The South of France-East Half Part 64

The duration of a bath, with or without a douche, and of an inhalation or pulverisation sitting bath, must never exceed one hour, including the time for dressing and undressing; whoever exceeds that time pays double. Chairmen to the baths and back, 1 fr.

[Headnote: SPRINGS.]

+The Springs.+

Bourboule possesses seven mineral springs, of which five are on the right bank of the Dordogne, and two, the Sources Fenestre on the left, in the Park. The three most important, the Perriere, the Choussy, and Sedaiges, are within a few feet of each other, near the Mabru bathhouse. They rise from the place where the trachytic rocks overlap the granite, and were obtained by boring to the depth of from 82 to 92 ft. The water pumped up by steam-engines has, above ground, a temperature of 140 F.

These three springs produce the strongest a.r.s.enical water as yet discovered. Near them, but still on the same side of the river, are the springs of the Puits de la Plage, 81, and of the Puits Central, 104, mineralised more feebly, but in the same proportions. The two springs Fenestre, on the opposite side of the river, are cold (64 F.), and as they contain more free carbonic acid gas than the others, are drunk with wine at dinner.

+Their Const.i.tuents and Effects.+

Of the springs, Perriere, Choussy, and Sedaiges, each litre (11/50 of a gallon) contains 82 grains of mineral substances, of which nearly one half is the bicarbonate of soda, and the other half the chloride of sodium; and every 28 ounces contains the third of a grain of the a.r.s.eniate of soda (see p. 379). Besides the special uses of these waters arising from the a.r.s.enic, their composition, resembling that of the serum of the blood, makes them applicable to cases of arrested development, defective nutrition, cases of slow convalescence, and other forms of general debility. In all scrofulous affections, such as enlarged glands, scrofulous discharges from mucous membranes, diseases of the bones, etc., these waters produce great benefit. But it is more especially in the chronic forms of skin disease that La Bourboule claims to effect the most remarkable cures, and chiefly when they arise in connection with a rheumatic or scrofulous const.i.tution, or as the result of simple debility. The scrofulous form of pulmonary consumption, nasal and pharyngeal catarrhs, asthma, and chronic bronchitis, are all alleviated by the use of the Bourboule waters.

[Headnote: EXCURSIONS.]

+Bourboule Excursions.+

On the wall of the Etabliss.e.m.e.nt des Thermes a notice indicates that it is 2 m. from the Cascade de la Verniere, 2 m. from the Cascade du Plat-a-Barbe, 3-1/10 m. from Murat-le-Quaire, 5 m. from Mont-Dore-les-Bains, 4? m. from the Cascade du Queureuilh, 4 m. from the Cascade de Rossignolet, 4 m. from the summit of the Puy Gros, 2 m. from the petrifying spring, 3 m. from the village of St.

Sauves, and 10? m. from Latour. The most of these places are between Mont-Dore and Bourboule.

The only promenade of interest which may be said to belong especially to Bourboule is to the top of the Roche-Vendeix, with splendid specimens of basaltic columns, 2 m. S. by a path following the right or east bank of the stream Vendeix. About m. beyond, the Vendeix path joins the high road between Latour and Mont-Dore, which traverses the forest of La Reine and the forest of Bozat. Near the point of junction, in a glade of the forest, are a large sawmill and Mont Bozat. About 1 m. E. from the junction the high road crosses the Clergue, where a path descends northwards by the stream pa.s.sing the Cascade Plat-a-Barbe, about 4 m. from Bourboule by this roundabout way, but only 2 m. by the direct path. The falls, 60 ft. high, tumble into a cavity bearing some resemblance to a barber's shaving basin.

A little way farther down through the woods the Clergue makes the cascade of La Verniere, consisting of a sheet of water 26 ft. high, 2 m. from Bourboule.

On the way between Bourboule and Mont-Dore, 1 m. from Bourboule and 4 m. from Mont-Dore, a road extends 2 m. N. to the summit of the Puy Gros, 5003 ft. above the sea.

[Headnote: SAINT-NECTAIRE.]

+Mont-Dore to Issoire+,

31 m. E., by Saint Nectaire 15 m. E., and Champeix other 8 m.

Diligence from St. Nectaire to Coudes railway station, 12 m. E. The Mont-Dore coach, after having pa.s.sed by the cascades of the Saut-du-Loup and of the Barbier, the village of Diane, the castle of Murols, and traversed the village of Sachapt and its narrow gorge, arrives at +Saint-Nectaire-le-Bas+, with a large bathing establishment. _Hotels:_ Paris; Madeuf; Mandon, etc.

N. from St. Nectaire-le-Bas is Saint-Nectaire-le-Haut, also with a large bathing establishment, supplied with similar mineral waters. _Hotels:_ Mont Cornadore; France. The waters are alkaline, ferruginous, and stimulant, temperature between 75 F. and 110 F., and are recommended for renal and hepatic diseases, amenorrha, leucorrha, and gout. The specialite may be said to be baths and douches of carbonic acid gas. In Mont Cornadore are large caves.

The parish church, built on a rock, 11th cent., is a curious specimen of Auvergnian architecture. In the neighbourhood, at Pernay, is a dolmen, of which the horizontal surface is 13 ft. by 6 ft.; and 2 m.

distant the cascade of the Granges. 8 m. beyond, towards Issoire, is Champeix, pop. 2100, most picturesquely situated in the valley of the Couze. From Champeix the plateau of Pardines, 1620 ft., may be ascended; whence continue to the Tour de Maurifolet, and descend by the stair in the cliff to Perrier, pop. 600, among rocks pierced with caves, 3 m. from Issoire (p. 372).

+Continuation of Route--Clermont to Brive.+

14 m. S.W. from Laqueuille by rail, 54 m. S.W. from Clermont, and 68 m.

N.E. from Brive, is +Eyguirande+, pop. 1150. Junction here with loop-line to Largnac, 30 m. S. Coach daily to Murat 41 m. S., pa.s.sing Mauriac 12 m. S. (see Black's _South France_, West Half).

31 m. S.W. from Eyguirande station is +Meymac+, pop. 3200, on the Lozege. Romanesque church, tower 15th cent.; remains of fortifications.

Junction here with loop-line to Puy-Imbert, 9 m. N., and close to Limoges. (See _South France_, West Half.)

[Headnote: TULLE. BRIVE-LA-GAILLARDE.]

16 m. N.E. from Brive, and 105 m. S.W. from Clermont, is +Tulle+, pop.

15,500, on the Correze. _Hotels:_ Notre Dame; Lyon; Charles. Firearms and coa.r.s.e woollens are made here, but not an inch of the fabric called tulle.

122 m. S.W. from Clermont, 311 m. S. from Paris, 156 m. N. from Toulouse, and 45 m. E. from Perigueux, is +Brive-la-Gaillarde+, pop.

12,000, on the Correze. _Hotels:_ Bordeaux; Toulouse (see Black's _South France_, West Half).

THE END.