Essay on the mineral waters of Carlsbad/Mode of action of the waters
MODE
OF
ACTION OF THE WATERS.
Soda, as we have seen, being the principal ingredient of our hot springs, their effect can mostly be attributed to that alkali, whatever may be the auxiliary action of their other constituent parts, some of which, discovered later, are in exiguous quantity.
Soda acts with energy on the animal economy, and has a hurtful influence on the arterial system, disposes to hemorrhagies, to scurvy, and disturbs digestion. The Carlsbad water, on the contrary, during the longest cure, animates and vivifies, excites appetite, promotes digestion, and, united to proper regimen, favours the return of health. The difference between the effects of pure soda, and those produced by our waters, can not be otherwise explained than by the union and combinations of that alkali with their subtler parts, such as the oxid of iron, the carbonic acid gaz, and the new ingredients, found by Mr. Berzelius (without speaking of those which may perhaps be hereafter discovered), and particularly by their high temperature, which, volatilizing those constituent parts, so wonderfully united and combined together, conveys them, by the finest ramifications, to the last extremities of our organism, imparts to them a vivifying power, and deprives them of their hurtful qualities. David Becher, whilst drinking our waters, found Carlsbad salt in his own urine, and some drops of his perspiration, gathered upon a watch-glass, examined with a strong microscope, showed, during their evaporation, crystals similar to Carlsbad salt.
It is undoubtedly as difficult to tell by what process alkaline water separates, moves and eliminates morbid matters, as to understand how mercury, introduced by the stomach or the skin, frees the animal economy from inveterate syphilitic affections. Without attempting a methodical solution of this problem, one can conceive how an alkaline substance, reaching, more or less slowly, the last ramifications of our secretory and excretory organs, produces effects not to be expected from coarser medicaments, administered only in small doses, such as antimony, gums, soap, ox-gall, vegetable juices or extracts. Whoever has experienced at Carlsbad a regular crisis, will never more question the power of its waters, the revolution they cause in the whole system, nor the artificial disease excited by such perturbations. The Germans call it very properly a Bad-Sturm (bath-storm).
This hot water occasions neither nausea nor vomiting; it has an exciting action on the stomach, the bowels, kidneys, liver and other abdominal organs, of which it augments the secretions and excretions. Its action upon the alimentary tube produces a purgative effect; it acts particularly on the blood-vessels, creates often orgasmus and palpitations, and drives the blood to the head. It increases indirectly the activity of the lymphatic system, and it only begins to be tonic, after having brought on secretory and excretory effects. Such are the characters distinguishing Carlsbad from the more chalybeate and gaseous waters, which are more directly tonic.
Abundant purgation is not indispensable to the success of the treatment, and, in many cases, the best results are obtained by copious urine and perspiration; but that all these effects should be simultaneous, is still more desirable. At all events, costiveness should be obviated, and, with that view, we recommand a few additional drachms of Carlsbad salt, Püllna bitter water, glysters and the like.
These various modes of operation have always determined and regulated the use of our waters, and given them the first rank among the remedies commonly called desobstruent and alterative, in innumerable disorders, proceeding from stagnation and obstructions of the blood-vessels, or of the organs copiously provided with them, from which a variety of abdominal complaints can arise, such as weakness of the stomach, heart-burn, acidities, swelling, eructations, costiveness, which, complicated with derangements of the nervous system, obstruct the liver, the spleen, the mesentery, the epiploon, produce biliary concretions, jaundice in all its degrees, hypocondriasis with its visions, fluent and blind piles, head-ach, vertigo, and all sorts of arthritic, herpetic and urinary complaints.
Hypocondriacal affections appear no where under more various forms than at Carlsbad; and the misanthropic and pusillanimous feelings of those unfortunate beings, passing, without known motives, from hope to despondency, from moroseness to exaltation, deserve the greatest indulgence and sympathy. When we see so many hepatic and splenetic patients whose temper depends entirely on the state of their abdominal functions, we feel disposed to forgive the materialism of the ancients, who placed the seat of so many passions in the liver; we remember unwillingly the Fervens difficili bile tumet jecur, the jecur ulcerosum of Horace, as synonimous of jealousy and violent love, and we understand how they could say that men splene rident, felle irascunt, jecore amant, pulmone jactantur, corde sapiunt.
