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
[21] “The people of England have flocked within the last few years to
Schlangenbad, to bathe in its _foul_ water, drawn from tanks and used in
tubs.”—Granville, vol. 1, p. 132.
[22] I would advise Dr. Granville not to revisit the “Brunnens,” as
a very considerable prejudice exists against him there—especially at
Schlangenbad, where I understood, they were training a band of serpents
to hiss him out of the valley, should he ever re-enter it. Be this as
it may, I think he stands little chance of receiving an “ORDER” from
the Duke of Nassau—unless it be such a one as two of his brethren (Drs.
Downey and Lee,) received in the Summer of 1839—an “ORDER” to quit the
duchy in forty-eight hours.[23] This was neither a _civil_ nor a military
order, but through the police: it was one which my friend, Theodore Hook,
would be very apt to call an “ORDER OFF THE BATH.” I suspect, indeed,
that this would be my own fate, as well as that of Dr. Granville—but for
very different reasons—not for depreciating the virtues of the waters,
but for stigmatizing the licenses of the hells.
[23] This was, upon the whole, a liberal “notice to quit;” since it would
be difficult, I imagine, to point out any spot in the dukedom, whence an
“exeat regno” might not be practicable in forty-eight minutes, on a good
horse.
[24] One would suppose from the number, profundity, and duration of
these salaams, that Germans, of all ages and both sexes, had studied in
the “Imperial Academy of Ceremonies” at Pekin. Such outrageous bowing,
cap-doffing, pipe-squaring, spine-wriggling, and _bussel_-rending, I
never beheld in any other country, except the Celestial Empire. The
German, indeed, is taught civility or politeness from infancy, and far am
I from censuring this overplus of amenity.
[25] It must, at the same time, be confessed that, in Germany, all this
quietude, order, and decorum, _appear_ to be the result of a spontaneous
disposition of the people. There is no _visible_ governing or directing
power—no policemen at the corner of every street, or gens-d’armes
watching their movements! All is _seemingly_ automatic. Yet there
must be some strong arm behind the scene—much careful pre-arrangement
and organization to effect this tranquillity and regularity. We see a
steam-carriage fly along a rail-road, without any outward or visible
impelling power; but what complicated machinery is stowed inside? What
vast labour was expended before the automaton started on the road! So it
may be with Germany.
[26] See a verification of these facts in the MORNING CHRONICLE, of
Saturday, December 14th, 1839.
[27] Effodiuntur opes irritamenta malorum.
[28]
“Vice is a monster of such horrid mein,
That to be hated, needs but to be seen—
But seen too oft—familiar with his face,
We first endure—then pity—then embrace.”
[29] Granville, vol. 1, p. 110.
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