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Kings V, 10. -t/^t ^^ £h.b TEE ONLY AUTEQ-RTZED AND COMPLETE ENGLTSTl EDITION MY WATER-CURE TESTED FOR MORE THAN 35 YEARS AND PUBLISHED FOR THE CURE OF DISEASES AND TEE PRESERVATION OF HEALTH BY SEBASTIAN KNEIPP BECRET CHAMBERLAIN OF THE POPE, PARISH PRIEST OP WORISHOFEN (BAVARIA) TRANSLATED FROM HIS 36^^ GERMAN EDITION. ®ilfe 100 |lIustitTfi0n8 anb a portrait of \\it g-ul^ar. THIRD EDITION. JOS. KCESEL PUBLISHER KEMPTEN (BAVAEIA) MDCCCXCIV. ormi j^ PRINTED BY JOS. KOESEL AT KEMPTEN (BAVARIA) PUBLISHER OF SEB. KNEIPPS WORKS. All rights rentrved. Preface to the first Edition. eing a priest, the salvationVof immortal souls is the first object for which I wish to live and ^to die. During the last 30 or 40 years, however, the care for mortal bodies has absorbed a con- siderable portion of my time aud my 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 w^ater given in My name shall not be unrewarded," was able to detain me from refusing every petition, 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 honour, 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 easy to be understood that after such precedences I feel not much inclined to write, especially now that I am feeling the oppression of old age, and both mind and body long for rest. vi Peeface to the first edition. 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 patients in the country, could induce me to take the resolution to write, almost against my will. I have had a peculiar affection and care for the poorer classes, the sick country-people who are so often neglected and forsaken, and to them especially [ 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. [f one or other story is somewhat long, or if repeti tions 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 medicinal systems , or to attack any individual, or his science and reputation, in the least point. Of course I am aware that only professional men are called upon to publish such things ; but I 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 give corrections or useful hints ; but I shall leave unregarded those who criticise out of party -spirit, and call me a bungler and quack. My earnest wish has been that a proiessional man, a physician, would release me of this heavy burden and oppress! v^e work, and I should feel so Fkeface to the first edition. vii 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 not\Yithstanding my some- times repulsive demeanour, the sick and suffering people who came to me, could be numbered by thou- sands 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 .£ 5 or ^ 10 if you cure me. The sufferer looks out for help, wherever he can find it, and he is happy to pay the physician who has healed him, whether it be by the medicine bottle or by the water jug. There have been celebrated physicians w^ho prac- tised the water-cures with energy and great success; but they died, and their hints, counsels and experiences were buried with them. ]\Iay now at last the aurora 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 ex- pressions are a little harsh ; but that springs from my somewhat austere and rough disposition. With it I have grown old, and separation or concealment would be hard now to both of us. I trust the blessing of Almighty God may accom- pany 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 viii Preface to the fifth edition. physician of physicians heals and purifies the souls in the fire- cure for eternal life. WOrishofen, Railway Station Turkheim in feuabis. October 1^*, 1886. The Author. Preface to the 5^^ Edition. Every father is glad when from time to time he is able to settle a son or a daughter in life, and I too feel happy to have sent out 4 editions of my book in all directions, as advisers and helpers in the mani- fold troubles of life. Go then also, my 5*^ edition of 6000 copies, and enter the dwellings of the rich and the poor as a well meaning friend. I have received a very great number of letters,, and I regret that I am unable to answer them all. It is indeed a great pleasure to me to find that many have chosen themselves the right remedies out of my book, and so have been restored to health. But my greatest pleasure would be to find that physicians practise this system and thus help mankind in such a simple way. Several of them have already been here to learn by experience the most simple way of putting it into practice. Although it had never been advertised that a medical establishment had been erected here, and no invitation had been given to any one, many came from every direction to ask for help which they also found. To make this plain system as useful as it can be, it is first of all necessary to erect new bathing places. Therefore I heartily welcome the new water cure- estabhshment in Jordanbad near Biberach in Wurttem- Preface to the sixth edition. ix berg which is arranged entirely according to my system and will be opened early in 1889 under the direction of Sisters of Charity and of a practitioner, who, during the last two years, has acquired such a perfect knowledge and practice of my system that I place my entire confidence in him. Therefore I re- commend the institution in Jordanbad as heartily as possible. That it may be multiplied like my little book, and restore to health many who are sick and weary of life, is the wish ot my heart. Worishofen, October 27*^ 1888. The Author. Preface to the 6^^ Edition, To my great surprise the 5*^ edition of 6000 copies has been sold in 5 weeks, a success I never dreamed of. As I have said many times, both hj word of mouth and by letter, it is always my greatest delight to see physicians taking the trouble of studying my system, and I am always ready to explain it to them. But I must oppose those who, without having ac- quired a thorough knowledge of it, pretend to be representatives of my system.