The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1867-07-18
80 (Fromthe indianapolis Journsi9 q ~
The Hot Springs OF Arkansas.

.u.rs ~ si8aag--@l.-s sel sssg = h
We have been permitted to pub;
lish the following letter from Gov,
ornor Morton, written to "a person
al friend in this city, who thought
it might bce interesting toall the
Governors friends! sgs'as'A2
From the description ofthc Hot
Springs they must be very etiica.
tious in thecnre ofchronic disease,
but nothinglless than the desireto
recover lost health would be likely
toiaduce PERSONS to yisitthem nm
til better roads and some better
communications with the outside
world than a weekly mail besproi
vided. .,'a.ssal Z
Ex.Gov. Hammond, who l,has
been spending somc months at
these springs, passed through ibis
city on Tuesday greatly improved
in health, and reported that he bad
observed quite achangc for the bot
ter for the better in Gov. Morton
during the sboftperiod hehad been
under treatment thcro. 'e ~ ~
e HoT SpRINes,I June IL '67
MY DEAR FRIEND We arrived
on the I'd of June, alter a tedious
and tiresome journey yrail. steam
or and ambulance. The last sixty
miles from Little Rock wo travelled
in an ambulance over the worst
roads l ever saw, fordlng deep
streams, through deep mire, and
up and down precipltous rocks,
where il would apparently be i'm
possible ior wagon to go.
The Hot Springs are found in a
narrow valley, between the low
ranges of the Ozark mountains,
running nearly north and SOUTH
They issue from tho mountain, on
the east side of the valley, and fifty
feet above the base, apdEarc nearly
fifty in number, The water varies
in, temperature from rs degrees to
1853 degrees, and is carried through
wooden troughs into the tops OF
small houses, at the base Of
the mountain, situated on the top
of Hot Spring creek. Tho patient
e st enters the dressing-room, where
hs is disrobcd and prepared for the
bath. lie then goes back into an
other, whore herenters q large tub
filled with water ashot as he can
bear it. He remains in this five or
six minutes and then goes back
further into the vapor room. This
is a small close room, having for
its floor an open wooden grating,
beneath which is a reservoir of hot
water. He sits down on little
bench, and fiuds by his side tin
bucket filled with hot water
from tho spring, and q tin
cup. This water he drinks freely
so hot that it almost burns his
mouth, and, strange to say, discov
ers that he likes it, and that ii does
not make him sick. And now, il
his skin is not imporvious as parch
mont, he will perspire as he never
did before. After remaining in thC
vapors few minutes he goes bach
and again enters the hot water
stays in that a minute or two, il
then rubbed of. and dressed, goeI
to his room, gets between the blan
kets, drinks repeatedly of the no
water, perspires about thirty min
utes. is then thoroughly rubbed
puts en- dry aannels, dresses ant
goes TO dinner with an appetite
The power of these baths to produc
perspration is extraordinary.
had no perspiratior below the wais
from tho time of my first attacs
but the second bath here brough
it out profusely on nay limbs, AM
now ! can perspire as well as any
body.
The people here and throughou
this country, have faith amountin
almost to tanaticism in the powe
of these waters to cure every chror
ic disease, except consumption an
affection of the heart. And, frol
what ! have already seen an
heard, believe they. may yer
nearly be regarded as aepeciHc a fc
rheumatism and, neuralgia. Pei
sons are pointed out to me ever
day, walking up and down the va
ley, who were brought here a fe'
weeks or months ago helpless, an
on beds or litters, who are now al
parently well.
The weather in this secluded Ii
Tie, valley is comparatively COZ
and pleasant, certainly tina
at indianapolis, and ,we sleep vi
der q blanket every night. W
have no mosquitoes, gnats, and bl
very few flies. ;ilfhe. valley is
deep and narrow, that the SUI di
appears behind tho western ere
byhaif past four in tho atternoo
and loaVes us. in the cool shadoN
The water possesses some remark
bic property which even chemls
have failed TO discover. 1t is tast
Tess, bUt-maBy pgoplo~drinlS it b
with as much avidiLy as il it we
ice water and 1t is said that wi
4heaid Of pepper, salt, andn lit
batter, it@makes very palatab
soup. The country around is will
mountainous, and sYery sparse
populated, the most Of the settle
living by fishing and hpnting;yy,
ioq Game is abundant and we ha
2yenison on the table three Times
day; and this is almost the only 4
tiole OF food that lis not brong
from the North by way Of Lit
Rock.