The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1882-03-09
NATURAL MEANS.
A Rational System to Secure
Good Health.
A Simple Diet, Bathing and Exer
else Productive of a Sound Body
. and Mind.

were beginning to look yellow and
dusty: the beau-mOnde more languld
and tired than usual; the drive was
less crowded; cabs were conveying in
Vulnerable pieces of luggage to the sta
tiOn-all signs of the coming exodus.
1t was high time to make up ones
mind wheres to go for the summer.
Fashion and ones tired-Out frame
Oblige one to go somewhere. |
felt / needed not only fresh air, but a
regular treatment, if | wanted to return
to town in September able to resume
my professional duties. L never was
strong man; but now, after most un-
usual ordeal of late suppers, heavy dln-
ner-parties, and social gasllght, l be-
came aware that my health was going
fast. But-where was L to gOE Dread
full question, most difficult to answer.
| have a horror of English seaside
places; it makes me yawn when | think
of them-sand and children wherever
you 90. To an English watercure es-
tablishmentP had no intention to be
killed or 10 be made lunatic. | once
tried one of them, and did not feel in
clined to repeat the experiment. My
friends suggested, "Why not ask your
physicianP" All, whyp because | do
not believe in doctors and physic.
have detected them wOfully In the
Have you ever felt the torment Of
not being able to make up your mlndr
Then you will pity me. One day, in the
Club, in want of some better Occupa-
tiOn, | looked at some obscure newspa-
per, and found the following advertise
ment: "Waldesheim, near Dusseldorf,
GeTmany-es establishment for Curing by
Natural Means namely, Air, Water,
Diet, and Exercise. Prospectus etc.
The brevity pleased me, especially the
natural means" 1t was comfort to
know you would not be expected to
swallow mercury, arsenic, strychnine,
and other Objectionable pOisOns, with
an amiable face and perfect confidence.
/ determined to write for fuller lntOr-
nation. This turned out most satis-
factory. WaldeSheim was situated
about an hours distance from Dussel-
dOrf, on the borders of pine forest that
covered miles and miles of ground.
The terms were mOderate-fTOm five to
nine marks (shillings) day, and no eX-
tras for the treatment.
NV arrangements were soon made;
and after a most pleasant journey, l
arrived at Waldesheim, very curious to
make the acquaintance of the place and
the natural means" A venerable old
lady, with white hair and ruddy com
pleXiOn, received me. l understood
hat she and her brother are the pro-
prietOTs of the KuTanstalt Curing es-
tablishment) The house itself made
the most favorable impression on me; it
was simple, but comfortable and we'll
kept. 1t was near o'clock, p. m; the
patients were at their evening meal,
and l was invited to join them. | had
no objection to this; for l had an eX-
cellent appetite after my travels. By a
neat waiting-maid, | was usheTed into
the pretty, airy dining-rOOm, which
opened out on garden-terrace. But
imagine my feelings on behOlding the
scene before me. A narrow table
stretched the whole length of the room;
around it sat many ladies and gentle
men, most cheerfully paTtaking of milk,
a kind of whOle-meal bread, and raw or
steWed fruit. 1t was one of the most
dreadful moments of my life. | believe
should have turned into a statue with
amazement, had not Miss Fellinger, the
prOpTietOTess, advanced toward me and
led me to the seat on her right hand. l
felt / had been rash in coming to this
place. My heart yeaTned for my excel
lent London dinners-fOr pOtages, en-
trees, and rOasts. But it was necessary
to make the best of the situation, and |
began to take my sumptuOus repast
with as good a grace as l could muster
Strange to say, did not find it so bad
after all. l supposed that novelty sea-
sOned it. The milk was excellent, the
bread too, and the fruit delicious.
When l had finished, | had to own to
myself that had seldom taken a meal
with more relish.
Most of the guests were Germans.
There was few English, two or three
French, and some Dutch. Miss Fellin-
ger introduced me to the doctor and to
some of the patients. Many of them
were very i'll indeed; they had come to
Waldesheim as a last resource, after
having swallowed a small druggists
shop without being cured. They were
all fully satisfied with the progress in
health they had made since they came
to the KuTanstalt. Everything heard
interested me so much that my resolve
to quit this house of Spartan diet imme-
diately became shaken; and when L was
shown to my bedroom at nine o'clock l
had made up my mind to stay for a
week in order to get an idea of the sys-
tenn. The windows of my apartment
were only few yards distant from a
lovely pine forest; the evening air was
deliciOusly scented, and refreshed my
spirits. had been told that it was the
rule in the establishment to sleep with
the window more or less open, and as |
wanted to try the natural means in all
their strictness, / cOnfOrmed to the fore
going regulation.
At 6 O'clock, a. M, the Badediener
(bathing-servant) knocked at my door
and inquired whether l wanted bath.
felt so fresh and invigOrated that, in
spite of the unearthly hour, consent
ed. I was led down stairs, where l
found the most complete system of all
kinds of baths / had ever seen. AS the
doctor had not yet prescribed for me, l
took a simple bath a PAnglaise-Only,
to my great astOnishment, nearly tepid.
When 1 expressed my surprise to the
Badediener, he replied that it was ac-
cording to the doctors orders; that cold
water was so injurious to the health
that it wore out the constitution.
When 1 was ready was told to go di-
rectIy for walk in the pine forest, and
not to return before eight o'clock, when
breakfast would be served. had made
up my mind to implicit obedience, and
so went in spite of the rain. On the.
way fell in with some of the patients
1 had talked to the night before. We
went on together, and they showed me
the sights of the place, when, to my
great astonishment, we met couple of
patients barefoOted and bareheaded.
Z wonders never seem to cease in this
place" said Ito my companions. They
laughed. ''You will get accustomed to