The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-01-28
Russian Baths Not Necessarily Danger
Tn

Russian Baths Not Necessarily Danger
Gus.
NEW YORK, Jan. %, 1874
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
Your editorial, headed death from Russian
Bath" does us so much injustice that we feel
called upon to point out to you the inaccuracy Of
the grounds upon which your reasoning is based.
The gentleman who died in Russian bath lately
did not die from the Russian bath, but from syn
cope, induced by fatty degeneration OF the heart.
II he had run a block to get into horse car, he
would have been in far more danger of death than
from the bath, which would have been beneficial
to him had proper precautions been taken by
the proprfetors Of the establishment. Men have
died In the streets from uremia but to
argue that therefore persons afflicted with
functional arrangements must not leave the house
would be mamfestiy absurd. And yet this is pre-
clsey the line Of argument which you have
adopted. Allow us to point out to you that the
vapor bath is not a new thing. The Editor of the
HERALD must DE aware that the very circum-
stance which is stated in the editorial as posi-
tive proof against vapor baths has been favoraby
commented upon again and again by every travel
Ter who ever went to Russia. For there not only
do men go from the temperature OF American
100 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit and then return to
the streets again, but they rush from the hot vapor
snow returning back again into the heated
vapor The number OF deaths occurring in Rus
sian baths Is no greater than the number
OF deaths which occur in churches street
cars, halls of Justice, &c. The trouble in
the case Of Mr.. Wilcox was that when the syncope
came and In his lifetime 1t must have come many
times, the persons in charge seem to have had
ready neither stimulants nor hartshorn nor q medl-
cal man. In nothing can the innocent heated
vapOr be blamed for his death Please TO take the
case OF our own baths into consideration. We
have been In operation thirteen years. and dur
ing that time have never had single incident of
the kind, though our yearly average has been over
900 persons, making total OF 800, 900. This fact
abundantly demonstrates that by no possibility of
distorted reasoning can death be said to threaten
patrons OF the BATH whether OF sound constitutions
or the reverse. AS for what you state OF the dad
results short OF death" 1t would puzzle the inge-
uity OF a Sphinx to know what Is meant. There
fession who would claim that even the stupid
verdict OF the Wilcox jury could license any other
charge against the Russian bath except that in
persons OF extremely abnormal debility IL might
superinduce syncOpe. We beg to assure you that
TINS Is neltner chrome nor con tagiOus nor cpl
demic malady. 1t Is SIMPLY period when the vOll-
ton, or will, is suspended and Is nothing more
than the aintnR lit which girls Of the past genera
ton considered so feminine and so becoming. II,
indeed, there be "any bad results short OF death,n
as you state, you will place us under serious obi
CATION by letting us know what they are ; for up
to the present moment the distinguished medical
authorities with whom we are in communication
have left US in the prOioundest ignorance.
May we beg OF your sense OF justice to publish
this communication, because otherwise your edto
ria going everywhere, Is calculated to create
prejudice against our business for which there Is
no fOundationY
ALICE CAPES, Proprietor.
g. T. RYAN, M. d., superintendent
and graduate OF Bellevue II. M. College.