was put to bed in the apprehension of a new imposthume; instead
of which, he found himself exceedingly recruited in his spirits,
and his appetite much mended. I advised him to take the
hint, and go into the cold bath every morning; but he did not
chuse to run any risque. How cold water comes to be such a
bugbear, I know not: if I am not mistaken, Hippocrates recommends
immersion in cold water for the gout; and Celsus expressly says,
in omni tussi utilis est natatio: in every cough swimming is of
service.

I have conversed with a physician of this place, a sensible man,
who assured me he was reduced to meer skin and bone by a cough
and hectic fever, when he ordered a bath to be made in his own
house, and dipped himself in cold water every morning. He at the
same time left off drinking and swallowing any liquid that was
warm. He is now strong and lusty, and even in winter has no other
cover than a single sheet. His notions about the warm drink were
a little whimsical: he imagined it relaxed the tone of the
stomach; and this would undoubtedly be the case if it was drank
in large quantities, warmer than the natural temperature of the
blood. He alledged the example of the inhabitants of the Ladrone
islands, who never taste any thing that is not cold, and are
remarkably healthy. But to balance this argument I mentioned the
Chinese, who scarce drink any thing but warm tea; and the
Laplanders, who drink nothing but warm water; yet the people of
both these nations are remarkably strong, healthy, and long-lived.

You desire to know the fate of my books. My lord H--d is not yet
come to France; but my letter was transmitted to him from Paris;
and his lordship, with that generous humanity which is peculiar