1828. ] Dr. Granville’s Travels to St. Petersburgh. 405 
Russian capital, that I was quite surprised on hearing consumption quoted as 
an almost endemic complaint.” 
We have no room for any details respecting that greatest of all winter 
luxuries, a Russian stove ; but we cannot help wondering, en passant, 
at the marvellous obstinacy and stupidity which have so long kept us 
from the enjoyment of such a comfort. But the truth is, that knowledge, 
reason, and common-sense have little or nothing to do in matters of this 
nature. Peremptory demand alone is the parent of supply ; and, in con- 
formity with this view, it may be stated as a general proposition, that 
the discomforts of cold and heat are less felt respectively, in the exact 
proportion that the sources of those discomforts present themselves in a 
greater degree. A sultry day in the East Indies (from the “ appliances 
and means” of meeting it) is not half so oppressive, even to the European 
population, as a sultry day in England ; and the inhabitants of the great 
European capitals have cause to dread the approach of winter, in the 
exact proportion that they approach the great northern source of it. A 
winter in Paris is intolerable; in England, it is not much better ; in Ger- 
many, it ameliorates as you get farther and farther north ; and in Russia, 
there is not an idea connected with it but those of comfort and luxury. 
Again,—we meet in Dr. Granville’s work with some very curious details 
respecting the Russian methods of employing that important mean of 
health and luxury, the bath. We cannot afford room for any of these details, 
but must not omit the liberal and sensible remarks of the doctor on this 
highly-interesting matter ; though we more than doubt of their leading 
to any good results: for we English are quite as obstinate in pursuing a 
wrong course as aright one :— 
“ The physical effects of a bath of this description are highly favourable to 
the constitution. Judging by my own feelings I should be inclined to place it 
above every form of bath in general use; and I think I am indebted to it for 
the removal of severe rheumatic pains which before nothing seemed to alle- 
viate. A Russian is apt to think that almost every disorder to which he is 
necessarily liable from the severity of the climate, may be removed by the hot 
bath, and he flies to it on all occasions when ailing. This general impression 
on the mind of a whole nation, who.are naturally keen observers, has its foun- 
dation on long experience, and although not strictly correct to the whole 
extent, is not to be contemptuously rejected as the eftect of ignorance. Most 
of those who have travelled in Russia, or in the Levant, where a similar kind 
of bath is used with even greater frequency by every class of people, can bear 
testimony to the efficacy as well as the comfort of a Russian or Turkish bath, 
in their own case, when afflicted with colds, rheumatism, cutaneous affections, 
or incipient fevers. On two other occasions besides the one already alluded toy 
I attended the same establishment in the course of five weeks spent in 
St. Petersburgh, and both times derived the full measure of benefit from it 
which I expected. I went thither with every symptom of an approaching 
feverish cold, and returned quite well, and continued so. The external tem- 
perature was on both occasions seven and eight degrees below the freezing 
point; snow was on the ground. In the ante-room, the temperature was 
at 100, and in the bath-room 132 degrees. Yet; notwithstanding this striking 
difference of temperatures, I walked home the distance of nearly half a mile, 
without the least inconvenience or ill effect.” 
_ The out-of-door scenes of a Russian winter have been so often, and so 
well described before, that we shall not repeat them here—especially, as 
they are features which a few years do not change. Neither shall we 
follow our author into any of his minute architectural and other details, 
respecting the chief public buildings of the Russian capital ; and which 
details occupy a very considerable portion of the second volume. But 
