The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1885-08-20
AIX-LES-BAINS.


may it value this vast reservoir OF hot
/ and healing water, which bursts out
( of the ground, covered with huge gas
/ bubbles, from the depth of a thousand
meters, The waters are of two kinds
1 -sQlphur-soda and alum. Though
they are charged with carbonic acid
! gas. they are not exported Their chief
mineral constituents are sulphur IN the
form of the hyposulphite. the carbon
ate and the sulphate OF lime, and the
sulphate of magnesia, with some Or
ganic matter called 5drregine, from
/ Barreges, where the substance was first
discovered. The alum spring rises be-
! hind a vast grotto filed with harmless
snakes and magnificent stai2ctites- In
! 1857 the workmen employed III en-
! larging the canal broke the walls OF
this grotto, and down came a flood full
of snakes into the town. This water is
now brought down by galleries or ca
mails, and is on tap through the town
at several fountains, while the sulphur
spring rises in the establishment, and
is poured forth upon the bather with
profusion which reminds him of how
| the water comes down at Lodore."
The establishment is large handsome
granite building of three stories. A
fine staircase leads into splendid hall,
| which divides the various stone rooms
where the treatment is given. And
what bountiful appliances we shall
find! There are two immense swim
ming baths, with cold douches, two
warm swimming-b two family
swimming bat us with douches, forty
one single baths, twenty-five large
douches each with trained doucheurs
or doucheuses, twenty douches with a
single doucheur or doucheuse, two
douches en- cercIe, three douches a
colon,1e, six vapor baths, two inhaling
rooms, three rooms for inhaling spray,
five vapor baths, four ascending
douches, four footballs, and steam
baths, called, pictorially, bouiJtOnS;
and indeed one comes out with a
boiled Holsters complexion, though
not, as in Hoods pun, with eclat.
Two thousand or three thousand
different baths are given daily, and
everywhere is to be seen the indefati-
gable DIR. Bracelet, the distinguished
local physician, who dictates the use
of millions of litres of water daily.
The alum springs have to be cooled
with natural cold water before they
can be used. So enormous thermal
establishment as this, is of course the
daily centre of a motley procession.
| Ali who can walk to the baths do so.
| Those who can not are carried in queer
covered Sedan-chairs, yelled like beau
ties OF the seragliO; but ii any adven-
turOus Turk should strive to take a
peep, it is to be feared that he would
be disappointed. The patient, care
fully landed in front of his particular
douche, is received by his bathers, who
proceed to seat him on a wooden
bench, and open fire upon him from
two powerful sprinklers, rubbing him
all the time. Ladies are treated most
tenderly by old oavoya'des, who, in
their way, are picturesque objects in
their bathing dresses; most soft are
they of touch and tender of rheumatic
joints. These peasant women are
amongst the most accomplished sham
pooers and d0UcheUSeS in the world.
After fifteen or twenty minutes of
this and another vigorous treatment
the patient is wrapped in hot Sheet
then in several blankets, and placed in
a Sedan-chair, carefully curtained from
the outside world Taken up by his
now invisible bearers, he is deposited,
after this secluded walk through the
busy streets of AK, at his own bedside,
carefully lifted, in his mummilied con-
dition, and put to bed, tucked up, and
left, as a wit has expressed it, ''to SIM
mcr" for 4 half-hour. Then he may
be taken out, dressed, and resume his
individuality.
There is no doubt that this treat
ment, pursued for Il month, is OF ex-
traordinary value in combating chronic
rheumatic affections, whether in con-
StitutionS of the sCrotulOuS or the
lymphatic diathesis, and III removing
the thickness and stiffness which so
often remain after attacks of acute
| rheumatism. After several courses of
this treatment power Of resisting the
inroads of rheumatic poison seems to
be impaired to the constitution. The
powerful waters of Vicnv, Carlsbad,
and Wiesbaden may be hurtful when
not administered with caution, while
those of AK, Marlioz, and Challes are
innocuous.
In this region nature has been boun-
tiful OF healing waters. Within few
miles OF AK are found the alkaline
springs of St Simon. the sulphur
waters of Challes, which announce
themselves not too agreeably to the
most aristocratic of senses, those of
Marlioz, of Allevard, Brides, and
Ariarge. all of which are variousiy
beneficial. Chronic post-nasal catarrh
IS especially benefited here; and here
people with phthisis and chronic bron-
chltls breathe freely. Scrofula, con-
stitutional an@mia, chlorosis, and the
majority of skin-diseaseS are benefited,
! but persons suffering from cancerous
affections or certain forms of heart
disease, as atrophy or hypcrtrophy,
angina pect0rtS, or aneurism of the
heart and of the large vessels, must
not come to AK. Congestion of the
brain is not improved hero, but the air
Is an Immediate tonic for the slcepless.
One could go to sleep and remain in
that happy condition for quite Rip Van
Wrinkles period, or perhaps for the
longer term OF the sleeping Beauty,
could nature be sustained. In this re-
spect AK is to be most highly COM
mended to nervous, oyerworked Amer
leans.
/ VI StIt dLII >CIdLlcd AIN presents q
wonderful story of cure. Many Grip
pie throws away his crutches after four
weeks. Some must come every year,
but all are helped. English visitors
far outnumber all others for the relief
OF these matadies.
Diseases Of the nervous system con-
/ stitute two-tifths of the illnesses seek
/ ing relief at our baths,,n says Dr.
( Bracelet in his useful little book on
AiX-les-Bains, which should be in the
hands of every medical man in the
! United States. Lombard. of Geneva,
says, Tho successful treatment OF
! paralysis is one of the Jewels in the
/ therapeutic crown of Ak
Singers are very fond of this place
and treatment Madame Patti has
| been here, and Madame Lucca's rooms
( are pointed out. Several large rooms
in the establishment are charged with