Saki

SAKI, a state-level mud resort in Crimea on the northern shore of the eastern part of Lake Sak, near the Tatar village of the same name, 4 km from the Black Sea, 19 km to the south-east of Evpatoria, 53 km to the north-west of Simferopol, and 66 km from Sevastopol. The lake lies at 45°8' north latitude and 33°32' east longitude from Greenwich and is separated from the Black Sea by a sandy spit about ^x/g ^km long. The area of the lake with all its basins is about 1,000 hectares. The greatest length from west to east is about 5 km, the width is uneven, from 1 to 3 km, and the greatest depth is about 1 m. The level of the lake lies more than ₁/₂ m below sea level. The surroundings of the lake represent a salt-encrusted, treeless steppe; the soil is brown, weakly saline loam. The resort has existed for over 100 years. The climate is steppe, rainfall is scant, especially in spring; there is little cloudiness and very much sunshine. The average annual temperature is +11.1°; in April +9.6°, in May +15.6°, in June +20.2°, in July +23.4°, in August +22.8°, in September +17.6°, in October +11.9°. Rainfall for the year is 354 mm. There is a meteorological and observation station with a laboratory monitoring the regime of Lake Sak. The therapeutic agents of the Saki resort are the brine and mud of Lake Sak. The mud forms large deposits at the bottom of the lake and represents a black, oily, soft mass containing saline brine and organic remains of plants and animals. The chemical and mechanical composition of Sak mud (according to Shchukarev) appears as follows: on 100.0 of living mud: 1) mud solution - 37.0 parts water, soluble salts - 11.3; 2) colloidal complex: a) absorbing - 11.9, including: silicate particles less than 1 /l - 8.6; products of destruction of silicate particles: Fe₂0₃ - 0.6, A1₂0₃ - 1.0, Si0₂ - 0.4; FeS - 0.61; C - 0.7; b) absorbed colloidal complex: Na* Mg*" - 0.8; 3) crystalline skeleton - 38.9, including: CaS0₄.2H₂0 - 16.3; CaCOj - 6.4; silicate particles with a diameter less than 1 /l - 16.2. The brine of Lake Sak is characterized by a significant concentration; in summer its density reaches 26° Bé. Mud treatment is applied in the form of mud baths (medallions) of solar heating on special platforms (see Vol. VIII, art. 287, figure 5 and art. 301-304, fig. 1-5), and mud baths of artificial heating in a closed mud clinic; in addition, brine baths, sea bathing, and bathing in the lake are used. Sun treatment, physiotherapy, and mechanotherapy are widely applied in Saki. A polyclinic with appointments in all specialties has been opened, and there is a radiology department, a laboratory, and other therapeutic-diagnostic institutions. Patients are accommodated in sanatoriums with a total capacity of up to 1,000 beds, outpatients in the hotel, the residential fund of the resort, and in the village. Besides the People's Commissariat of Health mud clinic in Saki, next to the park there is a mud clinic of the military department and a sanatorium for 200 beds serving exclusively military personnel. The resort park, laid out on 10 hectares, contains a large number of tree plantings. On the resort there are sports grounds, a post and telegraph office, long-distance telephone, etc. The season is from May 15 to October 15. The average duration of a course of treatment is one month. Indications. 1. Diseases of bones, joints, and muscles: chronic periostitis, osteitis, bursitis, arthritis, fibromyositis, and periartritis; abnormal development of bone callus, unstable contractures, and fibrous ankyloses of various origins (except central), chronic osteomyelitis with recurrent fistulas (in the absence of absolute indications for operative intervention); spondyloses, spondyloarthritis, and spondylitis of toxic and infectious origin (except tuberculosis). 2. Residues of inflammatory processes in the abdominal cavity as consequences of infections (except tbc), injuries, and also postoperative adhesions. 3. Chronic phlebitis, periphlebitis, and thrombophlebitis. 4. Female diseases: chronic inflammatory diseases and residues of inflammation of the internal genital organs, peritoneum, and connective tissue, weakening of the menstrual function on the basis of a disorder of the internal secretion of the ovaries; underdevelopment of the uterus causing functional disorders. 5. Diseases of the male sexual sphere: chronic prostatitis, vesiculitis, funiculitis, epididymitis, orchitis. 6. Diseases of the nervous system: diseases of the peripheral nervous system - radiculitis, plexitis, neuralgia, neuromyositis, polyneuritis of various origins; consequences of wounds and other traumatic injuries of the peripheral nervous system not requiring surgical treatment or after its completion; diseases of the central nervous system: meningo-encephalo-myelitis of luetic origin, meningo-myelitis of infectious and other origins, traumatic hematomyelitis, consequences of a recently suffered (not more than 2 years) poliomyelitis. 7. Diseases of metabolism: gout with changes in the bone-joint and muscular apparatus.