REFLEXIONS Concerning the VIRTUES OF TAR WATER, &c.

TAR WATER, as it is lately ordered by the Biſhop of Cloyne, being at preſent al⯑moſt as univerſal in its Uſe as it is proved to be in its Properties, by this learned Author; I hope it will not be thought preſumptuous in me to undertake to prove why, and in what Manner, it may be im⯑prov'd in its excellent Qualifications, by a particular Management in its Preparation, ſince nothing but the general Good of Mankind is hereby aimed at. And tho' the [4]learned Biſhop has given Directions to pre⯑pare it in a very ſimple Manner, probably with the Intention that it might be equally ſerviceable to the Poor and Rich, yet I think few Reaſons can be aſſign'd, why the Rich may not be ſupplied with a moſe neat and certainly a more efficacious Re⯑medy; eſpecially, ſince the Price, even then, will not much exceed the preſent Rate, as I ſhall endeavour to prove.

Norway Tar, as it is now imported, is unqueſtionably the beſt for this moſt noble Medicine, as being endowed with the moſt fragrant and ſubtile Parts, beyond other Tars, which is evident by its Smell, and by its Taſte, as being leaſt acrimonious; and it has been proved by ſeveral ingenious Chemiſts, that it partakes leaſt of that heat⯑ing ſulphurous Property, which abounds in all theſe Balſams, either more or leſs.

Common Tar, or Tar from hot Climates, is not ſo well Saturated with this fine vola⯑tile aromatic Flavour. This, perhaps, in ſome Meaſure, may be owing to the In⯑fluence of the Sun, which exhales all the fineſt Parts, except thoſe that are cloſely connected, and ſuppreſs'd by the viſcid Juices of the Trees; whereas in colder Re⯑gions, the Pores of the Trees are more [5]cloſe and compact, and by that means theſe ſubtile Parts are more detain'd and lock'd up in their proper Cells, from whence pro⯑ceeds the ſiner Flavour. But notwithſtand⯑ing this, the beſt Norway Tar, as it is now imported, is ſo loaded with heteroge⯑neous Matter, ſuch as Sticks, Straws, Flies, Sand, and various other Bodies which can⯑not be defined, and which cannot ſubſide in the Barrel by Reaſon of its Conſiſtence or Thickneſs, (it being defign'd more for the Uſe of Ships than Medicine) that a Method ought to be conſidered which Way to refine it, like other natural Bal⯑ſams, without damaging its natural Proper⯑ties. This none but the chemic Art can well effect, ſo that it is needleſs to de⯑liver the Proceſs, ſince none but Chemiſts can perform it with Succeſs; and that they can do at a trifling Expence. By this Method it is ſo contriv'd, that the pun⯑gent Taſte of the Water is greatly leſſen'd, and it is not ſo apt to regurgitate upon weak Stomachs; which frequently hap⯑pens to the fair Sex, and renders them in⯑capable of retaining it, for whoſe parti⯑cular Maladies it is peculiarly excellent, as is unqueſtionably prov'd by the Au⯑thor of Siris, Sect. 51, 99, 101, and 118.

The next Thing I ſhall take notice of is the Water. Our Author has not expreſly informed us what Sort to make uſe of; ſo that we might uſe any Sort indifferently, was it not that our own Reaſon is ſufficient to convince us what Sort to prefer; but leſt the injudicious Part of Mankind may not comprehend what is meant, I ſhall endea⯑vour to prove what Water ought to be preferred in compounding this moſt valu⯑able Medicine.

Our Author tells us in Sect. 110 of his Siris, that Tar Water ought to be taken for ſome conſiderable Time in chronic Caſes, ſuch as the Gravel, Gout, Scurvy, &c. And that he has known very great Advantages pro⯑cured thereby, which did not begin to appear till it had been taken two or three Months; which Circumſtance in all Alteratives ought to be, but ſeldom is, regarded: now, as ſuch a long Time muſt be allowed to compleat the Cure of a chronic Diſtemper, it fol⯑lows, that a large Quantity of Water muſt be drank during this Time, perhaps the Quantity of twenty or thirty Gallons, or it may be three Times as much, before it be entirely forborn. But admit, that in painful Diſtempers, as the Gout and Rheumatiſm, it ſhou'd only procure Eaſe, during the taking it, and a Relapſe ſhou'd enſue upon [7]omitting it, as it may juſtly be ſuſpected ſometimes to fall ſhort of a perfect Cure in the Gout or Scurvy; then it naturally fol⯑lows, that a Patient wou'd continue taking it, perhaps for Years, or, ſo long as he per⯑ceived any good Effect by its Uſe. Now as there is thus ſometimes a Neceſſity for drinking ſo great a Quantity of Water, it may juſtly be diſputed whether the Cure might not be of worſe Conſequence to the Patient than the Diſeaſe; I mean, by employing an improper Water in ma⯑king the Medicine: For moſt Waters are widely different in their Properties, accord⯑ing to the various Sources from whence they ariſe; as for Inſtance, Well-Waters chiefly are impregnated with mineral or me⯑talline Particles, and River-Waters, which I ſuppoſe are chiefly uſed in London for this Medicine, abound with divers heteroge⯑neous Particles, according to the various Soils they glide upon; and there is no Wa⯑ter at all ſo pure, but is loaded either more or leſs, with ſomething foreign to itſelf: If any one diſputes the Truth of this, let him but inſpect the Infide of one of the Lady's Tea-kettles, and that will certainly convince him, or look into one of the lea⯑den Pipes which conveys this Water for Kitchen Uſe, even if it has been laid but for three Months, and he will find the In⯑ſide [8]lined with a ſtony Concrete: Then, without any cavilling or entering into any abſtruſe Mathematical Demonſtration in this Point, I ſhall leave every one to judge what muſt be the Conſequence of drinking ſo much of this crude Water, which muſt be done in the common Method of making Tar Water.

But that I may not be thought ſin⯑gular in my Opinion, I ſhall juſt beg leave to ſubjoin ſome Quotations from Au⯑thors of eſtabliſhed Reputation for Learn⯑ing and Genius, to confirm what I have already advanced, and then propoſe a Me⯑thod how to avoid this Evil at a ſmall Ex⯑pence.

Moſt Naturaliſts tell us of ſurprizing In⯑ſtances of ſome Waters, which are of ſuch a petrifying Nature, that in Rivulets where⯑in Water-mills have been fixed, the Peri⯑phery which catches the Water in ſmall Boxes has been petrified to ſuch a Degree, that the Owners have been obliged to clear it frequently with proper Inſtruments, in order to facilitate the Motion of the Wheel: ſuch an Inſtance as this I have ſeen, and whoever inſpects the Water-works of Lon⯑don Bridge, will find ſomething to the ſame Purpoſe.

Dr. Mead has furniſhed us with ſome Hints of this Kind, in his laſt Eſſay on Poiſons. At Paris, it has been remarked, that the River Seine is ſo full of ſtony Cor⯑puſcles, that the Inhabitants there are more ſubject to the Stone and Gravel, than at other Places.

Now let us ſuppoſe, what is very poſſible, that Waters may be impregnated with Me⯑tallic Particles of ſome Ore or other; then theſe, according to their various Gravita⯑tions, the Capacities of the Canals or Veſſels, and ſuch like Circumſtances, (when they come to circulate in the human Body) muſt attract and be attracted by other Particles, which are already depoſited either in the Kidneys, Bladder, or other ſecretory Paſſages, and cannot but form, and, as it were, cement a ſtony Subſtance, which, 'tis greatly to be feared, will defeat all the Efforts and ſovereign diſſolving Pro⯑perties of Tar Water itſelf; nay, much ſtronger Medicines; of which the once famed Mrs. Stephens's are an Inſtance.

The Conſideration of what has been ſaid, and the Idea, which may be con⯑ceived of the infinite Number of ſmall Ducts or ſecretory Veſſels, through which this Liquor muſt be ſtrained, ought to [10]give us convincing Demonſtrations, why it is as likely to procure Obſtructions, as to remove them, and, conſequently, lay the very Foundation for all Chronic Deſeaſes, which, in my Opinion, muſt and do pro⯑ceed from one and the ſame Cauſe.

Dr. Liſter obſerves, that Waters which paſs through a clayiſh Bottom, muſt par⯑take of metallic Particles, becauſe Clay is a mineral Glebe; and that theſe Particles are not to be maſter'd, that is, they can⯑not be digeſted in the human Body; and therefore he concludes, they cannot but cauſe calculous Concretions in the Kidneys, Bladder, and Joints. If this be the Caſe, we need not wonder why inſenſible Perſpiration is obſtructed by them; and thus ſays the great Sanctorius in Sect. 2. Aphor. 2. that heavy Water converts the Matter of Tranſpira⯑tion into an Ichor, which being retain'd, inchuces a Cachexy, which the learn'd Au⯑thor of Tar Water ſays, (Sect. 93.) is of the ſame Kind with the Scurvy, proceeds from the ſame Cauſes, and is attended with like Symptoms; which are ſo mani⯑fold and various, that the Scurvy may be looked on as a general Cachexy infecting the whole Habit, and vitiating all the Di⯑geſtions.

From hence proceed Pains in the Limbs, livid Puſtules and Ulcers in the Body, with great Inflammation from the Acri⯑mony of the obſtructed Ichor, or perſpira⯑ble Matter. Hyſterical Maladies are occa⯑ſioned by the ſame Means; for the ſaid Sanctorius obſerves, in Sect, 3. Aphor. 13. that the Wind, ſo inſeparable from thoſe Caſes, is nothing elſe than the Fluid of Perſpiration crude and unfiniſhed: And a late very learned Author gives us the Hi⯑ſtory of a Lady, his Relation, who was very much afflicted with frequent Returns of violent Cholic Pains, till ſhe was advis'd by the noble Van Helmont, not to drink, as ſhe then did, Beer brew'd with Well⯑water, and ſoon after her Health was ſo far owing to that Management, that an Error in it, was unavoidably followed with the uſual Complaint.

It may be objected, that all Perſons are not alike ſubject to the Stone and Gravel, and that when Water is mix'd with the oily and acid Particles of the Ballam, it may, in ſome meaſure, relax the Veſſels, and by that means give Liberty to the ob⯑ſtructed Matter to recover its Circulation or Secretion; but it muſt be conſidered that moſt Conſtitutions are more or leſs ſubject to Gravel, as appears upon Diſ⯑ſections, [12]and by a ſandy Sediment depo⯑ſited in the Urine at various Times; it muſt be conſider'd too, whether the attra⯑ctive Force of theſe ſtony Particles, or the relaxing or attenuating Properties of Tar Water predominate; which I ſhould ima⯑gine (conſidering the Narrowneſs of the Veſſels or Ducts, &c. thro' which it muſt paſs, whereby conſequently the Particles are brought more within the Sphere of one an⯑others Attraction) muſt be yielded to the former; eſpecially ſince it is a known Law in Mechanics, that in all Bodies or Particles of Matter, the attractive Force is as their Solidities, and Points in Contact, and that the attractive Force is infinitely greater at the Point of Contact, or extremely near it, than at any determined Diſtance. Beſides, it is allowed that this Balſam con⯑tains an Acid, which incorporates with Water; and there muſt be a Sulphur be⯑cauſe there is an Acid, for Homberg ſays, the Acid is always join'd to Sul⯑phur, Vide Siris, Sect. 129, and Sir Iſaac Newton ſays, that whatever at⯑tracts and is attracted ſtrongly, is an Acid, ib. Sect. 130. The laſt Author has alſo proved, that Acids which lay ſuppreſs'd in ſulphurous Bodies, attract earthy ones more ſtrongly than their own; from whence [13]he accounts for Fermentation, &c. which may be ſeen fully explain'd, as it is printed in the ſecond Volume of Dr. Harris's Lexicon Technicum. From hence it fol⯑lows, that when theſe acid Particles meet with earthy ones, which abound in Water, they cannot but attract them; and when theſe Particles ſo attracted, do, by any Mo⯑tion or Impulſe meet with other Particles of a homogeneal Nature with themſelves, which they cannot fail to do, either in the Bladder, Kidneys, or other Veſſels in the Body, then it is that they attract each other moſt ſtrongly, and ſo form Ob⯑ſtructions in this or that Veſſel or Duct, which makes leaſt Reſiſtance, in ſpite of all the Intermediation of the Oil in Tar Wa⯑ter, which bears but a ſmall Proportion to the acid or attractive Force.

But to return to our Subject, Water is of ſo conſtant a Service in preparing our Diet as well as Medicine, that it may be juſtly ſaid to be the Vehicle of all our Nouriſhment, ſo that we cannot be too inquiſitive into its Nature and Difference, nor too nice in our Choice of it; and as it is the only Menſtruum of ſo noble a Medicine as Tar Water, it cannot be amiſs to try and prove, if by our Art we can [14]diveſt it of all its noxious Qualities, ſince we can find none without, and by that Means make it approach nearer to a Prin⯑ciple; when it will be fitteſt to join and cohere with the moſt ſubtile Parts of that excellent Balſam called Tar.

This muſt be reſolved into the noble Art of Chemiſtry, the experimental Part of which can only convince us, that Wa⯑ters may be purified ſo as to partake little, or, perhaps, nothing, of that noxious Qua⯑lity ſo obvious in them; and I have been convinced of this, by frequent Repetitions of various Proceſſes perform'd with various Glaſſes within theſe two Months paſt, which would take up too much Room to inſert in this Place. What is here ſaid may occaſion various Objections, eſpecial⯑ly from thoſe at preſent concerned in the common Preparation of Tar Water; but I dare venture to affim, if the Queſtion was put to any Chemiſt, nay to thoſe who have only acquired a ſuperficial Know⯑ledge in Phyſick, it would not be diſputed, but Waters may be purified by various Means to a great Degree, though they might ſtill fall ſhort of that Perfection which cannot be perform'd effectually, without the Addition of a ſecond Princi⯑ple, [15]which has been ſucceſsfully diſcover'd after a tedious Courſe of Experiments: For Diſtillation of Water alone, will not anſwer the Purpoſe; ſince after it has been diſtilled two or three Times, it will ſtill continue to form a ſtony Concrete in the Inſide of any Veſſel it is boiled or even ſimmered in; and it is very eaſy to ima⯑gine what Conſequences a continued Quantity may produce, when ſtrained through the fine capillary Veſſels in a human Body; which, as our great Author ob⯑ſerves in Sect. 54, of his Siris, are ſaid to be ſo ſmall, that one Grain of Sand would cover the Mouths of more than a hundred Thouſand.

It was obſerved before, and it may be juſtly repeated, that none but a Chemiſt can ſo dexterouſly prepare this Water, ſo as to free it from what is foreign to itſelf, conſequently no Perſon can better prognoſticate what Effects may proceed from its Uſe; for as our learned Biſhop obſerves from Socrates, Sect. 253, You and the Cook may judge of a Diſh on the Table equally well, but while the Diſh is making, the Cook can better foretel what will enſue from this or that Manner of compoſing it; conſe⯑quently [16]the Chemiſt can judge beſt what will enſue from this or that manner of making a Medicine. People addicted to cenſure, may give out that ſelf Intereſt is the only Motive that has induced me to publiſh this Pamphlet, becauſe the Method of refining the two Principles is not recited; to which I anſwer, that the Chemic Province is too much invaded al⯑ready by Empiries and Impoſtors, and thoſe who are diſſatisfied in this Point, are left to their own Option, either to con⯑tinue drinking common Tar Water, or elſe apply to a Chemiſt for the other, ſince it is, at the ſame Time with this Book, publiſhed, where the genuine may be had at an eaſy Expence.

And though the Preference of this Me⯑dicine may be imagined from the Reaſons already given, yet I am far from diſparag⯑ing, or aſſuming the leaſt Merit due to, our original and illuſtrious Author the Biſhop of Cloyne; his excellent Treatiſe certainly deſerves the greateſt Applauſe and Homage from every Rank, and from Perſons of Genius; and it would be folly in me to think him in the leaſt ignorant, either of theoretical or experimental Part of Chemiſtry; what he has done may be more [17]plauſibly accounted for, from the Satisfa⯑ction he enjoyed in diſcovering a Medicine ſo univerſal, and eaſy in its Purchaſe to Rich and Poor; yet no Reaſons can be aſſigned why we may not exerciſe our Faculties in meliorating that Medicine, and prove it more univerſal both by Reaſon and practi⯑cal Experience.

I ſhall now conclude with making ſome Remarks upon the Manner of preparing this moſt noble Medicine, which when rightly managed, will juſtly deſerve all the Encomiums conferred upon it. Its preſent Preparation is the moſt improper that can be, which, in ſome meaſure, the Biſhop himſelf has proved by his own Philoſophy, in ſeveral Parts of his Trea⯑tiſe; for by his ordering it to be ſtirred with a Ladle, or flat Stick, one may ſuſpect that he and moſt others hitherto have pre⯑pared it in an open Veſſel, which muſt be inconſiſtent with all manner of Philoſophy. He lays great ſtreſs upon its Volatility, its ſubtile Oil or Acid, and its oily volatile ve⯑getable Salt, which he ſays are the very Flower of its ſpecific Qualities; this makes it appear more ſtrange, that a Medicine endowed with ſuch fine volatile Parts, ſhould be made in an open Veſſel, unleſs [18]we intended to evaporate, o [...] rob it of this Volatility: For he has taught us, in Sect. 46. that all the fineſt and pureſt Parts of any Volatile very eaſily aſcend firſt: Where then muſt all theſe fine volatile, oily, and ſub⯑tile acid Parts, as he calls them, go to, in a Veſſel uncovered? It ought to be our chiefeſt Care to preſerve them. What is the Worth of the once greatly fancied Spirits of Scurvigraſs, after they have ſtood forty eight Hours in an open Veſſel? Sal Armoniac and Salts of Tartar, perhaps, have leſs Volatility, than either Tar or Water, when ſingle, yet upon the leaſt mixing them one with the other, there immediately ariſes a Volatility, which affects the Noſe ſo ſtrongly, as not to be endured. But tho' this will greatly admit of a Compariſon, [...]et it does not exactly ſolve the preſent Problem: For, Tar being impregnated with ſuch ſubtile Parts, which are ſuppreſſed from flying off by Reaſon of the Viſcidity of its component Parts, yet when it comes to be divided, and, as it were, fluxed with ſuch a Fluid as Water, then all its volatile Parts are diſengaged, and ſet looſe from their Impriſonment, and cannot fail to eſcape according to their different Degrees of Pu⯑rity; eſpecially if the Water be refined, for it is then rendred much fitter for Infuſion, [19]becauſe its Parts, which before were groſs and heavy, being now made ſmall, and, as it were, volatile, it is fitted to inlinuate itſelf into the moſt remote Abſceſſes, and there adjoin itſelf to the moſt ſubtile parts of the Subject, which before were ſo cloſely ſhut up in theſe narrow Cells, as to debar the Entrance of more crude aqueous Particles: Much in the Manner as Spirits of Wine will diſſolve a reſinous Subſtance ſooner than Water; for the ſpirituous Particles being more ſubtile and exceedingly ſmaller than thoſe of Water, they can more readily enter into the In⯑terſtices of the Reſin, and eaſily diſ⯑join its Parts, which are too cloſely uni⯑ted for the groſs Corpuſcles of Water to enter.

Hence it is manifeſt, that purified Wa⯑ter is not only incomparably better adapted to enter into the Stage of Circulation in human Bodies, but likewiſe more appro⯑priated to extract a Tincture from Vege⯑tables or their Balſams; which is the ſole Aim of our preſent Buſineſs.