Dr Traill on the Russian Vapour-Bath.

this person, who informed me that he had been cons gaged in this occupation for sixteen or eighteen month

The centre of the ceiling of the bath-room is perf numerous holes which allow a copious shower-bath water to s descend on the head of the bather, when managed by a cord is opened.

Such is the apparatus necessary for a Russian vapou After remaining some time in the bath, the first s of oppressive heat subsided, and I ascended to the se of benches, the wood of which, however, was somewh by the plentiful affusion of cold water. At each ren operation is repeated; otherwise the contact of the wo be insupportable to the skin. It is needless to say, perspiration very soon began to run from every pore, ly as a moist exhalation, but ran off in copious stream greatly moderated the sensation of heat. diwor

After lying extended for some time on the secon benches, a bucket of cold water was dashed on the up and we removed there; but the heat, so near the ceil fully as oppressive as on first entering; and I found sary to allow the air to enter my nose through my fing I inhaled it with the mouth wide open, I felt an op heat in my chest; but by degrees even this degree of came supportable; though I never was able to sit up the upper bench; so strong was the temperature of the atmosphere close to the ceiling. of rela Ivandr

While we were groping our way from bench to be assistant more than once plunged headlong into his co to refresh himself ere he commenced on us the next par professional occupation. vancha doid maste adid

We were one by one requested to descend to the seco and the assistant, grasping in his hand a bundle of bir began assiduously to whip his patients, who lay extended bench at full length, from head to heel. This applica fers essentially from the well remembered scholastic bi cipline; for the leaves are left on the twigs, and the se produced in no way resemble the effect of the instrum

Dr Traill on the Russian Vapour-Bath.

17 species of whipping is performed very dexterously, with a sort of brushing motion, from the shoulders downwards; and the application becomes general over the body and limbs, as the bather turns on his wooden couch. The sensations produced by this operation are agreeable, and are very far from producing that excessive redness of the surface described by Acerbi.

The operator now anoints the whole body with a liquid mild soap; and, after again mounting to the upper tier for some time, we descend one by one to the middle of the floor, where a powerful affusion of cold water from the shower-bath in the ceiling removes every vestige of soap. This sudden affusion of cold water is remarkably grateful: it is scarcely possible to describe the effect, which is highly exhilarating and refreshing.

It is usual again to undergo the steaming after the temperature of the bath is increased by the affusion of water on the glowing pottery in the furnace. For this purpose, the operator opens the door above described, and placing us out of the direction of the immediate efflux of the steam, he dashes, in successive jets, a small bucket of water into the furnace. The apartment is instantly filled with clouds of steam, at a high temperature; and when the door of the aperture is closed, we resume our places on the benches, gradually proceeding to the highest, as we become inured to the temperature. From the upper tier we finally descend to have the cold shower-bath repeated; after which we leave the bathing-room, are rubbed dry by assistants in the small heated apartment, where we resume the flannel dressing-gown and slippers, and are reconducted to the saloon, where we find the couches spread with blankets; and we recline for half an hour in a most profuse perspiration, and in a state of luxurious languor, and mental tranquillity.

On a subsequent occasion, I provided myself with the means of ascertaining the temperature of the bathing-room, and noted its effect on the pulse of myself and two other bathers. The heat is generally from 45° to 50° of Reaumur; that is, from 133°.25 to 144°.5 of Fahrenheit. On the occasion referred to, it ranged in the bath, during my stay, from 42° to 46° R., = 126°.5 and 125°.5 F. in the lower part of the bathing-room; but I was unable to examine the temperature near the ceiling,

Dr Traill on the Russian Vapour-Bath.

ture, which affected my eyes. This temperature, hig is far short of what Acerbi asserts of the Finnish bath that they reached from 70° to 75% of Celsius, to 15 of our scale: but perhaps his thermometers were subj influence of the open fire-place in the rude baths of the for their furnace consisted of a few loose stones piled i of rude arch, over a fire on the floor of the hut: or p did not accurately ascertain the temperature; as he tered the bath but momentarily, for the purpose of p thermometer; and I am confirmed in this by observing Finnish operator, in his plate, appears dressed in her clothes, which I should think insupportable in so high rature as he assigns.

The effect of the Russian vapour-bath is to accel pulse, which soon regains its natural standard on lea bath; and, when I took it in a highly feverish state, I in an hour after entirely free of fever, and able fully the philosophic soirée that evening.

On bathing a second time, I was accompanied by two friends: our pulses were before about 74 in a min just coming out of the bath,

A quarter of an hour afterwards, while on the couch, th as follows: dve, utangs, botrod dame od niet

114b

= 88 vec

After being dressed, and sitting in an adjoining coffe

perhaps one hour after the bath,

Dr Traill's pulse beat,

These experiments shew the great difference in the e lity of the heart in different individuals, from exposur same heat. My pulse, in my best health, is about 70;

Dr Traill on the Russian Vapour-Bath.

19

The process of the vapour-bath is completed by a plentiful supply of towels, with which we gradually dry the surface, while we are well rubbed down by an assistant. We then resumed our dress, and retired to a coffee-room, where there was a plentiful supply of newspapers, and had a cup of good coffee for twopence Sterling. As I have already stated, the baths were free to the naturforscher; but I ascertained that the whole expense of the bath and its accompaniments is not more than one marc, or sixteenpence English, and for twopence more the bather is entitled to a cup of coffee, and to read the newspapers in a handsome apartment.

I received from the liberal owner permission to examine his splendid establishment of vapour and shower baths devoted to females.

The vapour-bath resembles that already described, but is much neater.

The variety of shower-baths surprised me. They are of every conceivable form, from the powerful stream to the minute drizzing of water from orifices as fine as a needle, which jet tiny streams of warm or cold water, at the option of the bather, in every possible direction on her person. By means of polished brass arms, curved so as to enclose the body, moveable by universal joints, connected with a cistern, and perforated with innumerable minute holes, a cross-fire of jets (if I may be allowed the expression) is kept up on any part of the body. If the bather inclines to sit, a perforated seat is placed on a large flat trough, which collects and carries off the water, jets of water play from the various moveable arms from each side, from above, and from below, so that every part of the surface is bedewed. A general stopcock commands the whole flow of wa ter, while each brazen-rod is under the control of one appropriate to itself. These are at the disposal of the bather; and each trough or bath is surrounded by curtains to skreen the person from the eyes of the assistant.

Similar shower-baths are appropriated to gentlemen. The whole forms one of the most elegant and perfect establishments of the kind I have ever seen, and is a source of emolument to the spirited proprietor.

I inquired anxiously into the medical efficacy of the Russian

Dr Traill on the Russian Vapour-Bath.

vapour-bath, and found that in chronic rheumatism, i ness of limbs consequent on gout, and other long con flammations, in some cases of palsy, in various cuta eases, it is a most powerful and valuable remedy. W establishment I saw an invalid enter, who informed after severe acute rheumatism, of several months' du was so lame that he had been carried by two person bath; but that, after five or six times undergoing the I have described, he could walk alone as well as I sav had walked, aided by a stick, from his house to the b appeared confident that in a little time he should en cover the power and flexibility of his limbs.

From all I could learn in Hamburgh, I am inclined der the Russian vapour-bath as a most valuable remedy chronic diseases, and regret that we have not a similar ment in any of our medical charitable institutions. February 31. 1832.

On the Breeding Spots of Birds. By FREDERICK F THE learned editor of the interesting Travels of M Norway, considers it as indispensable, for the comple lopment of the eggs, that they come in contact with the skin of the bird. This is certainly the case; but I do much if it is the reason of their plucking the feathers belly. Some water-birds, as the different species of Co preserve the same dense mass of feathers on their belly breeding, as at other seasons. Most birds, however, period have a much thinner covering on their abdom usual, and this is produced, in my opinion, partly by t tion of hatching, partly by the excess of animal warmt is concentrated in that region. The female of the Icelan and of many wading birds, have the breast and belly quite bare while breeding. But this falling out of the is a consequence of hatching, and belongs to the next An entirely different relation takes place among some boreal aquatic and wading birds. These pluck off a