word implies, the dropsy of the flesh; and this was, at that
time, a large part of my complaint.

After a short trial, therefore, of a milk diet, which I presently
found did not suit with my case, I betook myself to the bishop's
prescription, and dosed myself every morning and evening with
half a pint of tar-water.

It was no more than three weeks since my last tapping, and my
belly and limbs were distended with water. This did not give me
the worse opinion of tar-water; for I never supposed there could
be any such virtue in tar-water as immediately to carry off a
quantity of water already collected. For my delivery from this I
well knew I must be again obliged to the trochar; and that if the
tar-water did me any good at all it must be only by the slowest
degrees; and that if it should ever get the better of my
distemper it must be by the tedious operation of undermining, and
not by a sudden attack and storm.

Some visible effects, however, and far beyond what my most
sanguine hopes could with any modesty expect, I very soon
experienced; the tar-water having, from the very first, lessened
my illness, increased my appetite, and added, though in a very
slow proportion, to my bodily strength. But if my strength had
increased a little my water daily increased much more. So that,
by the end of May, my belly became again ripe for the trochar,
and I was a third time tapped; upon which, two very favorable
symptoms appeared. I had three quarts of water taken from me
less than had been taken the last time; and I bore the relaxation
with much less (indeed with scarce any) faintness.