A VINDICATION Of public artificial Baths & Bath-stoves FROM The Objections and scandals obtruded on them, by those that do not, or will not know their Great Benefit to the public.  
By way of Answer to some fellows of Our college of physicians in LONDON and others.  
By Peter chamberlain doctor in physic▪ and Fellow of the said college.  
LONDON, Printed in the year 1648.   

A Vindication of public artificial baths and Bath-stoves▪  
IF Salus Populi be Suprema Lex, These should not beg a Law that bring You Health attended like a Queen with cleanelines, nimbleness, Pleasure, Strength and Stature.  
The great Doctor-makers of the World Hippocrates Galen, Avicen, Paracelsus, and the rest, speaking of them as of Diett, 
* Hipp. de vict. ratione in Mor●: acut: Gal: lib. de Sal. Diet. Com. Epid. de Off. lib. 3. the Tuend. San.  commend the often use of them, but more in Summer then in Winter: approve several of them for Digestion, to make one fat or lean, to be a Preparative for Purgation, to be the Perfect Finisher of Cures, to be Abstersive, Aperitive, Resolving, Provoking Urine, Cooling, Heating, drying, Moistening, Easing pains, Inclining to Sleep, Good against Paines of the Head, the Gout, Convulsions, Mischances, Dropsies, Palsies, pains of the side, Inflammations of the Longs, inward ulcers, Consumptions, fevers, yea Most Diseases.  
Who then can expect that doctors in physic, who only pretend to be so for having read these Authors, and for having understood them, and practised by their Rules, & maintain and justify their practice by their Precept will seem so ignorant as to disallow so great and generous a remedy.  
Nevertheless, there is no doubt but, some way seek to oppose even their own good; For Good and evil are contrary, and Wicked men will grow worse and worse, Tim. 13. 13. Of such men it is an Honour to hear ill, To which Honour (I thank God) I have twice arrived unto; Once for compassionating the general Miseries and Sufferings of women and Children, by the ignorance and disorder of some midwives and Nurses: And now for endeavouring the public Health of the kingdom. But Regium est malé audire & bené facere. Seeca saith, Sit tibi tam triste laudari a turpibus, quàm si lauderis ob Turpia. And a geater than Seneca tells, us The world shall hate us; Let us hear then what Slander, or Malice will say and such as thereby are ignorantly seduced.  
This Country is too cold. 
1. Obj.   
Germany, 
1 Ans.  Poland, Denmark, and Moscovia are colder, they use them Winter and Summer.  
Italy and Greece are colder in Winter than we are in Summer, 
2▪ Ans.  let us have them in Summer.  
They are a remedy against the Cold, 
3▪ Ans.  If we complain of Cold let us have this remedy.  
If Experience approve them not, 
4. Ans.  none will frequent them, the loss will be the Adventurers.  
There are Private Hot Houses, 
2. Obj.  And Dr. Grent's Bath.  
Dr. Grent hath (indeed) attempted somewhat, 
1. Ans.  but so, as the Common Wealth is not sensible of the benefit, and he himself hath quitted the Inconvenience, Charge, and Trouble of them, And when he pleaseth may adventure a second loss, or more safely be an Adventurer as (others) in mine.  
Let every man enjoy what he hath▪ 
2. Ans.  but not hinder what he hath not:  
Other Doctors have them as well as I: 
3. Obj.   
Why have they not been as zealous to serve the commonwealth with them as I? 
1. Ans.  They cannot deny them to be good, that were to contradict their Masters. They will not confess they fear a Diminution of their own gain. That were to obtrude a strange maxim to the State; That sickness must be provided for physicians, not physicians for sickness; so sinners for Preachers, and Malefactors for Judges.  
If they mean only Bathing-Tubbs, 
2. Ans.  wherewith they say they canmake shift, I contend not with them, to debar their venient privilege, or compel them to this better accommodation; Yet I prescribed the use of them by Mr. Phillip's and Mr. Kellet Apothecaries in little less than desperate Diseases, before any (but seven) that are now fellows of our college were Doctors, And have appointed not a few in consultations with them since I came over; And they have been more appointed by others since my proposal of these public ones, then in seven years before.  
They say they know them (meaning mine) Why then would they take no Cognizance of them till the other day, 
3. Ans.  notwithstanding the Kings grant of them, by Order to Sr. Hen, Vain about 10 years since, my Octroy in Holland 4 years since, My Petition in Print, and mine own mention to some of them, (particularly to Dr. Bates) two years since, and the diurnal divulging them half a year since, and lastly 2 several Letters from the Honourable Committee.  
Who is so deaf as they that will not hear?  
But how long have they known them? If long they have been so long uncharitable in concealing them; 
4. Ans.  if of late then have they been ignorant of them until now, probably enlightened or provoked to a further information by my model or Propositions. And doth it therefore follow, because they know them, the public must want them? It were far better they were ever ignorant.  
Lastly, If the only heartburning be against me, (though Treasure would not be refused from a Turk, 
5. Ans.  and my long study, experience, and expenses in them might answer their Comparison) I had rather lay down all my Merit at the feet of the Parliament, and resign them all my interest (so they would manifest they could do them, and be obliged no longer to delay them) than that the Kingdom should be longer destitute of so great a good; But if they only plead for the Dog in the Manger, I dare not so neglect my Native Country and mine own Family, as to let him sleep there.  
This will be a Monopoly. 
4. Obj.   
Can there be a Monopoly of what is not? 
1. Ans.   
Or where every man is left free to the use of what he hath or to refuse what he hath not? 
2. Ans.   
Or where no sweat of any brow is exacted without hire, 
3. Ans.  nor poor man's face ground, nor his Bread engrossed, but rather new employment, and provisions for their?  
Public works are distinct from Monopolies, 
4. Ans▪  and are not capable of that Odium.  
They are no new Invention. 
5. Obj.   
In Solomon's time there was nothing new under the sun, 
1. Ans.  Yet what we have not had we yet call new. No question but Trees floated one the water before Noah built his ark; Nor was there aught created new for the Art of Gunns or Printing, and the Loadstone (withou● doubt) was from the beginning, though the use but of yesterday,. The water running from Ware in another Channel is deservedly called the New River, and is so allowed by Parliament. The very grievance is, that, baths having anciently been of that admirable use and efficacy for the Good of Mankind, they are yet in England to be new sought out and Studied.  
If they be not new where are there any? 
2. Ans.   
public artificial baths and Bath-Houses, 
3. Ans.  with their Architecture, Order, use, Efficacy, Safety; with some of their Ingredients, and Manner of Decocting them, with their cisterns, Water-works, Hamaccoes &c. are so very new that they are not understood by many when mentioned, nor the Truth of them believed when affirmed.  
They may be occasions of sin. 
6. Obj.   
We may with the same reason, 
1. Ans.  pluck down Churches, or anathematise all public Meetings, where Men and women appear in the best Clothes and choicest dress that can possibly tempt the Eye, although some are neither handsome nor cleanly all the week after. Who can answer for the baths in summer setshire, for inns, for Feastings, for taverns, Victualling-Houses, alehouses, All Houses?  
These will be public, 
2 Ans.  and public places are not so fit for wantonness as private.  
Men and women shall have Places, 
3. Ans.  or Times and Attendants of each Sex a part.  
Abuse ought not to disannul the use of Good things. 
4. Ans.   
They are Remedies for the pox. 
7. Obj.   
Though baths were good for nothing else, 
1. Ans.  would the Opposers have the whole World infected for want of them, (for that is the fear that Rudius mentions) And the chasted bed is not always exempt by accidental conversations, or bad Deliveries or childbed. Would they then be content to have the pox without Remedy, that will allow no Remedy for it?  
Though they were fit Cures for that Disease, 
2. Ans.  ought they therefore to be prohibited in all other Diseases? Why do they that will make these Objections use Purging-baggs and Diet Drinks, Spring or Fall, whose chief Ingredients are Sarsa Guaja●●m, China. Etc, the only known Remedies (of Vegetables) against that Infection.  
physician's cannot allow the Water-Bathes as fit Indications of cure. 
3. Ans.   
Good Remedies they are to prevent but not to cure it, 
4 Ans.  The reason (perhap●) why the Disease was so unknown to the ancient, or so little known to the Turks, and Muscovites, notwithstanding their Luxuries.  
The Keepers of the Baths will not so disparage the House, 
5. Ans.  displease their Customers, or hazard their own Profit.  
The Patients themselves will not seek for Remedy in such public Places, 
6. Ans.  if they may possibly have it elsewhere. These therefore are only Arguments against private-house or Bawdy-house baths, or against the use of Tubbs and Sweating Cradles.  
To conclude, the Design of baths is Honourable, useful Necessary.  
Honourable in being the Praise and Subject of 30 Le●rned physicians, and 50 other Famous authors. Secondly, In being the Work and Glory of many Great & Mighty Princes and Emperors. The Grand Segnor and Great Duke of Muscovia, not being ashamed to this day, to own the Patronage and Revenue of them. They having been (Anciently) had in Divine Reverence, and now are next in esteem unto their Mosques.  
And lastly in making those Places Honourable that have them, and those People Honourable in Beauty, Stature, and Activity that frequent them.  
useful they are in Health and sickness. Peace and war, Summer and Winter, so proved by Authority, Experience and Arguments, when required.  
Necessary they are in All Great intentions of Cure, where other Remedies are nothing beneficial or sufficient, as pains of the gout, Stone, Childbed: Cure of Many obscure and difficult Diseases in women; Besides Consumptions, fevers, Melancholy, leprosy, Plague, madness▪ &c.  
To the Candid this is sufficient.  
Oh that the Worthies of Parliament (whilst others boast with the Tyrant (Ps. 52.) That ●hey can do evil) would find out ●way to do Great things w●●● Expedition, and Difficult things with ease, that th●●●●nnes of England might be cherished, and not make other Nations happy with our Decay.  
FINIS.