A TRIP TO THE TURKISH BATHS IN AUCKLAND.

Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1147, 1 November 1879, Page 3

A TRIP TO THE TURKISH BATHS IN AUCKLAND.

I left Hamilton on Thursday morning by the first train, and arrived m Auckland at half past three, very cold, and quite done up. I may here' mention that the draft m the railway, carriages is very great, as evbry; person has a window behind him, and some are sure to let them down. On arriving at the baths, I was iutrodiiped to Mr Sykes, and ifc was arranged that I should commence my bath; on the morrow at 10 o'clock ; no bath ,to. be taken until two hour's after meals. On Friday morning I was placed m the hands of Mr Ooghlan, the assistant, who I found very kind and careful with his patients m assisting them m every way ■ m the baths, there being several kinds for different treatment. Every patient is examined every morning, and the treatment ordered. for the«day, by Mr • ykes himself. After being taken one side by Coghlan, and dressed m th3fashion of old' Father Adam, with a fig. leaf apron, I was led through a .doc, and a curtain lifted up and told to walk forward. I then found myself m a room with seats to sit down on. I must mention I carried a small sheet m my hand to sit down on, 'and well I did, for the glass stood at one hundred and fifty. After being m there thirty minutes,, I was then taken to the; shampooing room and there' shampooed. The ceremony is as follows :—You are laid on your'back and then scrubed with soap'an hot water all over till you are quite done up. ■■■•■■•A shower bath'of. tepid water finishes the shampooing. I was then stood on a grating"with warm, air coming! through; then laid on a bed to 000 l for five minutes, then dressed. This just took one hour and "a-half. I laid down for; half an, hour, and then dinner, was ready at twelve o'clock. At two. o'clock I'went through the:same process^ the difference being I was m the hot room longer. On the Saturday morning I felt quite sick and not fit for anything, but the baths was ordered. The heat m the hot room this morning was. one. hundred and sixty-five. I remained m there thirty minutes, and was then &hah>pooed, aiidj hot water was poured on: my head by the bucketful. This was kept up until each bucketful commenced to feel cooler,until it was quite cold. I was then laid down

and rubbed till I was warm, Cdghlan keeping to his work, and to my complaints of that will do keeping on saving, " There, there, you are alright now,, just lay there till you are cool," for by this time I thought he had rubbed the Bkin off. . This was repeated m the af te .noon. On Sunday morning, at 10 o'clock I was taken up stairs for a vapour bath. I was placed m a wooden box, about three feet by five feet, and three feet high, shelving 4own towards the front, -with a round hole m the lid, just large enough for your head to stick out of. I was set there just ?ike a Jack m the' box, and after being steamed for thirty miuutes, and considered by Coghlan to be properly done, I was led into a room and told to lay down, which I did on a bed, ; .and before I could attempt one word, I was tight m a cold wot sheet, and being tied up like a mummy, with nothing but my head out. To describo the feeling I cannot, the persperation running over my faco into my eyes, until I could not see,- and Ooghan kept on saying, " There, there, you are all right now ; " m that old, kind voico of his, which goes far to cheer the sick, so many of whom pass through his hands m a day. m a few moments I felt quite warm, and soon all my body was warm and comfortable, and I felt sleepy. This is called a rack, and well it might be, for once you are m you are'tight enough, and can only move your head from side to side. After laying there for an hour, I was unrobed m a great state of prespiration, and so 'weak that I could hardly stand. It took uvrzy my breath, but before I had time to think I was m a bath on my back, 'with water to cover mo. This water was at eighty degrees, but to me it seemed like ice. j was then rubbed for five minutes, then stood up and had a cold shower stream xl over me, taken out of that again, and rubbed until I was warm. Coghlan told me I should not be wanted any more that day. I thanked -him and I meant it. On the Monday I felt much better, stronger, and had the use of my hands so that I could write, which' I had not been able to do for months without pain. The hot Turkish bath was ordered for ten o'clock, and I wont m at the sarno timo as a gentleman from Newcastle,.and we found the glass stood at two 'hundred degrees of of heat. I was nearly facing down, it took my breath away, but I was soon able to walk about. My companion called my attention to the glass, and its mark was two hundred and fifteen, and kept .rising till it stood at two hundred and twenty, and still rising. "We could converse without difficulty, but the floor got so. hot we had to ring? the bell and como out. This was the hottest bath I was m, and tho perBpiration poured out of me. I was then led into a room and sponged down with hot water for one minute and then two streams of cold water from a shower bath were turned over mo. When I was m the liofc room I felt strong, but when I passed through tho assistants' hands and was told to lie down, I folt quite sleepy, but I could not do so, for to look at the ( countenances of those that havo'*got 'to go through all L had done was, something laughable, and to look round and see some . rolled up like muramoys m the wet' sheets and to hear Mr SykoscalJing 1 out, • ' Coghlan wrap that gentlemen m a hot wet blanket and put some mustard all through it— wrap him up tight from head to foot, and give him a good sweat" tspon takes the laugh out of the poor victim to circura- ' stances. Such is life at tho Turkish baths from day-to-day. Some are cured m two days. Extreme cases take longer, but one and all seem well', satisfied on leaving" For my owxi case I am truly thankful that I have recovered the use of my limbs, and I now take tha opportunity of thanking those kinds friends who so generously assisted me m my late sickness, for tho many acts of kindness that I have received from thorn, and believe me to remain your most obedient servant, Daniel Dee Hyde, Hamilton West, October 17, 1879.