THE SPAS OF EUROPE.

Hot Lakes Chronicle, Volume 4, Issue 190, 22 July 1896, Page 3

THE SPAS OF EUROPE.

We reprint the "Report on the Thermal Establishments of Europe," bv Mr C. Malfroy, laid on the table of die House in 1891. It is of renewed interest in the light of the intentions of the Government in regard to the reorganisation of tho Sanatorium arrangements : I have tho honor to report that, having procured circular letters of recommendation from the French Government, also from the English Embassy in Paris, to the directors of the thermal establishments of France, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, and England, I visited a good man}' establishments; but I shall mention only the most important, ard principally those which, like Rotorua. are under Government or municipal corporation control. Yiciiy (France) is one of tho most, important thermal stations of France |t lias many thermal establishments iii the town and district, the principal ones being Government properties, fanned out 1" the Compagnie Fermiere des Eaux do Vichv. It is managed on a purely commercial ha is. A very great l>usines< is done in the extraction of the salts from tho Waters by evaporation, &e. to make pastilles, and a compound of the different salts is sold for baths, called ••'Vichy at Home." During my stay I heard great complaints (which may or may not lie legitimate) that, the Compagnie Fermiere were sacrificing Vichy's interest to their own pecuniary gain, Mid that it would bo much better for the place if tho Government would resume control and manage tho establishment, tho samo as is done at Aix-les-Bains. Ajx-x.es- bains. —This is the most important thermal establishment of France, if not of the world. The water resembles those of Rotorua in so fur that it is slighty sulphurous. There are many bathing-establish-ments in tho town and district, the principal ono being the Government establishment, having at its disposal every appliance for hydro-mineral medicament : 1,200 baths, 2,000 douches, and 200 inhalations can be ailtnini tered daily ; and it is said that it treats more actual patients than any other establishment in tho world, and amongst them is now inscribed in their Golden Book the name of Her Most Gracious Majesty tho Queen of England and Empress of India. I am specially indebted to Mr C. L. Livet, the director of the establishment, for Lis kindness and courtesy, and for the very valuable information which lie gave me. Baden-Baden (Germany) possesses several bathing-establishments, the principal, newest and most complete lieing the Friedriclisbad, justly eeleinated for its therapeutic appliances of the latest designs, amongst which is the ineshanico-thernpeutic establishment w I i rein the special gymnastic app rat us of Dr Zander, of Stockholm is ciocted, providing active and passive mechanical movements for every j'lint of the human frame; all these appliances can, with mathematical precision, bo regulated to suit the individual ease to be treated. This mode of gymnastic exercise seems to be greatly appreciated by those who use it, but it is rather costly to be introduced into a place with small population, such as Rotorua. Wiesbaden.—This is also a very important bathing-resort. M. my tourists and invalids visit the place, but it possesses no special bathingflstablishments. The thermal springs are owned by the Government, or Municipality, who provide luxurious drinking fountains and halls (Trinkhalles), and supply the different hotels with thermal waters for their respective bathing-places, none of which are of sufficient importance to compare with those of Aix-les-Bains or BadenBaden. Aix-la-Ciiapelle possesses some very valuable mineral springs, the propertyof the Municipality, who have built several convenient bathing-es-tabli.-hments, which they let or leaße at a high rental to responsibla tenants, subject to the inspection and supervision of a specially-appointed Government inspector. Four of theso establishments being now in the hand;i of Mr Dremel, a largo hotelkeeper. it enables him, by judiciously dividing them into classes, to afford accommodation to suit the tasto and circum(.taiices of all classes of visitors. Spa (Belgium).—There is a nice little establishment here, the property of the Corporation, and under their immediate management and control. The installation being recent, it is well supplied with all modern ba'neal gymnastic appliances, and possesses a good ii pulation throughout Europe^ Bath (England); —Owing to the iic the weather (I 'ecember) this is th* only istablishment J. visited in England. It. was recomini tided trrlnh- because i.r is the most recent turd-"dfemplete instijlation in this country, tho works being still in progress; liatli pot susses a very largo quantity of thermal water, which is under the control/'of a Bath Committee, appointed by the Corporation, which until recently, contented itself, -iike u at Rotorua, with tho simplest mode of bathing, immersion being the only treatment given. ]n 1885 tho Bath Committee, finding that tho science of balneology had made such progress oil the Continent that their invalid client* became lean aud less in number, (the medical men of England recommending all patients who could afford it to go to tho Continental watering-places, where " mas-

sage " and other recent scientific modes of the application' "of thermalwater troatment had become recognised as a trustworthy and efficient agency in tho treatment of many diseasesjwhich yield but indifferent results to the action of drugs), on the representation of J. G. Douglas Kerr,, M.8.C.M.. who paid a visit to Aix-les -Bains, and who on his return presented a report to the Bath Committee, took the matter onorgoticallv in hand, tho result being that tiro Corporation sent tHeir architect to visit Aix-les-Bains aud other Continental establishments, to acquire tho technical knowledge mcessary to improve their baths; and upon his (the architect's) return a sum of money was procured by way of a loan, and works were at once put in hand ; and when I visited Bath tho appliances for the application of water in use there were equal to most of those I saw on the Continent, and tho Bath Committee think so highly of them that they have brought over some doucheurs and doucheuses fri.m Aix-les-Bains to train their own attendants into tiiis special form of " massage " treatment; tho pulverisatore, sprays, &c., for tho treatment of dis. eases of the mouth, throat, nose, ears, and eyes, being from the same Paris I firm of medical-instrument makers who furnished and installed those in me at Aix les-Baitis. I was everywhere well received by the directors of tho different establishnients which I visited, and they were most kind and painstaking in showing and explaining to me the use of the different appliances, apparatus, &c.. used in their respective establishnients. I took copious notes, and Mime sketches of anything new likely to be introduced here. I was also very much interested in tho Balneal and Therapeutic l'avilion erected within the Paris Exhibition grounds, where man}' of the bathingestablishments of France bail courts illustrating by means of wax figures the peculiar mode of applying their special mode of treatment, with attendants willing and anxious to give information respecting t lieii um>, and physiological effects on patients. The impression made on me by whntlS'W and heard in Europe is that bv neglecting these special modes of application of our mineral waters we lose the greater part of the benefit to be derived by their use. And the fact that we have proved so successful by simple immersion-baths in s > man}' cases which have come under niv personal notice during my three years' residence at. Rotorui can oi.lv be attributed to the powerful sulphurous and other mineral ingredients which the Rotorua springs contain ; and it makes me feel confident that we would have wonderfully good results if the Government took steps to introduce the improved and, I may say, scientific mode of application of mineral water used in Europe. [To »», continued ]