298 Russian Vapor Bath. 
one by one to the middle of the floor, where a powerful affusion of 
cold water from the shower-bath in the ceiling removes every vestige 
of soap. This sudden affusion of cold water is remarkably grateful : 
itis scarcely possible to describe the effect, which is highly exhilara- 
ting and refreshing. data! 
It is usual again to undergo the steaming after the temperature of 
the bath is increased by the ‘affusion of water on the glowing pottery 
in thefurnace. For this purpose, the operator opens the door above 
described, and placing us out of the direction of the immediate ef- 
flux of the steam, he dashes, in successive jets, a small bucket of 
water into the furnace. The apartment is instantly filled with clouds 
of steam, at a high temperature ; and when the door of the aperture 
is closed, we resume our places on the benches, gradually proceed- 
ing to the highest, as we become inured to the temperature. From 
the upper tier we finally descend to have the cold shower-bath re- 
peated ; after which we leave the bathing-room, are rubbed dry by 
assistants in the small heated apartment, where we resume the flannel 
dressing-gown and slippers, and are reconducted to the saloon, where 
we find the couches spread with blankets ; and we recline for half an 
hour in a most profuse perspiration, and in a state of luxurious lan- 
guor, and mental tranquillity. ee 
On a subsequent occasion, I provided myself with the means of 
ascertaining the temperature of the bathing-room, and noted its ef- — 
fect on the pulse of myself and two other bathers. The heat is gen- 
erally from 45° to 50° of Reaumur ; that is, from 133°.25 to 144.5 
of Fahrenheit. On the occasion referred to, it ranged in the bath, 
during my stay, from 32° to 46°R.,= 126°.5 and 1359.5 F. in the 
lower part of the bathing-room ;-but I was unable to examine the 
temperature near the ceiling, on account of the thick vapor, and the 
intensity of the temperature, which affected my eyes. ‘This tempef- 
ature, high as it is, is far short of what Acerbi asserts of the Finnish 
baths; he says that they reached from 70° to 75° of Celsius,= t0 
158° to 167° of our scale: but perhaps his thermometers were $ 
ject to the influence of the open fire-place in the rude baths of that 
people; for their furnace consisted of a few loose stones piled into 4 
— of rude arch, over a fire onthe floorof the hut: or perhaps he 
did not accurately ascertain the temperature; as he never entere 
the bath but momentarily, for the purpose of placing his thermometer 
and T am confirmed in this by observing that the Finnish operator, in 
his plate, appears dressed in her ordinary clothes, which I should 
think insupportable in so high a temperature as he assigns. | 
