BATHS in vapour, the fume or steam of some decoction is received upon the body to promote a perspiration.—These are also by some called Balnea Laconica.
Vapour baths are, when the patient is not plunged into what is prepared for the bath, but only receives its steam upon those parts of his body which require it: as in some distempers of the fundament and womb, where the patient sits and receives the fumes of some proper fomentation, &c. To these may be added the bagnio; where people are made to sweat by the heat of a room, and pouring on of hot water; after which they generally go into a hot bath or bagnio.
A peculiar sort of vapour-bath was much used by the ancient Mexicans, and is still in use among the present Indians their descendants. According to the abbé Clavigero, these baths are built of raw bricks, and their form is similar to that of ovens for baking bread: but with this difference, that the pavement of the bath is a little convex, and lower than the surface of the earth; whereas that of most ovens is plain, and a little elevated for the accommodation of the baker. The greatest diameter of a bath is about eight feet, and its greatest height six. The entrance, like the mouth of an oven, is wide enough to allow a man to creep easily in. In the place opposite to the entrance there is a furnace of stone or raw bricks, with its mouth outwards to receive the fire, and a hole above it to carry off the smoke. The part which unites the furnace to the bath, and which is about two feet and a half square, is shut with a certain dry stone of a porous texture. In the upper part of the vault there is an air-hole, like that to the furnace. This is the usual structure of the temazcalli; but there are others that are without vault or furnace, mere little square chambers, yet well covered and defended from the air.—When any person goes to bathe, he first lays a mat within the temazcalli, a pitcher of water, and a bunch of herbs or leaves of maize. He then causes a fire to be
made in the furnace, which is kept burning until the stones which join the bath and furnace are quite hot. The person who is to use the bath enters commonly naked, and generally accompanied for the sake of convenience, or on account of infirmity, by one of his domestics. As soon as he enters, he shuts the entrance close, but leaves the air-hole at top for a little time open, to let out any smoke which may have been introduced through the chinks of the stone; when it is all out he likewise stops up the air-hole. He then throws water upon the hot stones, from which immediately arises a thick steam to the top of the temazcalli. While the sick person lies upon the mat, the domestic drives the vapour downwards, and gently beats the sick person, particularly on the ailing part, with the bunch of herbs which are dipped for a little while in the water of the pitcher, which has then become a little warm. The sick person falls immediately into a soft and copious sweat, which is increased or diminished at pleasure, according as the case requires. When the evacuation desired is obtained, the vapour is let off, the entrance is cleared, and the sick person clothes himself, or is transported on the mat to his chamber; as the entrance to the bath is usually within some chamber of his habitation.—This sort of bath, called temazcalli by the natives, has been regularly used in several disorders, particularly in fevers occasioned by costiveness. The Indian women use it commonly after childbirth, and also those persons who have been stung or wounded by any poisonous animal. It is undoubtedly a powerful remedy for all those who have occasion to carry off gross humours; and certainly it would be most useful in Italy, where the rheumatism is so frequent and afflicting. When a very copious sweat is desired, the sick person is raised up and held in the vapour; as he sweats the more nearer he is to it. The temazcalli is so common, that in every place inhabited by the Indians there are many of them.