Months, when perhaps they have been a longer Time growing upon the Patient? What I have said would make the greater Impression, could we but have a History of the fatal Miscarriages which have hapned upon preposterous Methods of Cure; an History, which, I doubt, would prove a very Voluminous one; that Rashness being too usual in both Acute and Chronical cases; In the first, Many are apt to force an Indication, rather than wait for one. In the latter, The World abounds with Examples of the Folly and Impatience of Mankind. To instance but in the Dropsie; Who is there almost, who cannot furnish you with the Story of one, who, from a hopeful Condition in the use of Diureticks, and Corroborative Things, cast himself into the Grave, by violent Purgatives, recommended by some compassionate Friend or other, to carry off the Waters at once, with a Beadroll of Stories to vouch its Success; when the other Method, with a little Patience, had certainly brought him to his former Health, and perhaps in much less time than his Disease was contracted. So difficult it is for unhappy Man to bear the Penalty of some Months, for the Demerits of some Years; and by Manly Consideration to keep from entangling himself in his Chain, instead of getting out of it. I am not unaware here, how hard it is to frame Arguments that can have Force enough to prevail against the Apprehensions of the Pain and Trouble to be undergone in the first Attempt of Exercise, which most sick People have conceiv’d; and which are oftentimes so strong, as to blind the Mind, or bribe the Will and there is no way to deal with those People, but by Precedents; by shewing ’em, that those Difficulties have in many Cases been easily overcome: And here the Cold Bath offers it self, a severe Method of Cure taken up lately among us, and which upon the first Consideration carries Terrour enough in it; which if anyone had presum’d to recommend some Years ago, he would have been thought one of the most Wild and Barbarous of Men; and yet we see now the tenderest of the fair Sex dares commit her self to that terrible Element; and upon the first Experiment the Fears and Amusements vanish. How severe is the Sickness upon a Man’s first going to Sea; equal seemingly to the Effects of any strong Poison; and yet Nature soon accustomes her self to that Motion which is the Cause of it, and the Sailor quickly grows well! And here it must not be suppos’d, that any salt Vapours arising from the Sun, do contribute to this Vomiting, for it is now well known to every one, who had but the least smattering in Distillations, That Salt will not rise with a much greater Heat than that of the Sun; besides it is observable that the oldest or most accustomed Sailors shall Vomit in bad Weather, when the Ship is put into an unusual and irregular Motion; so that it is plain, that the Motion of the Ship is the only cause of that Sea-sickness: if therefore Nature can so soon suit her self to a Motion