The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-02-26
THE HOT SPRINGS.
Further observations From Our
Arkansas Traveller.

HoT SPRINGS, February ~.
tsii,orul letter 70 the Intelllseneu)
The more ] see and hear at this place,
in regard to the properties OF its famous
waters, the more / am inclined to the
opinion that they derive their chief
value from their temperature. Often
made analyses fail to show the presence
Of ingredients Of medicinal character.
The water tastes precisely like any warm
water, but the presence Of carbOnic acid
gas probably protects the stomach from
nausea alter drinking 1t.
Everybody you meet has a theory
about the water, but the really intelligent
people here, Of large experience, do not
pretend to any very satisfactory opinion
on the subject, In looking over some
observations Of different writers on hot
waters, I notice that Tyndall, than whom
there Is no higher authority, confesses
that he Is not acquainted with any differ
epce between natural heat and artificial
heat. BE says: II am not acquainted
with any thermo-electric conditions that
could cause any percsptibls difference
bo.ween the therapeutic action Of natural
hot water and artificial hot water" |
notice also that Prof. D. D. Owen says oil
these Springs, that their efficacy is
"mainly owing to their high tsmpera-
ture."
Prof.. Cabsll, Of the University Of Viz.
gina, speaking of the warm springs oil
that State, says that their virtues cannot
be owing TO the dissolved mineral matter,
for the same effects are experienced at
the highly mineraliEed thermal springs
as al those which contain no more mineral
than is found in ordinary drinking
water"
| quote these expressions Of opinion
simply to excuse myself from seeming
presumption in coming to a conclusion
that these Arkansas springs owe their
efficacy mainly, II not wholly, to their
temperature, and to the fact that people
come here determined TO change their
habits Of life, obey restrictions, lay aside
business and take care Of themselves.
There is no telling how many OF the
v;.;.ora might improve at home under
the same conditions. Change OF air,
scenery and associations, for few weeks,
has, OF itself, tendency to improve
most individuals, and when this change
is supplemented by daily bathing and
sweating, and by good deal Of outdoor
life, 10. a genial climate at this season,
YOU can see that there Ia no good reason
why the sick should not find more or less
relief.
AsI have said, this is great place for
medicine. The doctors pile in the medi-
cine at a lively rate, assure you. With
DR., sangrado they can say:
hlAflA en- anu ! bNeAh
And II they die leti EN-"
There are considerable number Of
paralytics here-one Of the most promi-
nent being Gen. McNulty, Of Blooming
ton, 1llinoip, an ex.membcr of Congress
from that State, and 8 relative OF the
Washington county, Pa, MoNultys. He
has certainly improved, aud is now able
10 hunt in the mountains, and has recent
" been out for a week at stretch on
horseback. On the other hand, there are
ofIsets 10 his case, among those who will
tell you that they have received no sp'
preciable benefit from their stay here. ]
presume that the difference IN experience
il altogether owing to the nature OF The
cases. The best doctors here will tell
you that where there has been an organic
lesion Of vital organ thereis no hope
for the patient and therefore paralytlcs
Of this class could not be materially ben
Gifted here or anywhere else.
Outside Of syphilitin patients, the larg-
eat class Of sufferers are rheumatics.
They are seen limping along in every di'
rection. There Is no doubt that hot wa
ter bathing has a tendency to help these
patients. 1t helps them at home and why
not here. A good number Of them get
decidedly better, and a small per cent are
entirely cured. Persons suffering from
nervous debility are also benefited in
many instances. As in the case OF par
alytics, such patients use the so'called
electric baths-that Is they battle in wa
ter that Ia artifcially charged with cleo
tricity. Where they have become de-
bilitated by the use Of s.imulant', tobae'
co, etc and Are willing to give these up
and put Themselves on proper regimen,
they are almost sure to improve. The
yapor bath. sweat the whisky and
tobacco out Of their blood with rapidity,
one Of the bath house men tells me
that in some cases the stalls are lett 90
oaorous after dsvotee Of tobacco has
gone through his sweat, as to be perfectly
offensive, so copious hiss been the elimi'
nation Of nicotine through his pores. Per
sons suffering from bilious disorders are
cleansed in the same way. When we re-
member that the skin Of an average
sized man contains about 2s miles Of cap
Hilary tubing, and that these tubes meas
ure about one.ffteenth Of an inch In
length, we can appreciate the important
functions Of secretion that are carried or
through the skin. can illustrate this
by an incident that occurred at our bath
house two or three days ago. A patient
was weighed (undressed) before he went
into the bath, and weighed every four
minutes while 10 It, At the end Of twelve
minutes he had Loaf exactly A pounds and
a half in weight. He drank no water
In the bath to replenish the water from
hi. blood, aud hence the loss Of weight.
T...,.,,oL, a, shnnt ninatv nina hnn-