tho’ now so much slighted. And, besides this, it is a drink that will not turn sour in the stomach, as all fermented drinks will do, to the increase of distempers already begun there, by acidity or sourness. [Sidenote: _Gout._] And as for the gout, which Dr. Harris saith, in his _Anti Empiric_, is gotten either by high feeding or drinking much wine, or other strong drink; it may be cured, as that author affirms, by a very spare diet, and drinking water: According to what is said also by Sir Theodore Mayhern, who, in his _Medicinal Counsels_, adviseth to leave off all strong drinks in this disease, and drink only water. And Van Heyden saith also, in his _Treatise of help for the rich and poor_, that there is not any greater remedy for the gout than drinking water, not only by young, but old men; many of whom, he saith, have drank cold water for many weeks, which hath succeeded so well, though they were far gone in years, that they found great ease thereby, without that offence to the stomach, or hindrance of digestion, which some did not seem to fear. And he also commends the large drinking of water in the sciatica or hip-gout, he having often cured that distemper, by this means, in less time than could reasonably be expected. And the same I have found to be effectual in a pain in the shoulder, which had continued very bad for three months: For, being taken with a fever, I drank in one day about four quarts of water; which tho’ it did not make me sweat, because I lay not in my bed, yet it cured me so that I slept well that night; and, in the morning when I rose, the pain in my shoulder was not felt, neither did it ever return. And the same success I have had in the pains of other parts; whereby, I judge, that, in all pains whatever, the drinking of water is proper, as well as in the gout: And accordingly I find cold water advised to be drank largely for the cure of the head-ach from hard drinking; that pain proceeding from the same cause the gout does, namely, from heat, as all pains do, that are not from bruises. [Sidenote: _Inflammatory distempers & wind._]