Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1869-05-12
PHILADELPHIA, May 1. 1859.

PHILADELPHIA, May L, 1869.
MY DEAR RTTEzEL:-Pve Just been
through the whole programme; I still
live; now, know snaboutit; 1 am ready
to testify that it is a great, and a decided
" peculiar, Institution. The thing is To- |
Gated on Chestnut Street, opposite the L.
s. Mint. There is, as there ought to be,
a kind of mystery about it. The win
dows let IN light, but the stained glass
admits no impertinent inspection from
without. A little sign in frOnt tells the
outside world something, but the full
meaning is only known to the initiated.
1t isn't a Masonic Lodge, nor an Odd
Fellows Hall Neither is there any
thing there TO injure OF detile the body.
the mind, or the morals. 1t is an impor-
tation from the Orient, but not like Brig
ham Young's. Ii isn't a harem, though
the ladies who enter there are carefully
shut out from the gaze of men. With a
companion of great respectability-in
fact a d.. d. ventured To enter. The
reception room was a large and beauti-
fully furnished apartment. The super
intendent gave Us a gentlemanly well
come, and requested us 10 enter our
names in a register like that at a first
class hotel. He then took possession OF
our valuables and locked them in his
safe. He then conducted us into the Sec
ond apartment also g~orgeously ftted up.
Around this We're the alcoves for dress
ing roomsw with heavy drapery like that
in front of berthS on steamboats, and
sleeping cars. These little rooms We're
furnished with a chair, hooks, looking
glass, boOt-jack and other toilet articles.
After undressing, a fig-leaf apron made
of cotton was fastened by its
about the loins. We were then conduct
ed by a friend, whom we afterWard
fnrnnn IN ha "A hrRfhnr IN blindness lnTn
the third apartment. In this room there
was no carpet, but a floor Of marble tiles.
The windows were stained, and on every
pane of glass was n crescent, the-cTOSS was
in the room itself. On n side there
were extensive registers through which
q furnace was sending a blast that kept
the temperature up to $50 degrees The
floor was hot; the air was hot the chairs
were hot; and the marble basin in which
the head was Immediately bathed was
kept cool. only by a constant stream of
fresh Schuylkm water. Our attendants,
who were neither naked o clad, now
seated us in reclining arm chairs, and
putting OF the head Ofeach aheavy cloth
wet in cold water. left us in this oven for
thirty minutes. Occasionally one would
come in with a goblet of cold water I"
pour down the thToa to be converted in
TO the steam that soon poured out all
over the body. | had felt a just pride in
the cleanliness and whiteness of my skin.
/ had been in a warm bath Just before,
and was just a. free from defilement as.
hot water, soap and a flesh brush would
make me-but. upon my honor, l hand't
been in this room fifteen minutes before
l could roll up great winrOws of gluten
all over me. Well we We're baked inst
thirty minutes. Then we were takenin-
TO the fourth apartment, this was hke the
third, except that the heat was from
thirty to fifty degrees. We staid in this
room a less time, and were conducted in
TO the NTH room. Here the temperature
was much less torrid but sufficiently
warm for comfort. On either side was a
white marble slab about two feet wide
and seven long, elevated about as high
as the seat of a common chair; this, like
everything else, was heated on one end
was a small pillow; the subject was u
ed to lie down ON this, and the attendant
began his shampOOning process, turning
a stream of waite on the person, he rub
bed the neck, chest, and limbs, turning
the body over as became necessary.
Then he administered to every part of
the body, in a gentle manner, what e
ator Nye advised Senator Abbott to
give Senator Sprague. Every joint wa
tiled and gently exercised. The whole
body was scrubbed with a thick lather
of perfumed soap. Sitting up the head
was lathered until il was fit for the razor,
and with his hand the operator perform
ed one part of the BARRIERS work. We
TO you now if yOur curiosity gets the bet
ter of your caution and you open your
eyes. After this, you stand up, and, from
a flexible hose, comes a shower of water
agreeably warmed, upon every side from
head to foot. From above m a show
er upon the head, gradually growing
cooler until the pores are efiectually
closed. The next stage in h operation
introduces you into the Sicth and last
room of the series, where there isa great
tank full Of cold water into which n
may plunge and swim for about one
minute. As you come out a large white
sheet is thrown over the shoulders, gath
ering it around you, AZ the old Roman
gathered his tOga, you march with dig
nihed step, rather rapidly through the
hot rooms, back TO the dressing room.
Here are reclining chairs and lounges on
which are spread soft blankets i'll which
the subject is wrapped to make h cool
ing gradual. There is no smoking here,
but YOU are RECALLED with choice hot cOf-
fee. to your full content. Spend what
time here Won please, lie down and take
a nap if YOU wish. But of n thing be
assured, YOU will know no ache or pain.
NOlE dAuG III al hN Etht gpo N"h =
find your rheumatics; You wont care
whether school keeps OF no; above all
you will feel that if you ave not become
gOdIy, you are next o to 1t, and for
once in your life are really clean. As
YOU go out into the street you viii feel
twenty years younger c. if you are as
old as J.. If the occasion requires you
can run through a troop and leap over a
wall.
The establishment of DIR. Hartwell is
the most complete of the kind in the
country. The suite of rooms for the la
dies on the second story is said 10 be
most elegantly furnished. The charges
moderate; the attendance perfect; there
is nothing disagreeable in any part of
the process; it is safe, and o not de-
bilitate unless one goes through more
times than the attendants, who are mod
els of physical beauty and vigOr, n it
is one of the remedies about which all
schools Of physicians speak well. From
two trials l am ready to welcome it as
one Of our American institutions, 1.-The
Turkish Path II. q.