_MADAM,_
I approve well of your _Authors_ opinion,[1] That _Drink ought not
to be forbidden in Fevers_; but yet I would not allow so much as to
drown and oppress the Patients life, but onely so much as to refresh
and moisten him; and therefore the best way is to drink little and
often. But as for Wine, which your _Author_ commends in Fevers, I am
utterly against it, unless the Fever proceed from a cold or crude
cause, otherwise cooling Ptisans are most beneficial to those that are
sick of a continual Fever, which for the most part is a general Fever
throughout the whole body, one part infecting the other, until they
be all infected, like as in the Plague. And to let you know the proof
of it; when I was once sick beyond the Seas, I sent for a Doctor of
Physick who was an Irish-man: and hearing of some that knew him, and
his practice, that he was not successful in his Cures, but that his
Patients most commonly died, I asked him what he used to prescribe in
such or such diseases? where amongst the rest, as I remember, he told
me, That he allowed his Patients to drink Wine in a Fever. I thought
he was in a great error, and told him my opinion, that though Wine
might be profitable, perhaps, to some few, yet for the most part it
was very hurtful and destructive, alledging another famous Physician
in _France_, Dr. _Davison_, who used in continual Fevers, to prescribe
onely cooling Ptisan, made of a little Barley, and a great quantity
of Water, so thin as the Barley was hardly perceived, and a spoonfull
of syrup of Limmon put into a quart of the said Ptisan; but in case
of a Flux, he ordered some few seeds of Pomegranats to be put into
it, and this cold Ptisan was to be the Patients onely drink: Besides,
once in Twenty four hours he prescribed a couple of potched Eggs, with
a little Verjuice, and to let the Patient blood, if he was dry and
hot; I mean dry exteriously, as from sweat; and that either often or
seldom, according as occasion was found: Also he prescribed two grains
of Laudanum every night, but neither to give the Patient meat nor drink
two hours before and after: Which advice and Practice of the mentioned
Physician concerning Fevers, with several others, I declared to this
Irish Doctor, and he observing this rule, cured many, and so recovered
his lost esteem and repute. But your _Author_ being all for Wine, and
against cooling drinks, or Julips, in hot Fevers, says, _That cooling
means are more like to death, to cessation from motion, and to defect;
but heat from moderate Wine is a mean like unto life._ To which I
answer, first, That cold, or cooling things, are as active as hot or
heating things; neither is death more cold then hot, nor life more hot
then cold; for we see that Frost is as active and strong as burning
heat; and Water, Air, and Earth, are as full of life, as Fire; and
Vegetables, Minerals, and Elements, have life as well as Animals: But
we, feeling a Man's flesh cold when he is dissolving from an Animal,
think death is cold; and seeing he was hot before the same alteration,
say, Life is hot: Also finding an animal, when it is dissolving, to be
without external local Motion, we say it is dead; and when it hath as
yet this local motion before its alteration, we call it alive; which
certainly is not proper. Next I say, that a wise Man when his house is
fired, will fling or squirt water upon it, to quench it, and take out
all moveables lest they should increase the flame; likewise he will
make vent for the flame to issue forth. But perchance your _Author_ may
say, that Fevers are not hot. Truly, in my opinion, he might say as
well that Fire is cold. Again, he may say, That although the effect
be hot, yet the cause is cold. I answer: That in some diseases, the
effects become so firmly rooted, and so powerfull, that they must be
more look'd upon then the cause: for such variety there is in Nature,
that oftentimes, that which was now an effect, turns to be a cause, and
again a cause an effect: For example; A cold cause often produces a hot
effect, and this hot effect becomes again a cause of a cold effect:
Which variation is not onely a trouble, but a great obstruction to wise
Physicians; for Nature hath more varieties in diseases, then Physicians
have remedies, And as for drink, if Fevers be neither hot, nor dry,
nor require drink for want of moisture; then I see no reason why drink
should be urged, and those Physicians blamed that forbid it; for if
thirst proceed from an evil digestion, drink will rather weaken the
stomack; for heat and driness draw soon away the drink in the stomack,
and putting much into a weak stomack doth rather hurt then good. But
if necessity require it, then I approve rather of raw and crude Water,
then of hot inflaming Wine. And so taking my leave, I rest,
Madam,
_Your faithful Friend_
_and humble Servant._
[1] Of Fevers, _Ch._ 12.