[p. 27]other clouds
from the opposite direction: there it is first condensed, and what
is behind is carried up to the spot, and thus it thickens, blackens,
and is conglomerated, and by its weight it falls down and becomes
rain. Such, to all appearance, are the best of waters, but they require
to be boiled and strained; for otherwise they have a bad smell, and
occasion hoarseness and thickness of the voice to those who drink
them. Those from snow and ice are all bad, for when once congealed,
they never again recover their former nature; for whatever is clear,
light, and sweet in them, is separated and disappears; but the most
turbid and weightiest part is left behind. You may ascertain this
in the following manner: If in winter you will pour water by measure
into a vessel and expose it to the open air until it is all frozen,
and then on the following day bring it into a warm situation where
the ice will thaw, if you will measure the water again when dissolved
you will find it much less in quantity. This is a proof that the lightest
and thinnest part is dissipated and dried up by the congelation, and
not the heaviest and thickest, for that is impossible: wherefore I
hold that waters from snow and ice, and those allied to them, are
the worst of any for all purposes whatever. Such are the characters
of rain-water, and those from ice and snow.
PART 9
Men | This is a most interesting chapter, as containing the most ancient observations which we possess on the important subject of urinary calculi. The ancients never improved the theory, nor added much to the facts which are here stated by our author. We have given the summary of their opinions in the Commentary on PAULUS AEGINETA, B. III., 45. I would beg leave to remark that, notwithstanding the number of curious facts which modern chemistry has evolved regarding the composition of urinary calculi, the etiology of the disease is nearly as obscure now as it was in the days of Hippocrates. |
become affected with the stone, and are seized with diseases of
the kidneys, strangury, sciatica, and become ruptured, when they drink
all sorts of waters, and those from great rivers into which other
rivulets run, or from a lake into which many streams of all sorts
flow, and such as are brought from a considerable distance. For it
is impossible that such waters can resemble one another, but one kind
is sweet, another saltish and aluminous, and some flow from thermal
springs; and these being all mixed up together disagree, and the strongest
part always
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