On the winter health resorts of the Alps / by E. Symes Thompson.

  • Symes-Thompson, Edmund, 1837-1906.
Date:
1883
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the winter health resorts of the Alps / by E. Symes Thompson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    in the train. This is a fatigue to some, but a large proportion of travellers quickly fall asleep, especially those who have been living at high pressure to enable them to get free for the much needed change, and the railway carriage is kept comfortably warm by a some- what too frequent supply of hot water tins. At six in the morning you are ready for a wash and breakfast at Basle, and at about half-past seven the glories of the journey begin. Zurich and the Lake of Wallenstadt are seen in a flood of sunlight, such as we Londoners have not enjoyed since August, and on arriving at Chur at 2 p.m. it is almost impossible to believe that only 28 hours before you were wearily driving to Charing Cross through the foggy London streets. Still more refreshing is it to exchange the iron horse for Swiss horses of flesh and blood. The three hours drive from Chur to Thusis seems to break off the links that bind to artificial life and land one in a region of peace, not yet, however, quite snow begirt, for the roads are thus far passable for wheels as well as for runners. At Thusis warm bed-rooms, a good dinner, and a hospitable English-speaking host await you at Hotel Rhcetia. Above this point sledges only are used. The drive over the Julier Pass to St. Moritz, some parts of it in open sledges and some in a diligence on runners, is full of incident; and, notwithstanding the cold, marvellously free from discomfort. It com- mences at 7 a.m. and occupies the greater part of the day, and I can speak from experience not only as to its freedom from chill and suffering, but for the renovation and refreshment it brings even to the invalids. It so happens that four of my patients crossed this Pass during storms, the two chief storms of