Book Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1824 edition. Excerpt: ... The Russians practice bathing in winter and summer, iri all ages and situations of life, in pregnancy, on their return from a journey, and after any fatiguing exertions. The Finlanders make use almost entirely of vapour baths dry and moist. In the first or dry sudatory, the thermometer of Fahrenheit is from 140 to 167 (40 to 60" of Reaumur)--in the second, or moist sudatory, the heat does not exceed 122 of Fahrenheit (40 Reaumur.) The vapour in this last is pungent, and offends the eyes--flame is extinguished, and animals suffer very much, and even perish in it--men become vertiginous, and almost in a state of stupor--their animal heat augments one or two degrees, and the pulse in an adult gives 115, and even 125 beats in a minute--and is, in a child of ten years old, increased to 160--infants when in it appear almost dead, and yet there are some exposed twice a day to such a punishment. This is perhaps the reason why there are so many deaths in early life in Finland. These baths commonly produce a febrile action, easily recognised by the redness of the skin, heat, and burning thirst, extreme debility, difficult respiration, stupor in some, and obstinate wakefulness in others. The perspiration being thus augmented, all the other secretions are diminished, especially milk and urine. The senses become deadened, and the flesh is in general more flabby than common. In this state of things, perspiration after a while ceases, nor could it be renewed if the heat were augmented to 144 of Fahrenheit. The dry bath, from 140 to 144 of Fahrenheit, is more supportable than a moist vapour bath of 117 to 122 of Fahrenheit. The Finlanders were formerly in the practice of rolling themselves in the snow, but at present the custom is almost...