Excursions Along the Shores of the Mediterranean (Volume 2)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1842 Excerpt: ...resignation, --not to say satisfaction, --truly exemplary. The suffocating feeling which we experienced on first entering the humaum lasted for a few minutes, but suddenly ceased on a 198 EFFECTS OF THE BATH. profuse perspiration bursting from every pore, which was succeeded by the most delightful sensation of lightness, combined with a certain degree of lassitude and languor; when, submitting to the officiating priests of the temple, we were successively drenched with hot water, rubbed down with a cow's tail covered with soapsuds, curried with a rough horse-hair brush, and, lastly, had to submit to the operation of shampooing, which, together with the former ordeals, finishes by imparting to the whole frame a sensation not to be described. The operators at the humaum are mostly youths of sixteen or seventeen, of whom strange tales are related; but, unlike the account of the ladies' bath given by Lady Wortley Montagu, we found everything conducted here with the greatest decency and decorum; in fact, every one appeared too much occupied with his own proceedings to have leisure or inclination to attend to his neighbour. Previously to my initiation to the mysteries of the humaum, I had laid to my soul the flattering unction of being rather clean than otherwise in my person; but as the shampooer, after the application of the soapsuds and cow's tail, rubbed off my shoulders with his brawny hands what had the appearance of long sticks of macaroni, I began to feel exceedingly disgusted with myself, and to suspect that more dirt lay in the human form divine than is dreamt of in our philosophy; but I felt slightly consoled when my companion told me that the same effect is invariably produced, however often you may frequent the humaum--that gr...