Chapter 4

In his latter time, about 55 yeeres agoe it was his good fortune to live for a little while at a grange house very neare to this fountaine, and afterwards in _Bilton_ Parke all his life long. Who drinking of this water, found it in all things to agree with those at the _Spaw_. Whereupon (greatly rejoycing at so good and fortunate an accident) he made some further triall and assay: That done, he caused the fountaine to be well, and artificially walled about, and paved at the bottome (as it is now at this day) with two faire stone flags, with a fit hole in the side thereof, for the free passage of the water through a little guttered stone. It is open at the top, and walled somewhat higher, then the earth, as well to keepe out filth, as Cattle for comming and approaching to it. It is foure-square, three foot wide, and the water within is about three quarters of a yard deepe.

First we caused it to be laded dry, as well to scoure it, as also to see the rising up of the water, which we found to spring up onely at the bottome at the chinke or cranny, betweene two stones, so left purposely for the springing up of the water at the bottome: Which as _Pliny_ observeth in his 31 booke of his Naturall History and the third Chapter, is a signe above all of the goodnesse of a fountaine.

"And above all (saith he,) one thing would bee observed, and seene unto, that the source, which feedeth it, spring and boyle up directly from the bottome, and not issue forth at the sides: which also is a maine point that concerneth the perpetuity thereof, and whereby wee may collect, that it will hold still, and be never drawne drye."

The streame of water, which passeth away by the hole in the side thereof, is much one, and about the proportion of the current of the _Sauvenir_.

The above named Gentleman did drinke the water of this Fountaine every yeare after all his life time, for helping his infirmities, and maintaining of his health, and would oftentimes say and averre, that it was much better, and did excell the tart fountaines beyond the seas, as being more quicke and lively, and fuller of minerall spirits; effecting his operation more speedily, and sooner passing through the body.

Moreover Doctor _Timothy Bright_ of happy memory, a learned Physitian, (while hee lived, my very kind friend, and familiar acquaintance) first gave the name of the _English Spaw_ unto this Fountaine about thirty yeares since, or more. For he also formerly had spent some time at the _Spaw_ in _Germany_; so that he was very able to compare those with this of ours. Nay, hee had futhermore so good an opinion, and so high a conceit of this, that hee did not onely direct, and advise others to it, but himselfe also (for most part) would use it in the Sommer season.

Likewise Doctor _Anthony Hunton_ lately of _Newarke_ upon _Trent_, a Physitian of no lesse worth and happy memory, (to whom for his true love to mee, and kind respect of mee, I was very much beholden) would often expostulate with mee at our meetings, and with other Gentlemen of _Yorkeshire_, his patients, how it came to passe, that I, and the Physitians of _Yorke_, did not by publike writing make the fame and worth thereof better knowne to the world?

_CHAP_. 7.

_=Of the difference of this Fountaine from those at the_ Spaw, _to wit_, Sauvenir, _and_ Pouhon.=

This springeth almost at the top of the ascent (as formerly hath beene said) from a dry, and somewhat sandy earth: The water whereof running South-East, is very cleare, pure, full of life, and minerall exhalations.

We find it chiefly to consist of a vitrioline nature and quality, with a participation also of those other minerals, which are said to be in the _Sauvenir_ fountaine; but in a more perfect, and exquisite mixture and temper (as wee deeme) and therefore to be supposed better and nobler, then it. The difference betweene them will be found to be onely _secundum majus & minus_, that is, according to more, or lesse, which maketh no difference in kind, but in degrees. This partaketh in greater measure of the qualities, and lesser of the substances of the minerals, then that doth; and for that cause it is of a more quicke and speedy operation; as also for the same reason, his tenuity of body, and fulnesse of minerall spirits therein contained, it cannot be so farre transported from its owne source, and spring, without losse, and diminution of his strength, and goodnesse. For being caried no further, then to the towne it selfe (though the glasse or vessell be closely stopt) it becommeth somewhat weaker: if as farre as to _Yorke_, much more: but if 20 or 30 miles further, it will then bee found to be of small force, or validity, as we have often observed.

Whereas contrariwise the water of the lower fountaine at the _Spaw_, called _Pouhon_, is frequently and usually caried and conveyed into other Countries farre off, and remote, as into _France_, _England_, _Scotland_, _Ireland_, divers parts of _Germany_, and some parts of _Italy_; yea, and that of _Sauvenir_, (which is the better fountaine, and whose water cannot be caried so farre away, as the other may) is oftentimes used nowadayes at _Paris_, the chiefe City of _France_.

But this of ours cannot be sent away any whit so farre off without losse and decay of his efficacy, and vertue; so ayrie, subtill, and piercing are its spirits, and minerall exhalations, that they soone passe, vanish, and flye away. Which thing wee have esteemed to be a principall good signe of the worthy properties of this rare Fountaine. So that this water, being newly taken up at the Well, and presently after drunke, cannot otherwise, but sooner passe by the Hypochondries and through the body, and cause a speedier effect, then those in _Germany_ can. Whereby any one may easily collect, and gather, that this getteth his soveraign faculties better in its passage by and through the variety of minerals, included in the earth (which only afford unto it an halitious body) then those doe.

If then wee bee desirous to have this of ours become commodious either for preserving of our healths, or for altering any distemper, or curing any infirmity (for which it is proper and availeable) it ought chiefly to bee taken at the fountaine it selfe, before the minerall spirits bee dissipated.

_CHAP_. 8.

_=That Vitriol is here more predominant, then any other minerall.=_

We have sufficiently beene satisfied by experience and trialls, through what minerals this water doth passe: but to know in what proportion they are exactly mixed therewith, it is beyond humane invention to find out; nature having reserved this secret to her selfe alone. Neverthelesse it may very well be conjectured, that as in the frame, and composition of the most noble creature, Man (the lesser world) there is a temper of the foure elements rather _ad justitiam_ (as Philosophers say) then _ad pondus_; so nature in the mixture of these minerals, hath likewise taken more of some, and lesse of others, as shee thought to be most fit, and expedient for the good and behoofe of mans health, and the recovery and restitution of it decayed; being indeed such a worke, as no Art is able to imitate.

That _Vitriolum_ (otherwise called _Chalcanthum_) is here most predominant, there needs no other proofe, then from the assay of the water it selfe; which both in the tart and inky smack thereof, joyned with a piercing and a pricking quality, and in the savour (which is somewhat a little vitrioline,) is altogether like unto the ancient _Spaw_ waters; which according to the consent of all those, who have considered their naturall compositions, doe most of all, and chiefly participate of vitrioll.

Notwithstanding, for a more manifest, and fuller tryall hereof, put as much powder of galls, as will lye on two-pence, or three-pence, into a glasse full of this water newly taken up at the fountaine, you shall see it by and by turned into the right and perfect colour of Claret wine, that is fully ripe, cleare, and well fined, which may easily deceive the eye of the skilfullest Vintner.

This demonstration hath beene often made, not without the admiration of those, who first did see it. For the same quantity of galles mingled with so much common water, or any other fountaine water thereabouts, will not alter it any thing at all; unlesse to these you also adde Vitrioll, and then the colour will appeare to be of a blewish violet, somewhat inkish, not reddish, as in the former, which hath an exquisite and accurate conjunction of other minerall exhalations, besides the vitrioline. But this probation will not hold, if so be you make triall with the said water being caried farre from the well; by reason of the present dissipation of his spirits.

_CHAP_. 9.

_=Of the properties, and effects of Vitrioll, according to the ancient and moderne Writers.=_

The qualities of Vitrioll, according to _Dioscorides, Galen, Ætius, Paulus Ægineta_, and _Oribasius_, are to heate and dry, to bind, to resist putrefaction, to give strength and vigour to the interiour parts, to kill the flat wormes of the belly, to remedy venemous mushromes, to preserve flesh over moyst from corruption, consuming the moysture thereof by its heat, and constipating by his astriction the substance of it, and pressing forth the serous humidity.

And according to _Matthiolus_ in his Commentaries upon _Dioscorides_, it is very profitable against the plague and pestilence, and the chymicall oyle thereof is very availeable (as himselfe affirmeth to have sufficiently proved) against the stone and stopping of urine, and many other outward maladies and diseases, (_Andernæus_ and _Gesner_ adde to these the Apoplexy) all which, for avoyding of prolixity, I doe here purposely omit.

Neither will I further trouble the Reader with the recitall of divers and sundry excellent remedies, and medicines, found out and made of it in these latter times, by the Spagyricke Physitians, and others: In so much that _Joseph Quercetanus_, one of those, is verily of opinion, that out of this one individuall minerall, well and exquisitely prepared, there might be made all manner of remedies and medicines sufficient for the storing and furnishing of a whole Apothecaries shop.

But it will (perhaps) be objected by some one or other in this manner: If vitrioll, which as most doe hold, is hote and dry in the third degree, or beginning of the fourth, nay, of a causticke quality, and nature (as _Discorides_ is of opinion) should here be predominant, then the water of this fountaine must needs bee of great heat and acrimony; and so become not onely unprofitable, but also very hurtfull for mans use to be drunke, or inwardly taken.

To which objection (not to take any advantage of the answer, which many learned Physitians doe give, _viz_. that vitrioll is not hot, but cold) I say:

First, that although all medicinall waters doe participate of those mineralls, by which they doe passe, yet they have them but weakly (_viribus refractis_) especially when in their passages they touch, and meet with divers others minerals of opposite tempers and natures.

Secondly I answer, that in all such medicinall fountaines, as this, simple water doth farre surpasse and exceed in quantity, whatsoever is therewith intermixed; by whose coldnesse it commeth to passe, that the contrary is scarce, or hardly perceived. For example, take one proportion of any boyling liquor to 100. or more, of the same cold, and you will hardly find in it any heat at all. Suppose then vitrioll to be hot in the third degree, it doth not therefore follow, that the water, which hath his vertue chiefly from it, should heat in the same degree. This is plainly manifest not onely in this fountaine, but also in all others, which have an acide taste, being indeed rather cold, then hot, for the reasons above mentioned.

_CHAP_. 10.

_=Of the effects, which this fountaine worketh, and produceth in those who drinke of it.=_.

Experience sheweth sufficiently, besides reason, that this water first, and in the beginning cooleth such, as use it: But being continued it heateth and dryeth; and this for the most part it doth in all, yet not alwayes. For (as we shall more fully declare afterwards) it effecteth cures of opposite, and quite contrary natures, by the second and third qualities, wherewith it is endowed, curing diseases both hot, cold, dry, and moist.

Those waters (saith _Renodæus_) which are replenished with a vitrioline quality, as those at the _Spaw_, doe presently heale, and (as it were) miraculously cure diseases, which are without all hope of recovery; having that notable power, and faculty from vitrioll; by the vertue and efficacy whereof, they passe through the meanders, turnings, and windings of all parts of the whole body. Whatsoever is hurtfull, or endammageth it, that they sweepe and carie away: what is profitable and commodious, they touch not, nor hurt; that, which is flaccid, and loose, they bind and fasten: that, which is fastened, and strictly tyed, they loose: what is too grosse and thicke, they incide, dissolve, attenuate, and expell.

More particularly, the water of this fountaine hath an incisive and abstersive faculty to cut, and loosen the viscous and clammy humours of the body, and to make meable the grosse: as also by its piercing and penetrating power, subtilty of parts, and by his deterging and desiccative qualities to open all the obstructions, or oppilations of the mesentery (from whence the seeds of most diseases doe arise and spring) liver, splen, kidneis, and other interiour parts, and (which is more to be noted and observed) to coole and contemperate their unnaturall heat, helping, and removing also all the griefes and infirmities depending thereupon.

Besides all this, it comforteth the stomacke by the astriction it hath from other minerals, especially iron, so that (without doubt) of a thousand, who shall use it discreetly and with good advice (their bodies first being well and orderly prepared by some learned and skilfull Physitian, according to the states thereof, and as their infirmities shall require) there will scarcely be any one found who shall not receive great profit thereby.

Moreover, it clenseth, and purifieth the whole masse of blood contained in the veynes, by purging it from the seresity peccant, and from cholericke, phlegmaticke, and melancholike humours; and that principally by urine, which passeth through the body very cleare, and in great quantity, leaving behind it the minerall forces, and vertues.

Their stooles, who drinke of it, are commonly of a blackish, or dark greene colour, partly because it emptieth the liver and splen from adult humours, and melancholy, or the sediment of blood: but more especially, because the mineralls intermixed doe produce and give such a tincture.

_CHAP_. 11.

_=In what diseases the water of this Fountaine is most usefull and beneficiall.=_

Over and besides the peculiar and specificall faculties, which this fountaine hath, it sheweth divers and sundry other manifest effects and qualities in evacuating the noxious humours of the body, for most part by urine especially when there is any obstruction about the kidneyes, ureters and bladder: Or by urine and stoole both, if the mesentery, liver, or splen, chance to bee obstructed. But, if the affect or griefe be in the matrix or womb, then it clenseth that way according to the accustomed and usuall manner of women.

In melancholike people it purgeth by provoking the hæmorrhoides, and in cholericke by siege, or stoole. If it causeth either vomit or sweat, it is very seldome and rare.

See here a most admirable worke guided by the omnipotency and wisedom of the Almighty, that a naturall, cleare, and pure water, should produce so many and severall effects and operations, being all of them in a manner contrary one to another, which few medicines composed by art can easily performe without hurt and damage to the party. Wherefore being drunke with those cautions and circumstances necessarily required thereunto, it is to be preferred before many other remedies, as not onely procuring these evacuations; but also (which is more to be noted) staying them, when they grow to any excesse. For seeing that here are minerals contained both hot, cold, dry, aperitive, astringent, &c. there is none so simple but must needs thinke and grant, that it cannot otherwise bee but good and wholesome in grievances, and diseases, which in their owne natures are opposite.

But I may instance in some few, for which it is good and profitable, and therein observe some order and methode; It dryeth the over moist braine, and helpeth the evils proceeding therefrom, as rhumes, catarrhs, palsies, cramps, &c.

It is also good and availeable against inveterate headaches, migrims, turnings, and swimmings of the head and braine, dizzinesse, epilepsie, or falling sicknesse, and the like cold and moist diseases of the head.

It cheereth and reviveth the spirits, strengtheneth the stomacke, causeth a good and quicke appetite, and furthereth digestion.

It helpeth the blacke and yellow Jaundisse, and the evill, which is accompanied with strange feare and excessive sadnesse without any evident occasion, or necessary cause, called _Melancholia Hypochondriaca_. Likewise the cachexy, or evill habit of the body, and the dropsie in the beginning thereof, before it be too farre gone. For besides that it openeth obstructions, it expelleth the redundant water contained in the belly, and contemperateth the unnaturall heat of the liver.

It cooleth the kidneyes or reynes, and driveth forth sand, gravell, and stones out of them, and also hindreth the encrease or breeding of any new, by the concretion, and saudering of gravell, bred of a viscous and clammy humour, or substance. The same it performeth to the bladder, for which it is also very beneficiall, if it chance to have any evill disposition either in the cavity thereof, or in the necke of it, and shutting muscle called _Sphincter_, whereby the whole part or member is let and hindred in his office and function.

Moreover, if there chance to be any ulcer in the parts last specified, or any sore, or fistula in _perinaeo_ through an impostume ill cured, this water is a good remedy for it, in regard of its clensing, cicatrizing and constringing power, and vertue; and for that cause it is very proper and commodious for the acrimony and sharpnesse of urine, and against the stopping and suppression of urine, difficulty of making water, and the strangury.

Although it is very availeable against the stone in the kidneyes, and against the breeding, and increase of any new there; yea, and against little ones, that are loose in the bladder; yet notwithstanding it will afford little or small benefit to those, in whom it is growne to bee very great and big in the bladder: Because nothing will then serve to breake it, as _Brassavolus_ saith, but a Smiths anvile and hammar. Neverthelesse, if in this case incision be used, it will be very commodious both for mundifying and consolidating the wound, made for the extraction of it.

It shall not bee needfull to speake much of the profit, which will ensue by the fit administration of it in the inveterat venereous Gonorrhæa, causing it to cease and stay totally, and correcting the distemper, and the evill ulcerous disposition of the seed vessels, & the vicine parts.

There are very few infirmities properly incident to women, which this water may not seeme to respect much. The use whereof, after the advice and councell had of the learned Physitian, for the well and orderly preparing their bodies, is singular good against the greene sicknesse, and also very commodious and behoovefull to procure their monthly evacuations, as also to stay their over much flowing; as well to correct, as to stay their white floods; as well to dry the wombe being too moist, as to heat it being too cold, through which causes and distempers conception (for the most part) is let and hindered in cold Northerne Countries, as _England_, and the like. For by the helpe of it these distempers are changed and altered, the superfluous humidities and mucosities are taken away, the part is corroborated, and the retentive vertue is strengthned.

This hath beene so much, and so often observed at the ancient _Spaw_, that it cannot otherwise, but bee also verified at this in aftertimes, when it shall bee frequented (as those have beene) with the company of Ladyes, and Gentlewomen: Divers whereof, having beene formerly barren for the space of ten, twelve yeares, or moe, and drinking of those waters for curing and helping some other infirmities, then for want of fruitfulnesse, have shortly conceived after their returne home to their husbands, beyond their hopes and expectations.

Besides all this, it is good for these women, who, though otherwise apt enough to conceive, yet by reason of the too much lubricity of their wombes, are prone to miscarry and abort, if before conception they shall use it with those cautions and directions requisite.

Also it respecteth very much the hard scirrhous and cancarous tumours, and the grievous soares, and dangerous ulcers of the matrix. All these excellent helpes and many moe it performeth to women with more speedy successe, if it be also received by injection. But here by the way, all such women, who are with child, are to be admonished, that they forbeare to use it during that time.

In children it killeth and expelleth the wormes of the guts and belly, and letteth and hindreth the breeding and new encrease of any moe.

I will here forbeare to write any thing of the benefits which it affordeth against old and inveterate itches, morphewes, leprosies, &c. in regard the other three sulphurous fountaines, before mentioned, doe more properly respect such like grievances. Neither will I now spend any more time in shewing what vertues it hath in the cure of the Indian, commonly called the French, or rather Spanish disease: because experience hath found out a more certaine and sure remedy against it.

_CHAP_. 12.

_=Of the necessity of preparing the body before the use of this water.=_

It is not in most things the bare and naked knowledge or contemplation of them, that makes them profitable to us; but rather their right use, and oppertune and fit administration. Medicines are not said to be _Deorum manus_, that is, the hands of the Gods, (as _Herophilus_ calleth them) or _Deorum dona_; that is, the gifts of the Gods (as _Hippocrates_ beleeved) till they be fitly applyed and seasonably administered by the counsell and advice of the learned and skilfull Physitian, according to the true rules, and method of Art.

_Temporibus medicina valet, data tempore prosunt, Et data non apto tempore vina nocent._

That is,

Medicines availe in their due times, And profit is got by drinking wines In timely sort; but in all reason They doe offend, drunke out of season.