[Postcard, unsigned] 

[Argenteuil,] 4 Jury 1882 

Dear Frep, 

Summer did not actually begin until the lst of July (or RATHER THE 
second only). Up till now I’ve had 2 sulphur baths with douches, the 3rd 
will be tomorrow; never before have I encountered anything as mag- 
nificent as the shower-bath (alias douche); one climbs out of the bath 
on to a slightly raised board, and this en ‘nature’ *; the bath attendant 
then manipulates the spray (about the size of a fire extinguisher) like 
a virtuoso his instrument, dictates the movements of the corpus and 
bombards all parts of that corpus in turn (save THE HEAD, (the cranium)) 
for 180 seconds (alias 3 minutes} now with greater, now with lesser 
force, even unto the legs and feet incl. in an ever mounting CRESCENDO. 

As you will see, there is little inducement here for a man to write. 
I have to be at the ramway by half past eight in the morning (i. e. THIS 
THE TIME OF LEAVING EXACTLY FOR Enghien), back to Argenteuil asout 12 
orcLock, déjeuner shortly afterwards; apres‘ a great need for rest, as this 
sulphur is tiring in whatever form; then out and about, etc. The air in 
the inhalation room is murky with sulphurous vapours; 30-40 minutes’ 

a Cc 

in a state of nature-> luncheon-° afterwards 

spell here; every 5 minutes, at a special table, one inhales steam laden 
with specially pulverised sulphur (from one of the pipes (zinc) with 
stopcocks); each man encased in caoutchouc* from head to foot; after 
which they march in file round the table; innocent scene from Dante’s 
inferno. 

Regards to Schorlemmer. I still have a photograph of me for him, 
taken in Algiers. 

Lafargue regards himself as a gros oracle here. Paris is for him THE 
ONLY PLACE OF THE WORLD WORTH MANHOOD. 

(On the side reserved for the address] 

Fr. Engels 
122 Regent’s Park Road 
London, N.W., Angleterre