The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1900-12-23


Ny dear, l will make you a confess
sion. Neither had / before Mrs. Lee
land told me. You know she and her
daughter disappear for a few weeks
every year, and they come back with
the bloom of roses in their cheeks and
Well, this year l forced them to d.
vulge their secret, and here l am, q
temporary convert
AS regards Dr. Rikli, he believes
that return to nature is a sure cure
for almost every disease.
He believes that the blood must
each day be made to fall below and
rise above the normal temperature,
because all uniform action provokes
and induces stagnation and paralysis
of the natural functions. The skin
must act and react, and for this there
are three conditions necessary:
First-Exposure to rays of light.
Second. = Tension and relaxation,
these latter to be produced by cold
and heat perspiration).
Third.-The absolute cleansing Of the
skin by water.
OF course, the fresh air treatment
at this time Of the year is slightly mod
fled. 1t consists principally Of sun
baths In glass rooted chambers, but
In the spring, summer and early au-
tumn the system is in full swing, and,
thanks to Mrs. Leland, l can tell you
all about 1T. When the patient ar
rives, she is given a hut to live in.
This Is open on one side and faces
the beautiful lake. There is a brown
holland curtain which she can draw
at will. but this Is her only protec-
ton against the winds of heaven. In
spite Of that, 1t is wonderful how few
colds the patients have. One becomes
quickly used to this surplus air. and
then when one goes back to city life
again everything seems stuffy and un.
bearable. Well to sreturn to the
regime.
At D, or soon after, In the morning
the colony wakes, and the inhabitants
start of walking to the air bath.
The ladies' air bath is an incloseti
park, highly fenced and guarded by
palings and trees, about a mile and A
half from the air huts. Here, clad in
white muslin, they walk to and fro on
the grass or sanded path, barefooted.
bareheaded and bare shouldered. I
marveled at the fact that tempera-
ture Of about 60 to 65 degrees was en-
tirely agreeable to them, but Mrs. Le-
land assured me that never in her life
had she felt SO we'll. 1t was almost as
good as being a goddess, she said. At
Z o'clock a frugal breakfast Of honey.
bread and milk is served. At 9 every
one dresses, and couple of hours ane
devoted to writing letters or other oc-
equations. At IL comes the sun bath.
You don't know how enjoy this. DR..
Rikli has put up a capital new large
bathhouse. on the roof of which all lie
hidden from one another, the head shell
tered and the body in the great, beau
tiful blaze of the sun. You feel as If
all the ills of the flesh were being burn
ed and blessed out of you.
After 40 minutes Of this excessive
baking your bath woman, comes AID
rolls you in blanket. You become in
appearance helpless Egyptian num-
my. but your skin pours forth perspira-
ton. A quarter of an hour only you
remain thus swathed and helpless, and
then you descend to a deep tepid bath.
where two lusty women so rub and
scrub aid shampoo for four minutes
that you come out feeling as fine as
silk.
The afternoon is devoted to<rides,
drives and. above all. long walks
through the beautiful pine woods. At
$50 all the patients meet for the prin-
cipal meal of the day. and at Z the
greater number are in bed and fast
asleep. Isn't that sort of life enough
to bring health to the most broken
down woman?
-- BEATRICE CHAPMAN,