Hints to the sick, the lame, and the lazy, or, Passages in the life of a hydropathist . s produced are most agreeable and soothing. I neverswallowed opium; but from the accounts I have read, thesensations I experienced, were of the same nature as thoseproduced by the use of that drug. Two hours, or two-and-a-half, passed away without tedium in a kind of dreamy dose ;and when Jacob visited me, he found me in a profuse per-spiration, and judged me quite ready for the plunge took off the cloak, bed and upper blankets, and looseningthe thick remaining blanket at the bottom, exposed my feet
Hints to the sick, the lame, and the lazy, or, Passages in the life of a hydropathist . s produced are most agreeable and soothing. I neverswallowed opium; but from the accounts I have read, thesensations I experienced, were of the same nature as thoseproduced by the use of that drug. Two hours, or two-and-a-half, passed away without tedium in a kind of dreamy dose ;and when Jacob visited me, he found me in a profuse per-spiration, and judged me quite ready for the plunge took off the cloak, bed and upper blankets, and looseningthe thick remaining blanket at the bottom, exposed my feet,and put on my slippers, so as to enable me to hobble, notmore than my own length, to the wheeled chair. As my armshad been tightly laced down to my sides by the indefatigableexertions of Jacob, I was much like a mummy, unable tomove hand or foot. I was lifted up, set on end, (the slipperend), and assisted to the wheeled chair. As soon as I wasdebout, my cloak was thrown over my head, and again a sheet H 50 HINTS TO THE SICK, over that, in the form of a monks cowl, and a towel bound. tightly round my ankles ; thus the escape of caloric wasobviated. My one man chay was rolled to the trap-chair, andI was in a moment lowered into the bath-room, on the rezde chaussee, where the Bademeister and his deputy receivedme with kindly greetings, and in a trice divested me of allmy wraps, and told me to plunge into the bath. It lookedclear and blue, the sun was shining into the room, and itsrays glancing on the water ; the scene might truly have beenstyled inviting; but it occurred to me that the change oftemperature would be disagreeable, and I rather funked. LAME, AND LAZY. 51 This feeling was but momentary. I scrambled into the bath,and soon found it most agreeable. In a few da^^s I foundthe plunge bath (after the introductory perspirations) soattractive, that I longed for the time of its enjoyment, andduring my walks I enjoyed it by anticipation. After a shortswim in the bath I got out,
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecad, booksubjecthydrotherapy, bookyear1848
