THE SPAS OF EUROPE.

Hot Lakes Chronicle, Volume 4, Issue 191, 29 July 1896, Page 3

THE SPAS OF EUROPE.

[CONTINUED FROM LAST ISSUE.] The great importance and popularity which now attach to the scientific mode of using the water are proved by the fact that at Aix-les-Baias there are appliances to give 2,000 douches and 200 inhalations and pulverisations iu tlie day, whereas thev have only appliances to give 1,200 immersion baths of every description.' J. G. Douglas Kerr, M.B.C.M. .in a paragraph of his report to the Bath Committee, Bath, speaks iu terms which are so applicable to our...own case that 1 cannot do better than to quote them here. He says,..". In speaking, to a leading London physician on this subject bofore leaving England, his words, us nearly as 1 can recall them were, ' G° straight to Aix-les-Bains: there you will see the best mode of applying thermal treatment in the world. Study it, introduce it at Bath in the same luxurious style in which the immersion-baths are conducted, and you need fear the rivalry of no thermal spa of Europe. Neglefit it,' and you must in the near futuro be left behind in the competition for bathing-patients.' At the same. time he told me that he could only send one out of twenty rheumatic patients to Bath, because, in his opinion, the others required the massage treatment, for which wo had no accommodation. This I believe to bo the opinion of most of the lead' big men in the medical profession, both in London and the provinces. The time has come when thermal treatment, combined with massage and shampooing, will take a prominent place in medical practice in all diseases in which it is applicable; and I feel certain that, if we want to hold our own in the race, and increase our field of usefulness, the Corporation must extend their bath-ing-establishments in a direction to meet the demand." This perfect system of special thermal treatment has been the slow development of many ye irs of careful study and experiments, and is the one which universal experience pronounces to be most efficacious. Besides the ordinary swimmingbath, sitz-bath, family-bath, and single-bath, with cold douches, the same as wo have here, there are ther-mal-water douches in the form of jets, sprays, waves, circular sprays, ascend ing and descending column, bouillon or mineral vapour-bath, vapour-hath for local application, inhaling-rdom with pulverisators, rooms for the administration of spray :.nd pulverised mineral water for the treatment of diseases of the mouth, throat, nose, ears, and eyes ; all of which could bo introduced here at no great cost, and all or any of them would tend to relieve the pressure on our present existing bath. It would likewise fill a great want in New Zealand and in tin; Australian Colonies, and bring this place into reputo as tho first bathing and therapeutic establishment of the southern Pacific. With regard to the attendants, doucheurs and douchouses : The success or failure of these special treatments greatly depends on the care and skill of tho attendants of which those trained at Aix-les-Bains have the name of being the most proficient, great care being taken to have only well trained and capable attendants in that establishment. Every attendant undergoes three years' apprenticeship, and has to serve for two years in the position of assistant doucheur or mar-seur before receiving a certificate of competency or being allowed to administer douches or massage, subject always to stringent rules and regulations to strictly follow and never depart from the instructions given by the patients' consulting doctor. To start this special kind of treatment it would be necessary to procure some competent doucheur and doucheuse to train and instruct some of our local attendants. I spoke to the Director of the Aix-les-Bains establishment to know whether a married couple could be had to come to New Zealand. Tie informed me that some doucheurs and doucheusos had been sent from Aix-les-Bains to train and instruct the attendants of the new establishment at Bath, and ho sriid thit if such were wanted for New Zealand he would willingly assist in selecting a couple. Tho sultry paid in Prance for doucheur or doucheuse is not very great —irom 400fr to OOOfr (or £lO to £24 sterling) per.season of six months; but I was told they receive a.good deal in gratuity from p .tients beside. They all have some' kind of tiado or calling which they follow in the dead season, and' it is somewhat hard to induce them to leave their home and habits for such a distant country as this. Tho introduction of douches and massage would require a large quantity of mineral water under pres ure of about 50ft to have all the advantage of it. This could bo procured, aud a system of douching at" r.mged at Eotorua, by using the water, of Kuirau, which is equ-1 to about 400,000 gallons in tho tw.enty-four Inure. At this however is a work of some magnitudo, it will requiro a well-considered ard matured plan of the whole proposed scheme to be drafted out and adopted, and afterwards to be carried out year by year as the demand for accommodation increases. In tho meantime some improvements can bo effected to the steam-bath, the Rachel and Priest B.ths, which would greatly improve them and increase the present accommodation, which is being taxed to its

full extent. Thesa last improvements I have to .."some, extent explained . to. Mr H. A. .Gordon, Inspecting Engineer, on his, last visit to this place ; and if instructed I will draft out plans of tho respective works- aud submit them to you. In re management of establishment: Most of the thermal establishments of Europe are administered hy a personnel consisting of a director or manager, one or more inspecting doctors, and a number of officers and attendants according to tho importance of the establishment and the number of patients treated. Having procured a copy of the. rules . and regulations in force at Aix-les-Bains I hereunder translate a few of them : A director or manager named by the Minister of Commerce is charged (under tho supervision of tho Prefect) with the direction of the thermal establishment aud its dependencies. 2: Tiio director supervises all parts of the service ; he sees to the execution of all measures of order and of administration proscribed by rules and regulations, and with the inspecting doctor in all matters relative to the administration of tho water. He directs every person belonging to the service, who is bound to obey him.* 0: The inspecting doctor, nominated by the Minister of Commerce, exercises, in a medical point of view, supervi-iou over all parts of the establishment devoted to the administration of the waters and to the treatment of the sick, and on the execution and disposition of the rules and regulations bearing thereon. He directs also, in a medical point of view, the service of the employes attached to the bath, douches, &c. He notifies to tho Prefect or Minister all abuses or defects in the service. In cases of urgency he will consult with the director upon any immediate action to lie taken. Ho will be assisted in his duty by one or more assistant inspecting doctors, nominated by the Minister. 4: Anything contained in the first paragraph of the preceding article shall not be interpreted so as to restrain the liberty of patient- to follow the prescription of their own doctor, or to be accompanied by him if they demaud it. 5 : Patients are not bound to p<y nuy remuneration to the inspecting doctors when tho.-e last do not direct their treatment and do not otherwise give them special advice or care. 6 : Inspecting doctors treat gratuitously all indigent persons admitted te the use of the waters. (There is ahvavs a hospital and some kind of charitable establishment attached to the baths.) Clauses 7to 1!) deal with the mode of keeping and checking the accounts. Clau es 20 to 06 deal with the distribution aud of tickets for douches, baths, &c.,' and regulate the mode of admitting patients Mid bathers. Clau es 07 to 50 deal with tho personnel of the establishment, and regulate their respective duties. ■ Clause 54 deals with, the rate of charge for the different baths, d .aches, &c, which are divided into two and even three classes, aud range from Ofr for first-ela-s douche and bath to 50c. for the lowest (a simple public piscine bath.) Independent of these, there is a rate for a family bath (half rate granted to certain persons undercertain well-Stipulated condition-); a rate for bath-chair carriers ; a rate, for extra linen provided (the linenbeiiigheated); a rate for special bath out of the or dinary bathing hoiii-s, under medical advice, for patients requiring a number of attendants, complicated apparatus, or affected by contagious or repulsive diseases. Clauses 50 to G7 deel with the free or gratuitous bathing, which is here very liberal. Clauses 08 to 73 deal with the general rules applicable to the good conduct aud behaviour of patients, visitors, and the personnel of the establishment. All these rules and regulations, being the lesult of many years' experience, are well calculated to insure the efficiont working aud perfect system of checking the accounts and revenue of tho establishment, and could he applied profitably to the Eotorua aud other Government establishments. Clause 59 reads, " According to usage in force, French and foreign doctors are admitted gratuitously by justifying their identity by legal documents, or on being presented by a doctor in practice at Aix-" This clause is well worthy of tho consideration of the Governmeut, as the granting of the foregoing privilege to all medical men would perhaps induce the medical men of Now Zealand and the Australian Colonies to visit our bathing-es-tablishment periodically, and judge for themselves of the capabilities of our waters and of any new appliances in use for utilising them, and thus become mere competent to prescribe the special mode of treatment most suitable to their patients' respective eases. Speaking on this subject. J. G. Douglas Kerr, M.8.C.M., iu his report to the Bath Committee heretofore mentioned, says, " Tho prosperity of every spa is so much in the hands of the medical profession that they (the management of Aix-les-Bains) consider thev consult; their own interests by this courteous treatment; and the fact speaks for itself that at the present moment there are no less than .thirteen medical men underiug treat.ment at, Aix." Thin proposal was at once acceded to by the Bath Committee, and now medical men, on presenting tiioir cards to tho chairman of the committee, are made welcomo to all the privileges of the bathing-es-tablishment free of charge.

Tlio prices for baths vary according to class and accommodation given; and in many places tlioro are firstsecond-, and third-class baths. At Aix-les-Baius, simplest bath-, 50c; douche, Of. At Vichy, simplest bath, 50c; douche, Of 50c. At Enghien, simplest bath, If 25c ; douche, 4L At Spa (Belgium), simplest bath, 60c; doucho, -If 25c. At Baden-Baden (Germany), simplest bath, 1 mark; douche, 0 marks. At AViesbadon and Aix-la-Chapullo, price irregular, according to the hotel. And at Bath (England), the simplest bath, 6d, and douches, 0s 6d. Besides these there are what are called princes' baths and bains do luxe, which are charged from 8s to 10s each, according to the accommodation and attendance given, as per scale. A small charge is also made in most places for drinking the water —ld per glass, or about 5s per month. Another thing which seems generally adopted and much appreciated is to provide heated linen at a regular scale of charge. This could be easily adopted here by heating the linen with our hot-water pipes. Hoping that the .foregoing information may prove interesting and useful, and be the means of drawing the attention of Parliament and of the public to the great importance of them rvellous thermal resources of New Zealand, and that the adoption of some of the suggestions herein contained may eventually prove a source of wealth to the country and of comfort to the human race.—l have, <Sc-, Camille Malfroy. Eotorua, 20th February, 1891.