, 1864-05-14
taking a vapor Bath.

BATHS, sn0Wer-Daths, saAu-DaLns; In Iact,
every kind of bath-but the one which
have reason to remember most was his vapor-
bath. / had been recommended this suda-
torial treatment by my physician, who had
also advised my patronizing the establish
ment Of Mr.. Mutten, as being person not
bitten with any new.fangled system of
Turkish baths and the like, bat steady, old
fashioned and practical; though, for all
that, Mr.. Mutten had been bitten by some
thing, as you shall presently hear.
Perhaps, reader, you never took vapor-
bath, and do not even know precisely what
it is. Well, have you ever been employed
as a decp-sea diver? No! You must, how
ever, at least have seen the person who is
employed at the Polytechnic InstitRtion.
A vapor-bath, then, is in appearance ex-
actl5 the converse of his attire. Your
head is free, except that there is collar Of
india-rubber-or some other cvil-smelling
substancc-round your neck, to prevent
the escape Of the vapor, while the rest Of
your body is shut up in gigantic helmet,
like that in the Castle Of Otundo; you
are in a monstrOus copper, with fire un-
der you, and made as much steam as a
Christmas pudding only you keep it all to
yourself, for medical purposes. 1t would
probably scald you to death if you entered
this copper after the operation had been
long begun, and even the gradual accession
OF heat is far from pleasant unless you hap
pen to be one Of that unfortunate class
" upon whom," in the graceful language Of
science, "persplration Is easily induced" "
That you are entirely helpless, being fas.
tened IN by bolts, which You have no hand
to unfastcn, is evident enough, and also that
the situation is supremely ridiculous. In
front OF you is suspended Thermometer,
so that you may superintend your own
cooking 70 turn, and there is always some
body in the room to see you are not over
done. This attendant was, in my case, MIR.
Mutten. had submitted to this treat
ment eleven times, and was about to take
my last and twelfth sndoritic. noticed
on tins occasion, when entered the room,
that the proprietor Of the establishment
was somewhat moody and taciturn; but
this he was apt to be.
made some pleasant observation to him
about the weather-to which he muttered
dissent--disrobed myself, entered the
copper, and was bOlted IN.
You shall have good boil this morn
ing, anyway observed Mr.. Mutten, vi
clously pOking the bath fire with great vi
gor: =,
nov, really' Inls was avery alarming ED-
servation from person VINO seldom spoke
a. all, ana when ne dld 80, was always stu.
dloasiy respectful !! might nave talked
OF having "a goou Do'i, Dut u was not ior
nun 70 DO Inc phrase anyway, too,
was ulsaSreeaoie there could DC only one
Way-nameiy, 70 DO governed by the ther-
nometer. however, thought it oest 70
take no!'ce. Inere was gieam ABOUT Mr.
Mutten eye-not observed until it was
TOO late, alas that made q yapor-bath quite
unnecessary 70 me- wasin perspirAtlon
ironl mead 70 1901. very sooI' TOO the
neat from Deneatn became good deal more
than was accustomed TO; ;,
Dont you mink my GEAR mr. Mutten,
salu !, PersaaSlVeIy tnat tue temperature
y a'u"sI n'gn enough! ana ! nooueu
lwnich was AL could do) towards the H.
StraNen1 mem Se.cIe S nle. ~
NO, icon repiied MI. Mutten, curtiy'
u am gong TO Try an experiment l m
tend sne mercury not only 70 get up Us high
as possibly can, put 70 come down on
tne otner sloe
Then, Of course, knew that ! was in
the power OF u lunatic. He poked up the
fire until the soles Of my feet began to burn,
and the wooden chair on which l sat
well, one would have thought it had been
made an iron one.
Mr. Mutten, said l, " il hurts"
The proprietor Of the bath being thus
appealed to, came straight up to my de-
fsnceless nose, and tweaked it, II have
longed to do that" said he, sever since l
first saw you in this tempting position. It
is you who have built those baths 10 Jer-
myn street--contradict me, and Ill twist
your nose oa--it Is you who have intro
duced the Eastern System into this previ-
ously happy land. mean to condeusc you
TO single drop If vapOr. take il up with q
bit Of blotting paper and enclose il in an
envelope to the secretary Of the Hamal.
He says that our means are insufficient for
practical purposes; let Us put on more Goals,
and try"
| Tho koVf,,ra has.an A. ha or,o,,svsno I