Читать книгу The Kneipp Cure - Sebastian Kneipp Kneipp - Страница 5

TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE.

SCARCELY ever has a book found its way through Europe and the whole civilized world in so incredibly short a time as the little volume of which this is a translation.

The author in the brief and plain sketch of his life at once endears himself to the reader. From the humble place of his birth we follow him through the toils of his early life: with him we feel grateful to the kind friend under whose hospitable roof the poor traveler found not only shelter but also the longed-for teacher. We, then, accompany him through his college years and witness his indefatigable zeal in the pursuit of his studies, but alas! when about to congratulate him on their prosperous termination, we are suddenly grieved at the saddening aspect of his failing health. Certainly the shortsightedness of human understanding with regard to the plans of Divine Providence cannot be more sorely tried than it was in the poor student's case; but thus it had to be in order to make his life that wonderful illustration of the Apostle's word: "To them that love God, all things work together unto good." (Rom. VIII. 28.)

Finding help nowhere and lacking both physical and mental strength to achieve what he had commenced, the young man was left to spend his time in the royal library. Here one day an old little book attracts his curiosity, he opens it, it treats of water-cures. This moment was to be a turning-point in his life. The contents of the small unsightly volume were to be the rough outline of a plan which, in its completion, has become a blessing for numbers of his fellow-creatures who, laboring under more or less grievous disease, were restored to the full possession of bodily health and mental vigor; for as soon as the author in this early period of his life had experienced the salutary effects of water, it seemed but natural to his noble heart to make as many as possible partakers of the benefit he then enjoyed in the sense of undisturbed health. Since his endeavors in this respect had for their sole objects the glory of God and the good of poor sufferers, since he sought neither honor nor any other earthly reward, he was well armed against the temptation to give up a work which, besides adding considerably to the exertions imposed on him by his sacred office, earned for him much contradiction and ingratitude.

For many years had he continued to attend to the cure of human bodies without neglecting the least of his obligations to the immortal souls, before he yielded to the entreaties of thousands who urged him to write down the results of his study and experience of the water-cure and render them thus useful also to those who were unable to profit by his oral advice. His book obtained for him what he had neither aimed at, nor wished for: his name, always pronounced with love and veneration within the limited sphere of his activity as parish-priest, has since acquired more than European fame. The eyes of the whole civilized world look with admiration on the aged pastor of the humble Bavarian village and, attracted by the wisdom of his counsels and the kindness of his heart, numbers of invalids are daily seen to gather round him for help and advice.

I myself have had the enviable fortune of living for nearly two years on most confidential terms with the venerable man. The look of his eyes so penetrating and yet so full of compassion, the unpretentiousness and simplicity of manners displayed in his personal intercourse with all classes of men, the noble disposition of his heart, the disinterestedness in all his attempts for the good of others, act like as many charms delighting and fascinating everyone that approaches him. The rich and the poor, the prince and the beggar, are all welcomed by the same kindly look, the same loving heart. The artless, I should almost say. the rustic style which characterizes his oral counsels is a peculiar feature also of "My Water-cure." I should consider it a want of filial piety and affection for in v fatherly friend and master, were I in my translation to deviate from his principle of simplicity by turning his winds into elegant periods.

Moreover was it expressly desired by the author that translations of his book should be complete, correct, and, as much as possible, literal. He wrote "My Water-cure" chiefly for the lower classes, for poor country people who lack either means or convenience to have recourse to medical aid in their maladies, and this circumstance particularly made him fear that want of correctness in translating might be of fatal consequences. Since there has already been edited another English translation which cannot claim to be either correct or complete, I myself thought it especially advisable to produce a literal translation of the thirty-third German edition which has been quite recently thoroughly revised by the author.

This translation has the additional advantage of numerous illustrations representing the medicinal herbs and their essential parts, which will, besides imparting knowledge about the plants, facilitate the work of the gatherer.

The consideration that the master having all means of greater elegance at his command, chose nevertheless simplicity to be the prominent feature of his style, and the fad that in spite of this, two hundred thousand copies of his book have been published, was apt to confirm me in my resolution at the risk of doing even more violence to the polished English language than the author did to his native tongue.

These are the grounds on which I base the hope that my readers will judge kindly about my work. I shall consider it the most desirable compensation for my toils if it will prove of real and lasting profit to all who wish to follow its advice. If they are Christians the venerable person of the author will increase their confidence in his counsels; if they are not Christians they may remember that his heart beats warm for all and that, by making "My Water-cure" known to the world, he wished to benefit all without exception.

For any explanation or detail respecting the contents of this book, apply to the Editor.

ST. D.