4<3 Recent Antiquarian Explorations. 



a garment something in the line of a bathing-dress, then sweated, 

 changed for a dry suit, and omitted the plunge bath. Of course 

 people had to be careful not to lean against the walls inside, as 

 they would get burned if they did. One, I remember, was cut 

 or excavated out of a turf bank. It was only five feet high and 

 five feet wide, of a round shape, and had a flagged floor. The 

 opening was only three feet high, and was closed by a bundle of 

 broom branches. It was heated by heather and dried grass and 

 ferns, which were plentiful in the locality. The plunge pool was 

 always used here. The constructor was a cooper. He once came 

 home on crutches from a place (Beragh) he was working at from 

 having lain in a damp bed. After four sweats he was quite well 

 again, and continued so until his death, which took place fifteen 

 years ago. This was the last one used in this part of the country. 

 My father remembers when there were three or four of them in 

 the immediate vicinity. Another was in a glen, where I have 

 a plantation. A stream of water runs through the glen, and on 

 either side are rocks. The rocks formed one half of the building, 

 either shaped by nature or by excavation. The front was built 

 up with stones. No mortar was ever used. It was partly 

 covered by the rock itself and partly by flags, and was heated 

 in the usual way — by burning heather and brambles in it. The 

 stream was dammed up for the bath." 



I will conclude by stating that the ancient Irish were well 

 skilled in medicine and other curative remedies for the restora- 

 tion of health and the cure of diseases. The chieftains had 

 their own hereditary physicians, for whose maintenance they 

 alloted large tracts of land, which were set apart as the exclusive 

 property of the practitioners, and regarded as a sort of sacred 

 territory in times of war as well as of peace. The independence 

 which the physician was thus enabled to enjoy afforded him 

 time to produce medical works, which were carefully transmitted 

 from father to son, some of which have survived and come 

 down to our time. There were special cures for some diseases 

 in certain families. Many cures have come under my personal 

 notice that I can vouch for. This hot air bath is one of the 



