HANMER HOT SPRINGS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2068, 5 July 1890, Page 3

HANMER HOT SPRINGS.

Last year it will be remembered I gave a description of a visit to Hanmer Plains Hot Springs, and promised to renew my acquaintance with the place this year again. This promise I have kept, but find a difficulty in writing anything. new about it. as last year’s description was very full. The distance from Temuka to Hanmer Plains is about 180 miles, all but 26 miles of which is travelled by train. It takes about 14 hours to do the journey, but it is impossible ta do it in one day. One must leave by express train at 5.30 pm, reach Christchurch about 9 p.m., start again at 7.30 a.m., reach Culverden, the terminus of the railway, at 12 30 p.m., start in the coach at from 1 to 1 30 p.m., and reach the end; of the journey at from 5 to 5.30 p.m.. In the immediate vicinity of the Christchurch railway station is the Terminus Hotel, kept by Mr Ered. Storey, an old Temuka man. This is a splendid hotel, and visitors to Hanmer Plains will find it the most convenient place to stay at, as it is within two chains of the railway station, and consequently '• very convenient for the trains.

t -1 have nothing to add to my last year’s description of the journey from Christchurch to Culverden, nor did I find any noticeable change in the latter place. The magnificent display ef foliage and flowers on the table of Mr Cooper’s hotel was just about as gorgeous as it was 12 months ago, and the host and hostess as civil and obliging as ever. So far travelling in the train at the rate of about 12 knots an hour was pleasant, and owing to the demon of competition the remainder of the journey is made under very favorable circumstances. Whether competition is the life of trade I shall not attempt to discuss here, further than that it is good for travellers to the Hot Springs. Before competition stepped in one had to travel by those terrible vehicles of Cobb and Co., and run the risk of losing every tooth in his head. Now, however, rival services of conveyances run to the Springs daily if required, and I have no hesitation in saying that both do all in their power to make passengers as comfortable as possible. ‘ One of these services is owned by Mr Cooper, who has the contract for : carrying the mails, and the other by Mr Derrit, who is also a mail carrier in another direction. Formerly one could get to or from Hanmer Plains only on two days a week, but now any of these services will take passengers to or from the place any day; They both have put on the road splendid and easy-running buggies and other vehicles, including a very handsome waggonette, which belongs to Mr Derrit. I wish to make this plain to intending visitors, as some people may hesitate to go through iear of the journey. No one heeddo" so. The journey is a very pleasant one in the splendid vehicles provided by either Mr Cooper or Mr Derritt, any of whom is always anxious to make passengers comfortable, I reached tbe springs about 5 o’clock, and proceaded forthwith to a bath. I found, however, that in 12 months great alterations bad taken place. My old friends, tbe caretakers of the previous year, had gone, but fer this I was prepared, as X bad left one of them in Temuka under the care of Dr Hayes. Here I think it appropriate to mention that Dr Hayes’s ereat skill as a surgeon is becoming widely known. This gentleman heard of him in Christchurch, where he had been under treatment for some time. He came to Temuka and placed him* self under the care of Dr Hayes. The result 18 that Dr Hayes performed on

i him an operation of so rare a kin that only one or two of such cases ar r mentioned in the text books, am > that it has been most successful. The i operation reflects infinite credit on D , Hayes’s skill as a surgeon, and shows i that he he can take rank with any ir ; his profession. i I was therefore prepared for the change in the management, and I ; must say that the place has not suffered by it. The baths and their surroundings could not be better kept than they are now by Mr and Mrs Eogers, the present caretaker and his wife. Jhe baths are kept scrupulously clean, in fact Mr Eogers is exact in this respect to a fault. The gardens and flowers are really beautiful for such a place, and as Mr Eogers is skilled in horticulture I have no doubt that in the near future he will make the place delightful. He showed me when I was there a large quantity of rare bulbs which he intended to plant. He got these at his own expense and it was his intention to get more, so that I am justified in looking forward to seeing beautiful gardens at Hanmer Springs when next I visit the place. Mr and Mrs Eogers are extremely civil, extremely obliging, and extremely industrious, and for the sake of visitors I hope that their lease of their present position is for life. The place could not possibly be looked after better. Other changes in the shape of improvement had taken place, as since then 8 new baths were op«ned. There are, therefore, at present 12 bathing places, which consist of little rooms in which are wooden baths large enough for one to bathe in at a time- In these one can have his bath as hot or as cold as he likes. He has only to turn one of two taps and out pours hot or cold water as he desires it.

Probably, however, the first thing which most people like to know is: “Are these baths good?” Eor my own part I can most positively say that they are. I say, without hesitation, for bronchitis and other pulmonary complaints they are excellent. I know this from actual experience, and I know it, too, from the experience of others. In the middle of the garden there is an immense pool of very hot water, out of which steam is continually rising. This is boarded in, but a large trap - door is left open, and for one suffering from winter cough, bronchitis, or kindred affection, nothing could be better than to lay down beside this and inhale the fumes from it. Pome time before I reached there a young, who was so weak and so bad with bronchitis that he could not go into the baths, did this for a week, with the result that he was completely cured. As for rheumatism, there can be no doubt it can be cured there also. Some time ago an English lady who suffered agonies from rheumatism spent six weeks there, and felt greatly improved. In going back home, however, she had a very bad fit of rheumatism on the way to Melbourne, and another on the passage from Melbourne to England, but she continued improving for three years, at the end ot which time she had completely recovered. - The lady was a friend of one of the residents in the district, with whom she stayed during her visit, and this information was contained in letters sent by her from England. This care is remarkable, owing to the length of time it took to work the rheumotism out of her system, but there have been a great many cures effected by bathing at Hamner Springs, and I am credibly informed, on good authority, that the baths are as good, if not better than those in the North Island. South Island people, therefore, need not go to the latter place. Another matter which intending visitors would doubtless like to know about is the accommodation at the springs. I have to say that this is excellent. Within three miles of the baths is Mrs Pry’s Hotel, of which I gave a description last year, and within about one and a-half miles is Mr Lahmbert’s Private Boarding House at Jack's Pass. Wbpn Excellency the Governor visited the springs he stayed at the Boarding House, and there, also several bishops and the clergy of all denominations stay. It is also the house at which I found most South Canterbury people putting up, and though I d*d pqt stay tfierp myself I found everyone speaking in the highest terms of praise of it. The house is situated in a splendidly sheltered picturesque place, and is exceedingly well kept. A two-horae waggonnette runs to the baths two or three times a day, and there is no charge for taking visitors tq 3,0$ fpo. At eHhqp place visitors may rely on good accommodation, but persons desirous of quiet, rest, and homeliness select Mr Labmbert’s.

There are a few remarks which I would like to make to make regarding the insane policy of the Dadway Department. Tfie charge for the return trip from Christchurch to the springs is £1 10s first class, and to that no one could object, except that the time is limited to one month- Now. here is where the stupidity of the arrangement comes. Why should the time be limited ? Why should not a yisitpr be allowed to stay as long as he likes P While at the baths hp is paying to tbe revenue, Hvery dozen baths he takes cost 4s, and the longer he stays the more money he must pay to the Government. But the Government, through the Bailey Department,

says to him, “ Ton must not stay longer than one month ; your ticket will net avail you for a longer term j

d you must go home, or pay double e fare.” Would any private individual d turn away customers like this f Cer--9 tainly not. .Yet this is the way the r railway department transacts business. 3 Another thing is: Why is it that while i the railway authorities make the fares from Christchurch cheap they give no 3 concessions to enable intending visitors [ to get to Christchurch? One must - pay full fare to Christchurch, wherever - he may come from: Now, why could ; not the railway authorities offer ini ducements to people from all parts of i the South Island to go by making concessions to them equal to what is made to Christchurch people P To do so would undoubtedly result in a greatly increased traffic, which of 1 course would result in swelling the revenue from the baths enormously. The advantage would be altogether on the side of the revenue, it would gain greatly by it, and poor people would be afforded facilities for visiting this great health resort. I think this ought to be looked to, and if it were represented in a proper way to Ministers I think some arrangement would be made. Another idea which struck me as good was to build an hospital at Hanmer Springs. What I would suggest is that all the hospital and charitable bodies of the South Island should combine together, and build an hospital there, or get the Government to build it, for the cure of diseases for which the waters are known to be suitable, These bodies could then ; send their patients to it, and pay for i them, and besides attendance nothing 1 more will be wanted. There can not 1 be a doubt as to the efficiency of the waters, and cases which would take months in an ordinary hospital would ; be cured there more effectually in half < the time. lam perfectly satisfied the < boards would save money by adopting J this course, while the advantages to j the patients would be immense. i The fallowing analysis of the waters | will doubtless be found interesting to [ some of our readers:— a Spec, grayily at 6G F. ... ... 1.00064 * S’diment... ... ... ... 3.15 | Ammonia free ... ... ... .156 j Ammonia Albumenoid... ... .44 Potash ... ... ... ... 1.63 Sola 34.83 Lithium ... ... ... ... Trace 1 Lime ... 1.72 J ftlagoesia... ... ... ... .07 j, Iron 2.52 v Alumina 08 D O rbonic Anhydride 5.39 d Sn'phurio Anhydride ... ... 469 1 Nitric Anhydride ... ... .139 ■ Pnosphoric Anhydride... ... Trace 1 C dorine 35 78 0 Su'phuretted Hydrogen ... 3.29 ® Bromides and lodides ... ... Nil g Total ... 90.339 J Deduct oxygen equivalent to e chlorine 8.06 p ———■— a 82.279 r<

Tbe ammonia and albuminial ammonia are in very large quantities in the waters, in fact in such quantities as would render ordinary waters very dangerous to drink. In the case of a medicinal spring of this character it is possible, however, that they may not be so injurious, as much depends upon the source, and generally albuminial ammonia indicates previous sewage contamination, which is scarcely possible in this case.