Pilgrimages to the Spas in Pursuit of Health and Recreation: With an inquiry into the comparative merits of different mineral waters: the maladies to which they are applicable, and those in which they are injuriousJohnson, James
Science
Pilgrimages to the Spas in Pursuit of Health and Recreation: With an inquiry into the comparative merits of different mineral waters: the maladies to which they are applicable, and those in which they are injurious
Johnson, James
Balneology; Health resorts; Mineral waters
The King of Bavaria has erected here a Cursaal apparently intended to
rival, or rather to eclipse its celebrated namesake of Wisbaden. It is
a structure of great height, dimensions, and decorations, surrounded
on all sides by a fine open colonnade, and presenting a noble portico.
At the table-d’hôte, of one o’clock, there sate down about eighty or a
hundred guests; but many of them were, no doubt, visitors from Kissengen.
They seemed to defy the rigid injunctions of the Kissengen doctors, and
probably considered that during the “NACH-KUR” or after-cure, and while
they were lining their ribs with steel, they ought to have a commensurate
latitude in the enjoyments of the table.
FRANZENSBAD.
At the distance of three short miles from the town of Eger or Egra,
in Bohemia, lies Franzensbad, a spa of considerable reputation. The
situation is not very pleasant, being rather bare of wood and shade, and
the surrounding country by no means picturesque. The town, or village,
in fact, is in the midst of a great bog, and the houses, like those
of Amsterdam and Venice, are built on piles driven into the ground.
Franzensbad is a colony from Egra, and dates only from 1795. It took its
name from the principal source—FRANZENSQUELLE. The houses are modern,
clean, and cheerful—the walks, though not yet sufficiently numerous or
shaded, are in progress—and the bazaars furnish all kinds of necessaries,
and even luxuries, to the spa-goers.
I. FRANZENSQUELLE, OR BRUNN.
This is the lion of the place, and is the first spring on which we
stumble on our way from Eger. Its name was formerly the Egra, and its
waters, which are now exported to every corner of the earth, still go
by the name of Eger water. It is supposed to have been known for eight
hundred years past. The spring is placed under a circular temple, from
which the bazaar colonnade stretches round two sides of a square. It
sends forth 275 cubic inches of water per minute, at an invariable
temperature of about 49°. The water of this well is clear as crystal,
and discharges great numbers of bubbles of gas, which coat the sides of
the glass. It is a long time before it becomes turbid in the vessel.
In the course of several days it begins to be decomposed, and lets fall
some particles of oxide of iron. This spring is in continual agitation,
emitting with some noise its carbonic acid gas. It has no odour of any
kind, and the taste is very pleasant, piquant, and refreshing. The
après-gout, or after taste is decidedly chalybeate. Mixed with a fourth
part of white wine and some sugar, the Franzensquelle forms a remarkably
agreeable beverage. If the sugar be in fine powder, and briskly stirred
about in the glass, the whole foams up like Champagne.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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