For many years had he continued to attend to the cure of human bodies without neglecting the least of his obligations to the immortal souls, before he yielded to the entreaties of thousands who urged him to write down the results of his study and experience of the water-cure and render them thus useful also to those who were unable to profit by his oral advice. His book obtained for him what he had neither aimed at, nor wished for: his name, always pronounced with love and veneration within the limited sphere of his activity as parish-priest, has since acquired more than European fame. The eyes of the whole civilized world look with admiration on the aged pastor of the humble Bavarian village and, attracted by the wisdom of his counsels and the kindness of his heart, numbers of invalids are daily seen to gather round him for help and advice.
I myself have had the enviable fortune of living for nearly two years on most confidential terms with the venerable man. The look of his eyes so penetrating and yet so full of compassion, the unpretentiousness and simplicity of manners displayed in his personal intercourse with all classes of men, the noble disposition of his heart, the disinterestedness in all his attempts for the good of others, act like as many charms delighting and fascinating everyone that approaches him. The rich and the poor, the prince and the beggar, are all welcomed by the same kindly look, the same loving heart. The artless, I should almost say. the rustic style which characterizes his oral counsels is a peculiar feature also of "My Water-cure." I should consider it a want of filial piety and affection for in v fatherly friend and master, were I in my translation to deviate from his principle of simplicity by turning his winds into elegant periods.
Moreover was it expressly desired by the author that translations of his book should be complete, correct, and, as much as possible, literal. He wrote "My Water-cure" chiefly for the lower classes, for poor country people who lack either means or convenience to have recourse to medical aid in their maladies, and this circumstance particularly made him fear that want of correctness in translating might be of fatal consequences. Since there has already been edited another English translation which cannot claim to be either correct or complete, I myself thought it especially advisable to produce a literal translation of the thirty-third German edition which has been quite recently thoroughly revised by the author.
This translation has the additional advantage of numerous illustrations representing the medicinal herbs and their essential parts, which will, besides imparting knowledge about the plants, facilitate the work of the gatherer.
The consideration that the master having all means of greater elegance at his command, chose nevertheless simplicity to be the prominent feature of his style, and the fad that in spite of this, two hundred thousand copies of his book have been published, was apt to confirm me in my resolution at the risk of doing even more violence to the polished English language than the author did to his native tongue.
These are the grounds on which I base the hope that my readers will judge kindly about my work. I shall consider it the most desirable compensation for my toils if it will prove of real and lasting profit to all who wish to follow its advice. If they are Christians the venerable person of the author will increase their confidence in his counsels; if they are not Christians they may remember that his heart beats warm for all and that, by making "My Water-cure" known to the world, he wished to benefit all without exception.
For any explanation or detail respecting the contents of this book, apply to the Editor.
ST. D.
PREFACE TO THE FIRST GERMAN EDITION.
BEING a priest, the salvation of immortal souls is the first object for which I wish to live and to die. During the last thirty or forty years, however, the care for mortal bodies has absorbed a considerable portion of my time and strength. This work I have never sought after; on the contrary every patient coming to me is (naturally speaking) a burden to me. Only the thought of Him who came down from Heaven to heal all our infirmities, and the remembrance of His promise: ''Blessed are the merciful; for they will obtain mercy," and: "Even a cup of cold water given in .My name shall not be unrewarded," was able to detain me from refusing all petitions, no matter who the petitioner might be. The temptation to do so was the more natural, because not profit, but incalculable loss of time, not honor, but often calumny and persecution, not gratitude, but in many cases ingratitude, scorn and insults, were my reward. But God allowed it to be so, and I shall not complain of it. It is easily to be understood that after such an experience I feel not much inclined to write,' especially now that I am feeling the weight of old age, and both mind and body long for rest.
Only the constant and impetuous urging of my friends who call it a sin against charity if I do not write down before my death what I have learned by experience, the innumerable petitions of those who have been cured, and most of all the entreaties of poor, abandoned and helpless patients in the country, could induce me to make up my mind to write a book on "My Water-cure," almost against my will.
I have had a peculiar affection and care for the poorer classes, the sick farmers who are so often neglected and forsaken, and to them especially I dedicate my little book; therefore the language is plain and clear. I have purposely tried to use familiar language, instead of giving a dry, inefficacious skeleton. If one or the other story is somewhat long, or if repetitions occur, I trust the reader will overlook it on account of my good intention.
It was by no means my intention to oppose any of the existing medical systems, or to attack any individual, or his science and reputation, most certainly not.
Of course, I am aware that only professional men are called upon to publish such things; but 1 am sure that just such men will be glad to see that even a layman imparts his knowledge obtained by long years' experience. Everyone will be welcome to me who with a sincere heart wishes to correct me or to give me useful hints; but I shall leave unnoticed those who criticize out of party-spirit, and call me a bungler and quack.
My earnest wish has been that a professional man, a physician, would release me of this heavy burden and heavy work, and I should feel so happy if at last these professional men would begin to study the system of hydropathy thoroughly and put it in practice under their inspection; this little work of mine could then be of some use to them. I can give assurance that notwithstanding my sometimes reserved behavior, the sick and suffering people who came to me, could be numbered by thousands and tens of thousands, and I could easily have become rich, and very rich, if I had accepted only part of the sums offered to me for cures.
Many came saying: I will give you $50 or $100 if you cure me. The sufferer looks out for help, wherever he can find it. and be is happy to pay the physician who has healed him, whether it be with the medicine bottle or with the water jug.
There have been celebrated physicians who practiced The water-cures with energy and great success; but they died, and their hints, counsels and experiences were buried with them. May now at last the dawn be followed by a full and lasting morning!
All names given or indicated in this book I can answer for, and on application will be ready to give the addresses in full. It may be that sometimes my expressions are a little harsh; but that springs from my somewhat austere and rough disposition. With it I have grown old, and disguise of my nature would be hard now to me.
I trust the blessing of Almighty God may accompany my little book on its travels. And when one day my friends of the water-cure are told that I have departed this life, I beg of them to send me a refreshing "Our Father" to the place where the physician of physicians heals and purifies the souls.
Wörishofen, Railway Station Türkheim in Swabia, October 1st, 1886.
THE AUTHOR.
PREFACE TO THE FIFTIETH GERMAN EDITION.
HAD a stranger