Water-Cure for the Million (1860)

AUTHOR: Trall, Russell Thacher

KEYWORDS: food, health, hydropathy, water-cure

SUMMARY (Ridvan Askin, edited Deborah Madsen)

In this booklet, Trall expounds the major principles and practices of the water-cure. On the most general level, hydropathy “not only repudiates all the remedies of the drug schools, but denies the philosophy on which their employment is predicated. It charges their practice with being destructive, and their theory with being false. It ignores all the fundamental premises of all drug-medical systems, and declares the truth to be the exact contrary of what they teach” (3).
Apart from bathing and other applications of water, proper diet constitutes one of the most important aspects of the water-cure. Trall explicitly promotes veganism, maintaining that “fruit and farinacea are the natural food of man.” He strongly advises against the consumption of “[m]ilk,” except by infants, “and its products – butter and cheese,” as well as eggs (22). “I never recommend animal food to invalids,” he writes, “although I sometimes tolerate the use of it in special cases” (28). Among the fruits particularly recommended to invalids are apples, grapes, pears, peaches, cherries, sweet oranges, tomatoes, prunes, berries in their season, squashes, and pumpkins.

Of the vegetables we may especially commend potatoes, beans, peas, parsneps [sic], asparagus, spinach, green peas, and green corn. Those whose digestive powers are not much impaired, can partake, without detriment, of cabbage, carrots, turnips, and cucumbers.

Invalids, however, in addition to bread and fruit, had better use but one or two vegetables at one meal.

As a general rule, breakfast should consist of bread and fruit; dinner, of bread and fruit with vegetables; and supper, of bread with a small allowance of fruit. ... Mushes, as wheaten grits, rice, hominy, corn meal, etc., may be used as a part of the bread-food, at breakfast or supper. But they should always be eaten with a hard cracker, dry crust, parched corn, or something that will insure due mastication and insalivation (22).

Trall thinks bread is particularly important, criticizing the use of “fine flour” and advocating wholemeal bread instead (23). The booklet also provides recipes for a variety of breads, crackers, crisps, rolls, cakes, mushes, and porridges.

Apart from the application of water and a vegan diet, exercise, fresh air, sunshine, proper clothing that is not too tight, and enough sleep are further staples of the water-cure treatment. Trall then addresses the most common objections to it before ending the booklet with 100 brief case studies and a short outline of his experience in the water-cure.