In colds, water is the best of all drinks to prevent floods of rheum from the nose and mouth, as my long experience testifies, and therefore will prevent coughs; for a cough will seldom succeed a cold, if water is used from the first as common drink: And if, through neglect, a cough should become troublesome, the use of water, avoiding all wine and strong drink, will contribute much to the cure. Some order the water to be drank warm, but others say, that the drinking it cold vastly excells the using it hot in a cough. It is said by Van Heydon, that some may think it strange to advise water in such diseases, which most account to proceed from crudity or indigestion; but he says, that, in any disease where the case is dangerous, the use of water is the only friend to nature; cold being a preventer rather than a cause of crudity; since by all experience it is proved to be a promoter of good digestion. And at this time I know a woman, seventy-eight years of age, who for ten years past hath had a great cough, and spit much tough phlegm, that this present winter 1722, hath been persuaded to leave off both strong and small fermented liquor, and drink only water at meals, and sometimes a dish or two of tea; and hath found herself much less subject to cough than before, and scarce coughs at all in bed, tho’ subject before to cough very much in the night: She also drinks at bed-time half a pint of cold water, and the same quantity first in the morning, and finds more comfort by it at so great an age, than wine hath at any time afforded, Moreover, drinking of water is a certain cure for the heart-burning; as some affirm. [Sidenote: _Heart burn._] [Sidenote: _Strong drinks hurtful to children._]