Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1861-04-13
AN ORIENTAL ABLUTiOy.


the foreign trade of the country, and upon the bus
ness of the port Of New York.
AN ORIENTAL ABLUTiOy.
AN EXPERIENCE is THE TURKISH BATH.
An article in the March number of the CornhH Maga-
zine describes the bath of Turkey. We extract the fol-
lowing description of the sensations of bathcr;
ENTERING TnE BATH.
"On entering the BATH the first apartment consists Of
4 spacious hail. rotunda the central summit OF which
is open admitting gentle but free circulation Of air aud
Is in form not unlike the cupola of 81. Stephens Wal
brook Running round by the wall is raised diis
platform, covered wish a carpet and divided int com
partmen.s, Of which il appropriated TO each visitor.
In the centre Of the building is fountain which plays
rereshingly into marble basin, raised pedestal of
masonry. On a couch on the platform above mention
ed you undress your clothing tied up in napkin, and
You attired 10 three sclrs OF toSeng OF peculiar
fabric, and rough but yet soft and gy bordered
with blue rcd raw silk; OF these, the sabHgd or
sJFgdcam OF the Romans, girds the lOins another Is
thrown the shoulder aud the last is twisted up into
turban Tor the head Throughout this ope aton every
is taken to preserve decorum; aud with scrupu
lOusness and decacy almost unknown regret to add
to Europeans. Two attendants hold cloth before you
until you have uldrescd and properly adjusted the bath
ing attire you then are furnished with wooden pleas
and quit the undressng-room apodyeri for the heat
ed chambers; the two aendens, walking behind, still
accompany you and you are on plttens each holds
you by the arm"
THE BEGINNING THE nATH
"The swinging doors give n passage,
where the heat strikes upon the face and announces very
seusiby that the bath has begun This passage makes
sudden turn at right angle aud the heat then ncrease
though the temperature is still not high and the mist Of
vlpor IS very slight if at all percepdbe. You now
ter the tcpd chamber the tepid1rm of the anceats.-
Sometimes the passage above alluded TO is dispensed
WITH and the teyssarim tsel: forms the junction be-
tween the two halls In the latter it oblong N
FORM and has a marble platform each side, rails I'd
about foot and half above the central par this
ing as passage, OF the level the
chambers which it connects bgt whether passage cr
az hall in ifae Il is ali pa7Cd with lrJe. The mat
tress and cushion which carried before you laid
upon the dais and against the wa the pirapherns Of
other guests being similarly disposed all round. Coffee
aud pipes now brought. In this apartment, dmly
lighted DAY sometimes being quite excluded ckerng
lamp reveals uncertainty the nature of the place aud If
its occupants. The Precipitation gently starts from its
myriad ducts, whilst the solemn muIky air tfanquizss
the spirit and seems to exclude WIKI ull of ctmness
thoughts OF the fretiu wod Iii here that stranger
town or village frs: minges with the Inhabitants and
gides impHcepubly and divescd Of the alYen.i:iOus
aids Of dress and attendance into the niche which his
cial qualities him to occupy. gentle foretIste
of shampooiug Is given in this aplItmen an attendant
chafes the feet Of lightly taps the neck aud the limbs
you ready Tor the no! chamber loaialri or iieoi
c,na) WHICH you euter.'
TnE HOT CHAMBER.
"Tti is somewhat similar in form to the first hail. and
is generally covered IN with DONE the light being ad-
mtted through oophoes filed with stained glass Eiyy
in the morng the place is quite clear sua tae S;mOs-
phCre il dry but as tho We-g .ales place mere t be-
comes - l.es hC,r os the day filed with vapOr this
has cad iny = imagine that the Turkish bath is, Ike
the !;ls.u, essentially vapor bath; which is nc. .ne
case. The Turkish bath Is in frInc Pile -lG IN act n
hot-air bath; the vlpor being aaost accident Here
the towels all removed, except that which enciIces
the Ions. hniuOn is then performed, TO gaivh the
sound OF catkng bowls aud drog.i.s water duly cor.
respond. Through the Ugh; gay mist the attendants
aud bthcrs h' -prctrll manner and eve; aud anon
there arises cuppug OF the hauds which a. The ba h
mans metl cd oi jsualzug. ite process OF champ1o-
gg which Is here undergone - most pecuar and is that
part OF the bah uticu OF all Others will be found es
easy OF adoption uio ibis country is in itself an art
Of 20 attainment, and proves, has been well re-
marked that alimI magnetism has been actisCd In the
East for centuries, and rendered so practical m4alea
bic to be fairly designated the h,u1aL, oil health.
"Ms UiGuaerI5 ue sti0g al the Performance as il
j. given u US Go,E, the P!.LGs OF Hercules Is fol-
oWs 'udes the GJGa iherc is extensive platform OF
marble 7!.L5 this You get up the cloths are taken
from you head anl shoulder; spread Tor you to
lie on, the other Is rolled for your head yOu !e dowG
on your back; the teak two il the Sfs'icu Is prop.
ery perormod) kneels at ycs eide and bending oy,T
gps and pres'" tve- ch,g arms and g passing ..am
~, ~ part lAe bird SUI ting lis nl3Gp ~, pe,ch he
brings his whole weight on Jpg ~ Jerk, follows the
line OF muscle Wyp flssomGcai thumb draws the op,l
hand 81, sY over the suh9c, particularly rouud the
SHOULDERS turning y0a haf up IN doing; stsnds with
his feet on your thighs and on the chest .ld slips down
the rib, then up again three times and 4s'ly doubling
your arms after the other the ce,, pusacs with
both bands down beginning hg ol.ow, and then put
ting under tie yac, aad applying his chest to
your crossed q; 1ws, cola YOU till you crack
Ga a.e turned your face, aud in addition to Il
operations above described, lac works h elbow round q
sdro. Of your stonterblades and with the heel l.es
The angle Of your neck lac coaoludts b7 a4ulug the
body halt up by each arm sHc- vey, while he stands
with foot - ,e oppo te thigh. iou are then ra-
ed % iqutnt 10 sitting posture, and cOntOrOI !,
given to the small of the back with the kneg and jerk
to the neck by the two hands ho,.ns tee temples.
"The reader must -aIA against the suppos tion that
all this cracking 0, tie Joints and supple membegs this
kneading Of the a'eh is attended WITH discomfort
pain. When it is skiliully peiQrried, the sensation is
even pleasurabe indeed this Is signihed by the Arabic
| word md.s which means 10 "handIe delicatey."
THE RUBBING.
Mex comes the washing, rather the use OF tie
glove made of camels goats hair After remu anng
the body, which you do for yourself w,a cup given
you for that purpose, YOU IN s.t'ng position bend to-
ward the gtteuhILL ehC bending you, rubs down
the o.cN comAencing from the neck. The loosened
scVf skin pees OIL in little elongated rolls, and II CO.
leotcd will form ball as big as hyacnth root II -as
for the removal of this dead cuce ths ;ae strgil
ancienty used and how it - iAlen into disuse would
epg.a. OF Mardals that it was originally Eastern
plement, for he speaks OF its coming FROM Forgamus-
Augustus borrowed his woodeG seonirg couch called
drea from Spain and uetonus expressly says that the
word is Srsni.h Many think that the word SiriJiI
ESQ iberiiu; but Sringere, to Craze lightly TO pull or
/ peel of, denotes its true derivation
/ TBE syAyISs.
Following upon the glove comes the soapng process.
bowl water is brought irothed with Cretan SOAP
which is sometimes peumed aud the soft Gbrous life
of the palm tree to rub the body with, With this The
body is washed beginning At the head this operation is
repeated twice. Ihen come the hot cloths in which you
are Wrapped and the Snal of the bath is to dash
bowl OF water over the feet; very important custom
this and which Opeas uaa very singular subject OF
Inquiry though shall not at present touch uEon it,"
COOLING orr.
''You now re urn to the coor room or friqidariun
There you geolne upon couch with OF and
guilty almost indescrbabe. The blood crculates
freely the chest diatSs the fresh air cbarged
With vi atty The wreched find life olerabie and The
aged cast of for moment the burden ?f gears Savary
describing the sensati0l, says, II feels as if
Just born, and hega4 to 1--we for the FIRST time A
iye!Y se5e oL existence spreads over the whole body;
one Yields to the most pleasant maginatons and the
mind ia On, ,sr,aned with the most delightful reyer:-
The fancy ransacks all nature, and finds in i 1ohing but
the gravest pictures and images ef pp9 dght If lile
he runs on philosonhs,-s after Locke SIS the
ner of be canSuen In that dayf life is but the sue
v.sson Of IDEAS the rapidty with which the ,.sioory
then traces them the vgor with which ,hs spirit then
tayeIses every fink would lead sne 10 suppose that in
the two hours of unbrotea calm which follow the bath
many years ~ 90 elapsed Every one who has expe-
rusi the processes Of the real Turkish hath in their
perfection, bears witness to the same eaeo The whole
M, wakes and the whole iS state