American Hydropathy in the Age of Exhilaration, 1844–1869

Hydropathy, a popular medical sect in mid-nineteenth-century America, utilized cold water to prevent and treat various ailments. At a time when cold exposure was linked to sickness, how do we account for the widespread appeal of the cold water regimen? By examining the literary production surrounding hydropathy, including medical handbooks, diagnosis records, and patient memoirs, this essay argues that fundamental to the clinical encounter with cold water was the experience of exhilaration-a vital sensation tasked with mediating the tension between the growing enthusiasm for stimulating substances and the mounting anxiety over their depleting effects on the body. Through this lens, the study of hydropathy uncovers the intersecting histories of naturopathic medicine and sensationalist art forms.