300 ESIHONIAN BATHS". 



Be the predilection and paffion for thefe baths ever 

 fo fiirong with the Efthonians, it is far llronger with 

 the Ruffians. Of the regiments that lay in our neigh- 

 bourhood, both officers and privates ufed the bath 

 from one end of the year to the other at leaft once a 

 \ week. The common people obferve this practice more 

 devoutly than the rites of their religion. A Ruffian 

 will rather difpenfe with his bread than be deprived of 

 the bath. Nay, examples are not wanting of perfons 

 falling lick when they have been prevented from bath- 

 ing; and they have been well again on refuming that 

 practice. 



I will now jnft add a few remarks by way of conclu 1 - 

 fion. 



I. The Efthonian nation lives in a moft deplorable 

 11a very, which is the eaufe of poverty and indigence, 

 of foul and filthy indolence, of the want of ambition 

 and perfonal activity ; consequently, fince, if the land- 

 holder chufes, the peafant pofTefTes no fixt property 

 and is abfolutely degraded to a beaft of burden, it ap- 

 pears that the ufe of thefe baths mull be actually at- 

 tended by falutary effects. 



But for thefe bathing houfes the nation would outgo 

 the Polim jews in dirt and filthinefs, as they even now 

 do what they can to come up with them. 



II. As a laic in the art of medicine I do not venture 

 to determine how far thefe baths have a falutary or per- 

 nicious influence on the health. However, it is fome- 

 what curious that the flrrongeft and moft robufl nations 

 of antiquity, were in the practice of ufing vapour and 

 fweat baths in common with the moft longaevous 



nation 



