge freely in butter, you will get well as soon as the rash has expended itself: there can be no repose for the nerves until the humours that fret them are expelled." "Nervous temperaments are the strongest, but most irritable when excited by acid humours." "Fingers being white after cold bathing denote weak nerves; the fingers having lost their vitality, the blood ceases to circulate." "Constipation and relaxation of the bowels proceed from the same causes, weakness and impurities; hydropathy corrects both." "It is impossible to warm, for any length of time, by hot viands and warm water, their constant application only chills the more; by relaxing and dilating they produce the opposite effects to those which are so essential to health, namely Contraction. Cold water determines the Caloric currents outwards from the vital centre, and promotes decomposition."