CHAPTER II.
SPRINGS MEDICINALL.
[IN Aubrey’s time the mineral waters of Bath, Tonbridge, and other places, were very extensively resorted to for medical purposes, and great importance was attached to them in a sanatory point of view. The extracts which have been selected from this chapter sufficiently shew the limited extent of the author’s chemical knowledge, in the analysis of waters; which he appears to have seldom carried beyond precipitation or evaporation. He mentions several other springs in Wiltshire and elsewhere, attributing various healing properties to some of them; but of others merely observing, with great simplicity, whether or not their water was adapted to wash linen, boil pease, or affect the fermentation of beer. The chapter comprises a few remarks on droughts; and particularly mentions a remarkable cure of cancer by an “emplaster” or “cataplasme” of a kind of unctuous earth found in Bradon forest.—J. B.]
HOLY-WELL, in the parish of Chippenham, near Sheldon, by precipitation of one-third of a pint with a strong lixivium, by the space of twenty-four houres I found a sediment of the quantity of neer a small hazell nut-shell of a kind of nitre; sc. a kind of flower of that colour (or lime stone inclining to yellow); the particles as big as grosse sand. Upon evaporation of the sayd water, which was a pottle or better, I found two sorts of sediment, perhaps by reason of the oblique hanging of the kettle: viz. one sort of a deep soot colour; the other of the colour of cullom earth. It changed not colour by infusion of powder of galles. Try it with syrup of violettes.
Hancock’s well at Luckington is so extremely cold that in summer one cannot long endure one’s hand in it. It does much good to the eies. It cures the itch, &c. By precipitation it yields a white sediment, inclining to yellow; sc. a kind of fine flower. I believe it is much impregnated with nitre. In the lane that leads from hence to Sapperton the earth is very nitrous, which proceeds from the rich deep blew marle, which I discovered in the lane which leads to Sapworth.
Biddle-well lies between Kington St. Michael and Swinley; it turnes milke. In the well of the mannour house (Mr. Thorn. Stokes) of Kington St. Michael is found talc, as also at the well at Priory St. Maries, in this parish; and I thinke common enough in these parts.
In Kington St. Michael parish is a well called Mayden-well, which I find mentioned in the Legeir-booke of the Lord Abbot of Glaston, called Secretum Domini [or Secretum Abbatis.] Let it be tryed. Alice Grig knows where about it is.
In the park at Kington St. Michael is a well called Marian’s-well, mentioned in the same Legeir-book.
In the parish of North Wraxhall, at the upper end of ye orchard of Duncomb-mill at ye foot of ye hill ye water petrifies in some degree; which is the onely petrifying water that I know in this countie. [In subsequent pages Aubrey refers to other petrifying waters near Calne, Devizes, and elsewhere.—J. B.]
At Draycott Cerne (the seate of my ever honoured friend Sir James Long, Baronet, whom I name for honour’s sake) the waters of the wells are vitriolate, and with powder of galles doe turne of a purple colour.-[I have a delicate, cleare, and plentifull spring at Upper Deptford, never dry, and very neer the river Ravens-born; the water famous for ye eyes, and many other medicinal purposes. Sr Rich. Browne, my father-in-lawe, immur’d it, wth a chaine and iron dish for travellers to drink, and has sett up an inscription in white marble.—JOHN EVELYN.]
Stock-well, at Rowd, is in the highway, which is between two gravelly cliffs, which in warm weather are candied. It changed not colour with powder of galles; perhaps it may have the effect of Epsham water. The sediment by precipitation is a perfect white flower, Mice nitre. The inhabitants told me that it is good for the eies, and that it washes very well. It is used for the making of medicines.
At Polshutt rises a spring in a ditch neer Sommerham-bridge, at Seenes townes-end, in a ground of Sir Walter Long, Baronet, which with galles does presently become a deepe claret colour.
At Polshutt are brackish wells; but especiall that of Rich. Bolwell, two quarts whereof did yield by evaporation two good spoonfulls heapt of a very tart salt. Dr. Meret believes it to be vitriolish.
Neer to which is Send (vulgo Seene), a very well built village on a sandy hill, from whence it has its name; sand being in the old English called send (for so I find writ in the records of the Tower); as also Send, in Surrey, is called for the same reason. Underneath this sand (not very deep), in some place of the highway not above a yard or yard and a half, I discovered the richest iron oare that ever I sawe or heard of. Come there on a certain occasion,* it rained at twelve or one of the clock very impetuously, so that it had washed away the sand from the oare; and walking out to see the country, about 3 p.m., the sun shining bright reflected itself from the oare to my eies. Being surprised at so many spangles, I took up the stones with a great deale of admiration. I went to the smyth, Geo. Newton, an ingeniose man, who from a blacksmith turned clock maker and fiddle maker, and he assured me that he has melted of this oare in his forge, which the oare of the forest of Deane, &c. will not doe.
* At the Revell there, An°. D. 1666.
The reader is to be advertised that the forest of Milsham did extende itselfe to the foot of this hill. It was full of goodly oakes, and so neer together that they say a squirrill might have leaped from tree to tree. It was disafforested about 1635, and the oakes were sold for 1s. or 2s. per boord at the most; and then nobody ever tooke notice of this iron-oare, which, as I sayd before, every sun-shine day, after a rousing shower, glistered in their eies. Now there is scarce an oake left in the whole parish, and oakes are very rare all hereabout, so that this rich mine cannot be melted and turned to profit. Finding this plenty of rich iron-oare, I was confident that I should find in the village some spring or springs impregnated with its vertue; so I sent my servant to the Devizes for some galles to try it; and first began at Mr. J. Sumner’s, where I lay, with the water of the draught-well in the court within his house, which by infusion of a little of the powder of the galles became immediately as black as inke; that one may write letters visible with it; sc. as with inke diluted with water, which the water of Tunbridge will not doe, nor any other iron water that ever I met with or heard of. I tryed it by evaporation and it did yield an umberlike sediment: I have forgot the proportion. I gave it to the Royall Society.
In June 1667,1 sent for three bottles of this well water to London, and experimented it before the Royall Society at Gresham Colledge, at which, time there was a frequent assembly, and many of the Physitians of the Colledge of London. Now, whereas the water of Tunbridge, and others of that kind, being carried but few miles loose their spirits, and doe not alter their colour at all with powder of galles, these bottles, being brought by the carrier eighty odd miles, and in so hot weather, did turn, upon the infusion of the powder, as deep as the deepest claret; to the admiration of the physitians then present, who unanimously declared that this water might doe much good: and Dr. Piers sayd that in some cases such waters were good to begin with, and to end with the Bath; and in some “è contra”. This place is but 9 or 10 miles from Bath.
The Drs. then spake to me, to write to some physitians at Bath, and to recommend it to them, whom I knew; which I did. But my endeavours were without effect till August 1684. But they doe so much good that they now speake aloud their own prayses. They were satisfied (I understood at last) of ye goodnesse and usefulnesse of these waters, but they did not desire to have patients to be drawn from ye Bath. Now, whereas one person is grieved with aches, or bruises, or dead palseys, for which diseases the Bath is chiefly proper, ten or more are ill of chronicall diseases and obstructions, for the curing whereof these chalybiate waters are the most soveraigne remedie.
This advertisement I desired Dr. Rich. Blackburne to word. He is one of the College of Physitians, and practiseth yearly at Tunbridge-wells. It was printed in an Almanack of Hen. Coley about 1681, but it tooke no effect.
“Advertisement.—At Seen (neer ye Devizes in Wiltshire) are springs discovered to be of the nature and vertue of those at Tunbridge, and altogether as good. They are approved of by severall of ye physitians of the Colledge in London, and have donne great cures, viz. particularly in the spleen, the reines, and bladder, affected with heat, stone, or gravell; or restoring hectick persons to health and strength, and wonderfully conducing in all cases of obstructions.”
I proceeded and tryed other wells, but my ingeniose faithfull servant Robert Wiseman (Prudhome) tryed all the wells in the village, and found that all the wells of the south side doe turne with galles more or lesse, but the wells of the north side turne not with them at all. This hill lies eastward and westward; quod N.B.
The water of Jo. Sumner’s well was so bad for household use that they could not brew nor boyle with it, and used it only to wash the house, &c.; so that they were necessitated to sinke a well in the common, which is walled, about a bow shott or more from his dwelling house, where is fresh and wholsome water. Memorandum. Dr. Grew in his [Catalogue] of the Royall Society has mistaken this well in the common for the medicinall well of J. Sumner. But, mem., there is another well that turnes, I thinke, as deep as J. Sumner’s. [On the subject of this discovery by Aubrey, to which he attached great importance, the reader is referred to Britton’s “Memoir of Aubrey”, published by the Wiltshire Topographical Society, p. 17. As there stated, most of the property about Seend now belongs to W. H. Ludlow Bruges, Esq. M.P., who preserves the well; but its waters are not resorted to for sanatory purposes.—J. B.]
Memorandum. That Dudley, Lord North, grandfather to Sir Francis North, Lord Keeper, and Baron of Guildford, returning from his travells from the Spaw, &c. making a visit to the Earle of Leicester at Penshurst, his relation, as he was riding thereabout made observation of the earth where the water run, the colour whereof gave him an indication of its vertue. He sent for galles, and tryed it by evaporation, &c. and found out the vertue, which hath ever since continued and donne much good to the drinkers, and the inhabitants thereabout* This discovery was this year (1685), about seventy-five years since, and ’tis pitty it should be buried in oblivion. My Lord Keeper North told me of this himselfe.
*At Tunbridge and Epsom Wells, where were only wild commons, now are abundance of well-built houses. [The changes and improvements at Tunbridge Wells have been very great since Aubrey wrote. In 1832 I wrote and published an octavo volume—“Descriptive Sketches of Tunbridge Wells and the Calverley Estate”, with maps and prints. Since that time the railroad has been opened to that place, which will increase its popularity. Epsom Wells are now deserted. At Melksham, in the vicinity of Seend, a pump-room, baths, and lodging-houses were erected about twenty-five years ago; but fashion has not favoured the place with her sanction. See Beauties of Wiltshire, vol. iii.—J. B.]
When the springs doe breake in Morecombe-bottom, in the north side of the parish of Broad Chalke, which is seldome, ’tis observed that it foretells a deer yeare for corne. It hath discontinued these forty yeares.
At Crudwell, neer to the mannour house, is a fine spring in the street called Bery-well. Labourers say it quenches thirst better than the other waters; as to my tast, it seemed to have aliquantulum aciditatis; and perhaps is vitriolate. The towne, a mannour of the Lord Lucas, hath its denomination from this well; perhaps it is called Crudwell from its turning of milke into cruds.
At Wotton Basset, in the parke, is a petrifying water, which petrifies very quickly.
At Huntsmill, in this parish, is a well where the water turnes leaves, &c. of a red colour.
Below the Devises, the water in all the ditches, at the fall of the leafe, lookes blewish, which I could not but take notice of when I was a schoole boy.
In the parish of Lydyard-Tregoz is a well called by the country people Antedocks-well (perhaps here was the cell of some anchorete or hermite); the water whereof they say was famous heretofore in the old time for working miracles and curing many diseases.
As I rode from Bristoll to Welles downe Dundery-hill, in the moneth of June, 1663, walking down the hill on foot, presently after a fine shower I sawe a little thinne mist arise out of the ditch on the right hand by the highwayes side. But when I came neer to the place I could not discern it: so I went back a convenient distance and saw it again; and then tooke notice of some flower or weed that grew in the ditch whence the vapour came. I came againe to the marke, and could see nothing of a mist, as before; but my nose was affected with a smell which I knew; but immediately it came not to my mind; which was the smell of the canales that come from the bathes at Bath. By this time my groom was come to me, who, though of a dull understanding, his senses were very quick; I asked him if he smelt nothing, and after a sniff or two, he answered me, he smelt the smell of the Bath. This place is about two parts of three of the descent of Dundery-hill,
I doe believe the water of the fountaine that serves Lacock abbey is impregnated with {symbol for mars}[iron]. That at Crokerton, near Warminster, I thinke not at all inferior to those of Colbec in France. The best felt hatts are made at both places.
At or near Lavington is a good salt spring. (From ye Earl of
Abingdon.)
The North Wilts horses, and other stranger horses, when they come to drinke of the water of Chalke-river, they will sniff and snort, it is so cold and tort I suppose being so much impregnated with {alchemical sign for nitre} [nitre].
Advise my countrymen to try the rest of the waters as the Sieur Du Clos, Physitian to his most Christian Majestie, has donne, and hath directed in his booke called “Observations of the Minerall Waters of France made in ye Academy of Sciences.”—I did it transient, and full of businesse, and “aliud agens tanquam canis e Nilo”.
The freestone fountaine above Lacock, neer Bowdon, in the rode-way, is higher than the toppe of Lacock steeple. Sir J. Talbot might have for a small matter the highest and noblest Jeddeau [jet-d’eau] in England.
It is at the foot of St. Anne’s-hill, or else Martinsoll-hill, {that} three springs have their source and origen; viz. the south Avon, which runnes to Sarum, and disembogues at Christes Church in Hants; the river Kynet, which runnes to Morlebrugh, Hungerford, and disembogues into the Thames about Reading; and on the foote of the north side arises another that runnes to Calne, which disembogues into the north Avon about Titherton, and runnes to Bristowe into the Severne. [See also Chap. III. Rivers.—J. B.]
In the parish of……. is a spring dedicated to St. Winifred, formerly of great account for its soveraigne vertues. What they were I cannot learne; neither can I thinke the spring to be of less vertue now than in the time of Harry the Eight; in which age I am informed it was of great esteeme: and I am apt to conjecture that the reason why the spring grew out of fame was because S*. Winifred grew out of favour.
At the Devizes, on the north side of the castle, there is a rivulet of water which doth petrifie leafes, sticks, plants, and other things that grow by it; which doth seem to prove that stones grow not by apposition only, as the Aristotelians assert, but by susception also; for if the stick did not suscept some vertue by which it is transmuted we may admire what doth become of the matter of the stick
At Knahill [Knoyle] is a minerall water, which Dr. Toop and Dr. Chamberlayn have tryed. It is neer Mr. Willoughby’s house: it workes very kindly, and without any gripeing; it hath been used ever since about 1672.
Dr. Guydot sayes the white sediment in the water of North Wiltshire is powder of freestone; and he also tells me that there is a medicinall well in the street at Box, near Bathe, which hath been used ever since about 1670.
Mr. Nich. Mercator told me that water may be found by a divining rod made of willowe; whiche he hath read somewhere; he thinks in Vitruvius. Quaere Sir John Hoskins de hoc.
In Poulshott parish the spring was first taken notice of about thirty yeares since by S. Pierse, M.D. of Bathe, and some few made use of it Some of the Devises, who dranke thereof, told me that it does good for the spleen, &c., and that a hectick and emaciated person, by drinking this water, did in the space of three weekes encrease in flesh, and gott a quick appetite.
Memorandum. In this village are severall springs, which tast brackish; which I had not the leisure to try, but onely by præcipitation, and they yield a great quantity of the white flower-like sediment.
Bitteston.—At the George Inne, the beere that is brewed of the well there is diuretique. I knew some that were troubled with the stone and gravell goe often thither for that reason. The woman of the house was very much troubled with fitts of the mother; and having lived here but a quarter of a yeare, found herself much mended; as also her mother, troubled with the same disease. I observed in the bottome of the well deep blew marle.
[The hysterical paroxysms to which females are peculiarly subject were in Aubrey’s time commonly termed “the mother”, or “fits of the mother”. Dr. Edward Jorden published a “Discourse on the Suffocation of the Mother”, (4to.) in 1603.—J. B.]
Alderton.—Mr. Gore’s well is a hard water, which, when one washes one’s hands will make them dry, as if it were allume water. I tryed it by præcipitation, and the sediment was the colour of barme, white and yellow, and fell in a kind of flakes, as snow sometimes will fall, whereas all the other sediments were like fine flower or powder.
In Minety Common in Bradon forest, neer the rode which leadeth to Ashton Caynes, is a boggy place called the Gogges, where is a spring, or springs, rising up out of fuller’s earth. This puddle in hot and dry weather is candid like a hoar frost; which to the tast seemes nitrous. I have seen this salt incrustation, even 14th September, four foot round the edges. With half a pound of this earth I made a lixivium. Near half a pint did yield upon evaporation a quarter of an ounce wanting two graines. Of the remainder of the lixivium, which was more than a pint, I evaporated almost all to crystallize in a cellar. The liquor turned very red, and the crystalls being putt on a red hott iron flew away immediately, like saltpetre, leaving behind a very little quantity of something that look’d like burnt allum. Now it is certain that salts doe many times mixe; and Mr. Robert Boyle tells me hee believes it is sea-salt mix’t with {nitre}, and there is a way to separate them. After a shower this spring will smoake. The mudd or earth cleanses and scowres incomparably. A pike of eighteen foot long will not reach to the bottome.
My Lady Cocks of Dumbleton told me that ladies did send ten miles and more for water from a spring on Malverne hill in Worcestershire to wash their faces and make ’em faire. I believe it was such a nitrous spring as this.
The fuller’s earth which they use at Wilton is brought from Woburne in Bedfordshire; and sold for ten groates a bushell.
The Baths may have its tinging vertue from the antimonie in Mendip. Quaere Mr. Kenrick, that when he changed a sixpence holding it in his hand it turned yellow, and a woman refused it for bad silver. I thinke he had been making crocus of antimonie. The chymists doe call antimony Proteus, from its various colouring.
Mr. T. Hanson, of Magd. Coll. Oxon, acquaints me in a letter of May 18, 1691, that he observes that almost all the well-waters about the north part of Wiltshire were very brackish. At High-worth, Mr. Alhnon, apothecary, told him he had often seen a quantity of milke coagulated with it: and yet the common people brew with it, which gives their beer an ungratefull tast. At Cricklad their water is so very salt that the whole town are obliged to have recourse to a river hard by for their necessary uses. At Wootton Basset, at some small distance from the town, they have a medicinall spring, which a neighbouring divine told him Dr. Willis had given his judgment of, viz. that it was the same with that of Astrop. They have also a petrifying spring. At the Devizes, about a quarter of a mile from the towne, a petrifying spring shewn me by Dr. Merriweather, a physitian there. At Bagshot, near Hungerford, is a chalybiate, dranke by some gentlemen with good successe.
Mdm. In my journey to Oxford, comeing through Bagley-wood, on St. Mark’s day, 1695,1 discovered two chalybiate springs there, in the highway; which On May the 10th I tryed with powder of galles, and they give as black a tincture as ever I saw such waters: one may write with it as legibly as with black lead.
At the gate at Wotton Common, near Cumnor in Berkshire, is a spring which I have great reason to believe is such another: and also at the foot of Shotover-hill, near the upping-stock, I am confident by the clay, is such another spring. Deo gratias.
Quæres for the Tryall of Minerall Waters; by the Honourable Sir
William Petty, Kt.:-
1. How much heavier ’tis than brandy? 2. How much common water will extinguish its tast? 3. What quantity of salt upon its evaporation? 4. How much sugar, allum, vitriol, nitre, will dissolve in a pint of it? 5. Whether any animalcule will breed in it, and in how long time? 6. Whether fish, viz. trout, eeles, &c. will live in it, and how long? 7. Whether ’twill hinder or promote the curdling of milk, and fermentation? 8. Whether soape will mingle with it? 9. Whether ’twill extract the dissolvable parts of herbes, rootes, seedes, &c. more or less than other waters; (i. e.) whether it be a more powerful menstruum? 10. How galles will change its colour? 11. How ’twill change the colour of syrup of violets? 12. How it differs from other waters in receiving colours, cochineel, saffron, violets &c.? 13. How it boyles dry pease? 14. How it colours fresh beefe, or other flesh in boyling? 15. How it washes hands, beards, linnen, SEC.? 16. How it extracts mault in brewing? 17. How it quenches thirst, with meat or otherwise?
8. Whether it purges; in what quantity, time, and with what symptomes? 19. Whether it promotes urine, sweat, or sleep? 20. In what time it passeth, and how afterwards? 21. Whether it sharpens or flattens the appetite to meate? 22. Whether it vomits, causes coughs, &c.? 23. Whether it swell the belly, legges; and how, in what time, and quantity &c.? 24. How it affects sucking children, and (if tryed) foetus in the wombe? 25. Whether it damps or excites venerie? 26. How blood lett whilest the waters are dranke lookes, and how it changes? 27. In what degrees it purges, in different degrees of evaporation, and brewed? 28. Whether it breakes away by eructation and downwards? 29. Whether it kills the asparagus in the urine? 30. What quantity may be taken of it in prime? 31. Whether a sprig of mint or willow growes equally as out of other waters? 32. In what time they putrify and stink?