On the benefits of bath procedures and hardening. Ilya Pirogov

Introduction.
The weekend is about to come, and you still haven't decided what to do with yourself and your family. We advise you, without hesitation, to go to the bathhouse, having collected all the necessary accessories and, first of all, a broom made of oak branches! Believe me, you will not find a better friend who can relieve melancholy and various ailments.
For a long time, a bath for a Russian person was not just a place for water procedures. No matter what they did when they came here. They even guessed! Many of the ancient rites and customs have been undeservedly forgotten by us, but until now, future husbands prefer to spend the last Saturday before the upcoming marriage in a bathhouse with their friends. Such "bath bachelor parties" usually do not do without a mug of foamy beer, roach, funny stories about the amorous adventures of those present. And also without traditional brooms and diving into icy water.
If you have been in a real Russian bath with its healing steam at least once in your life, then you will surely agree that after it you feel like a newborn. Somewhere disappear and bad mood, and aching joints, and other sores, which sometimes literally poison life. It remains the desire to close your eyes and prolong the pleasure longer.
But for many, a visit to the bathhouse can end quite badly. No wonder foreigners are so afraid of the Russian bath, after which they almost go to the next world. You need to get used to such procedures gradually, wisely. Not so that after fifteen minutes you were taken away by an ambulance cardiological care.
It is about her, the Russian bath, that we are talking about in our book, where, along with information about special bath products and accessories, massage and hardening, information about contraindications to bath procedures is offered to the attention of readers.
We think that after reading our book, you will have no other desire than, armed with a broom and a basin, go to a real Russian bath.

Chapter 1 Briefly about the main thing.
Bath device.
The device of Russian baths has not undergone any major changes: the decoration and necessary accessories have remained the same as many centuries ago. The main idea of ​​​​arrangement remained the same, but today it is implemented in a slightly different way.
Previously, the bath was a small hut, cut down from solid logs. They were usually built around reservoirs, so as not to experience difficulties with water. The internal structure of the bath is as follows: about a third of the entire room is occupied by a stove - a heater. A fire is kindled below, which heats the stones laid on top, and also heats the bathhouse.
When the stones are hot, the fire is extinguished, the pipe is closed with a damper and steamed, pouring water on the stones to form steam. Soar, climbing on the shelves, which are something like a ladder with four or five wide steps. The higher a person climbs, the hotter and "more vigorous" the steam. On the upper "floor", almost under the ceiling, only the most hardy and strong bathers risk taking a steam bath.
Later, baths began to be built not only from logs, but also from bricks. The door in the bath was made very strong so that there were no gaps. And in order to avoid a draft in the steam room, a wooden step was built in front of the door. The first room of such a bath is called a dressing room. It was equipped with maximum convenience - benches, clothes hangers, etc.
In terms of size, the dressing room is much smaller than the steam room itself, from which it was separated by a thin wooden partition. Such a partition was preferred to be made of linden or coniferous trees.
In one of the corners of the bath there was a furnace, on which lay large round boulders. Next to the stove was a tub with a large supply of water. There was one small window in the bath, it was located above the stove. The window served as a hood. Thus, the bathhouse could be ventilated if necessary.
The stove - the heart of the bath - had several levels. The lowest level was a small recess - a blower. Above it was a stove. A chimney extended from the stove, and on top of the stove was a layer of stones. A tub of water next to the stove made it possible, if necessary, to add steam by dousing hot boulders in the heater with water. This design of the furnace provided good draft during combustion, as well as ventilation for the bath room.
Most people now do not (or almost do not) have the opportunity to have their own wooden bathhouse. But there are public baths lined with wood and giving a wonderful steam. Unfortunately, it also happens that buildings that were not originally intended for these purposes are often equipped for baths. A true connoisseur is unlikely to be able to steam up in them properly. There are baths in basements, stone buildings. They are also more difficult to achieve real vigorous steam. Especially if the walls are tiled.
Often there are public baths in which there is no heater, and steam enters the steam room through a pipe from the utility room, where the stove is heated. The technical delivery of steam to the steam room is the brainchild of civilization. It is good because by moving the valve you can reduce or increase the steam supply.
In general, a Russian bath is usually built in accordance with ancient traditions: from a dressing room and a steam room. The extended version of the bath includes more rooms, the first of which is the entrance hall. In this room, street shoes and outerwear are removed. The next room is a dressing room or dressing room. Here a person is freed from underwear.
There is only one way from the dressing room - directly to the bathhouse. In some cases, it is arranged taking into account all the bathing preferences of the owner. In the central room of such a bath, the average temperature and slight steam, there are benches or benches here. You can wash in this room. Massage is also better to do here, because the air temperature contributes to this procedure.
The steam room itself is heated by hot air coming through the pipes. In addition, there is a heater in the steam room, which is heated by an electric furnace. So, if you wish, you can always succumb to the park.
The relaxation room is a place of pleasant pastime after the bath. The equipment in it is the priority of the owner. Without what he can not imagine rest after the bath? A TV, a fridge with beer, a samovar, a sofa and much more can be in the rest room - it all depends on his desire.
Time has not left the bathhouse without technical innovations. Its properties remain the same, but the design itself changes, adapting in detail to the new time. This applies not only to the mass of amenities that modern man is accustomed to surround himself with. There have also been changes to the oven. Not everyone is in a hurry to make the heating of the heater gas or electric. There are also those who like to take a steam bath, who prefer the old Russian method - heating a bathhouse and a heater with a stove.
The modern version of the sauna stove has become more complicated due to the details. The firebox necessarily has a blower, which makes it easy to remove ashes from the furnace. The blower has become much longer than it was before. It also provides draft, without which the fire in the furnace would be weaker. Chambers with stones that serve to obtain heat, protected by a layer of sand.
Sand protects stones from rapid cooling, reduces heat loss. The structure of the chimney of the bath is very similar to the room design of the chimney. The only difference is that the chimney recess above the stove itself is made wider and filled with stones. The more stones, the hotter the sauna will soar.
This is (in general terms) the structure of a modern bath - both public and private. But before you go to this favorite place of all, try to prepare everything you need in advance in order to have a successful steam bath and not overshadow the pleasure. So what do you need?
• Necessary accessories
If you are going to take a steam bath, do not forget to take with you the minimum without which the bath procedure is simply unthinkable. This minimum includes such well-known things as a broom, a basin, a washcloth, shampoo and soap.
Let's start with an indispensable attribute of a bath - a broom. Which broom to choose, how to fold it correctly and how to use it? Not everyone will immediately answer these questions. Let's figure it out together.
So, before tying the broom, clear the branches of leaves by about one quarter so that they do not interfere with use. How many branches you need for a bath broom is up to you, but do not make it too voluminous and heavy, otherwise your hands will get tired in the bath after a few strokes and no effect will come of it.
To prevent the broom from rubbing your hands, sew a special case from any soft fabric. Put this cover on the broom handle every time you enter the