reply. There was nothing suggested which was
at all akin to violence. He did not propose a shower bath of any kind.
He did not speak of hot bathing, which for that hour of the day might
have induced too violent a perspiration. He did not propose vapor
bathing or steaming. A tepid bath could, abstractly considered, do no
harm. It would, at least, while away the time till nature could have
opportunity to rally. And then, if the return to health should be
attributed to the application of the tepid water, we had no special
objection to it. We had no medical pride--most certainly I had
none--that would lead me to fear lest I should add to the popularity of
the cold-water system.

But it was rather late in the evening,--between seven and eight
o'clock,--almost time for such a child to be in bed. In order to get up
a tepid bath and make the application, so much time would be required
that it would keep him from sleep till nine o'clock, and perhaps later;
whereas, I had a very high opinion of the healing and renovating power
of natural and healthy sleep. It struck me that to put the child to bed
immediately, and let him have a good night's rest, would be a much wiser
measure than to bathe him even in _tepid_ water. So, after thanking Dr.
Shew for his advice, I told him that, for the reasons above stated, we
had concluded to omit the bath and put the child immediately to bed.

On being put in bed and suitably covered, he went to sleep immediately,
and fell into a gentle perspiration, and in about two hours his
breathing was much better. It continued to improve till the next
morning, when he arose, at the usual time, and was nearly well. Dr. Shew
himself jocosely observed that the _sleep_ cure had proved quite as
successful as the _water_ cure.

Much, therefore, as I prize bathing of all sorts, in its proper place,
it must never take the place of other and more important influences,
whenever these influences can be brought to bear on the case. Indeed, no
bathing of any kind can be desirable, any farther than as it serves to
aid these natural processes. It has no magic or miraculous power. If we
do not eat, drink, sleep, and wake, all the better for it; if the
various offices of digestion, respiration, circulation, perspiration,
and cerebral action are not thereby, as a whole thing, better performed,
it might as well--nay, better--be omitted. Otherwise we waste time and
trifle away vital energy.

If all the functions of the b