Читать книгу The Kneipp Cure - Sebastian Kneipp Kneipp - Страница 6

PREFACE TO THE FIRST GERMAN EDITION.

BEING a priest, the salvation of immortal souls is the first object for which I wish to live and to die. During the last thirty or forty years, however, the care for mortal bodies has absorbed a considerable portion of my time and 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 water given in .My name shall not be unrewarded," was able to detain me from refusing all petitions, 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 honor, 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 easily to be understood that after such an experience I feel not much inclined to write,' especially now that I am feeling the weight of old age, and both mind and body long for rest.

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 and helpless patients in the country, could induce me to make up my mind to write a book on "My Water-cure," almost against my will.

I have had a peculiar affection and care for the poorer classes, the sick farmers who are so often neglected and forsaken, and to them especially I 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. If one or the other story is somewhat long, or if repetitions 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 medical systems, or to attack any individual, or his science and reputation, most certainly not.

Of course, I am aware that only professional men are called upon to publish such things; but 1 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 correct me or to give me useful hints; but I shall leave unnoticed those who criticize out of party-spirit, and call me a bungler and quack.

My earnest wish has been that a professional man, a physician, would release me of this heavy burden and heavy work, and I should feel so 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 notwithstanding my sometimes reserved behavior, the sick and suffering people who came to me, could be numbered by thousands 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 $50 or $100 if you cure me. The sufferer looks out for help, wherever he can find it. and be is happy to pay the physician who has healed him, whether it be with the medicine bottle or with the water jug.

There have been celebrated physicians who practiced The water-cures with energy and great success; but they died, and their hints, counsels and experiences were buried with them. May now at last the dawn 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 expressions are a little harsh; but that springs from my somewhat austere and rough disposition. With it I have grown old, and disguise of my nature would be hard now to me.

I trust the blessing of Almighty God may accompany 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 physician of physicians heals and purifies the souls.

Wörishofen, Railway Station Türkheim in Swabia, October 1st, 1886.

THE AUTHOR.