he
gentle touch of a kind hand, a mere drop of water, or a breath of fresh
air, might often bring them back again to life and health and happiness
and usefulness.

If this chapter should not be deemed a confession of medical impotence,
it is at least a practical confession of medical selfishness or
ignorance. If duly enlightened themselves, medical men ought long ago,
to have rid society of this abominable superstition; and if not
sufficiently enlightened to perceive its existence and evil tendency,
they ought to have abandoned their profession.

FOOTNOTES:

[C] Dr. Livingstone, in his work of Travels and Researches in Africa,
tells us that during his residence among the Backwains, a tribe in the
African interior, two persons who had been hastily buried, perhaps
"struck with death" in the first place, returned home "to their
affrighted relatives." p. 143.

CHAPTER XVIII.

EFFICACY OF COLD SPRING WATER.

An aged man not far from where I was studying, had an attack of
dysentery which was long and severe. Whether the fault of its long
continuance lay in his own bad habits, or the injudicious use of
medicine, or in both, we can inquire to better advantage by and by. I
was not, however, very much acquainted with his physician, so as to be
able in the premises to form a very correct opinion concerning him.

The greatest puzzle with me, at that time, was why he should live so
long after the disease appeared to have spent itself, without making any
advances. The physician used to call on him day after day, and order
tonic medicine of various kinds, all of which was given with great care
and exactness. Every thing in fact, seemed to be put in requisition,
except what were most needful of all, pure air and water. The former of
these was, as is usual in such cases, neglected; the latter was
absolutely interdicted.

For this last, as not unfrequently happens at this stage of acute
diseases, the poor man sighed from day to day as though his heart would
break. But, no; he must not have it. The effect on his bowels, he was
told, would be unfavorable. And such at that day was the general
_theory_. It was not considered that a very small quantity at first, a
few drops merely, would be a great relief, and might be borne, till by
degrees a larger quantity would be admissible.

After repeated efforts, and much begging and crying for a little water
to cool his parched tongue, the old gentleman, one night dreamed that he