The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1899-02-04
HYDROPATHY A FAD.
NEW YORK SOCIETY WOMEN
MAKE A STUDY OF 1T.
1T Is Said to Work Wo~ lers-Cold
Spray Up and Down the Spinal Cord
Brings tho Circulation and Nervous
System Into Fine Condition.

The New York society woman has |
become an enthusiastic devotee of hy-
dropathic science, says the New York |
Herald. She listens to talks" On
hydropathy and she reads on hydro |
pathy. She has, moreover, a scientif- |
ically constructed bathing apparatus |
where she turns her learning into prac-
tical experiments. In truth, the wom-
an who is not in touch with advanced |
ideas in Tubing" is looked upon as
one sorely lacking in information.
Those who think the porcelain tub
with it's hot and cold water faucets
quite sufficient for natures ablutions
are proletarians born and bred. The
up-to-date woman knows the relative
value Of water hot and cold for the
toilet. She also reflects upon the best
way to get most out of it. Mrs. Fran
ces Hodgson Burnett was the first
American woman to grasp the idea that
the art of "tubbing,' as the world at
large knows it, is far short of what it
should be-you see, she had spent a
season or so at Carlsbad, where bodily
pomp and ceremony, and on her re-
turn to our country she set at once to
work fitting out bathroom tn her
Washington home on the scientific
principles to which she had now firmly
pinned her faith. Mrs. Burnett had
long been in delicate health, but her
friends soon marked return to plump
and rosy happiness. She was evident
ly tubing" her way toward strength
and vigor. About that time the Rev.
Father Kneipp reached our shores, and
ere long there were many other inter-
esting devotees of scientific bathing be-
side the little novelist.
Then it was that the New York So
clety woman listened with rapt atten-
tion to his quiet talks on water as a
gift of the Creator as means to make
beautiful and wholesome and strong
all his living creatures, and now, many
months after this dear old man has
passed away, the richest and most
beautiful women of our city are hav-
ing placed in their town and country
houses the means through which they
are to scientifically tub their way
through pain and fatigue The bath
ing room is simple enough to look at
just about twice the size of the ordin-
ary, everyday affair. There is the
same immaculate porcelain tub, with
a shower fixture above and the faucets
so arranged that any temperature,
from tepid to ice-cold water, may be
had. There is rubber hose about
two and half feet long, to be attach
ed to the faucet, the end piece made of
brass and so constructed that consid-
cradle force is derived from the water
pressure. The hose is the great health
restored, [ am told, if used under
standingly.' The cold spray, when
played up and down the spinal cord
for five or ten minutes night and
morning, is said to work wonders with
the nervous system and blood flow.
Situated in one corner of the up-to-
date bathroom is a small circular tub
OF porcelain. This is for herb and
sltz baths. There is a long, narrow
table or shelf of marble, with a can
vas mattress, on which my lady may
lie while taking her massage. which
OF course, is always given under the
direction of an experienced physician.
had an interesting talk with a we'll
known New York woman on this hy
dropathlc craze. why, it has made
another woman out of me- she de-
clared earnestly, "and I shall never
take hot bath again as long as live.
The only way in which they are to be
tolerated is when followed by a thor
ough drenching in cold water, but they
are not good for one even then. Thew
deplete the system of strength, and one
cannot help feeling fatigued after
them, no matter how strong one is.
never take bath in water above 70
degrees. I find it quite as cleansing
as the piping hot ones, and rub nv
skin until it is all a-tingle. The sprav
from the hose is the finest nerve tonic
imaginable. In truth, one is sure to
quite forget that they have such
things in their bodies after a few
weeks cold douching along the spine.
I had the most distressing insomnia,
and the base of the brain seemed al
most bursting from the strain some
times. I sleep like a baby now, OF
course, feel very safe about the use
of these advanced ideas, since I have
made a close study of hydropathy and
have been led up step by step by one
who thoroughly understands the sci
ence, but I would not advise one to
do any experimenting without a GER
tain amount of knowledge concerning
ones Individual condition and the re-
iation of water to health. AS in every
thing else, one must not go about it In
a hit or miss fashion.
'sWhy, I have known the most ex-
traordinary things accomplished
through these cold water baths. Father
Kneipp's assistant, who gave us talks
on hydropathy, was once a cripple
from rheumatism. He walked on
-.