Zheleznovodsk

ZHELEZNOVODSK, a small resort town of the Tersky District, situated among forests in a mountain valley at an elevation of 600 meters above sea level, on the slopes of Mount Zheleznaya; the surrounding mountains form a group of dome-shaped peaks, mostly covered with dense forest of southern species (oak, beech, hornbeam, ash, cornel, pear). The Zheleznovodsk valley is open to the east and west and is accessible to frequent winds here; eastern winds bring dry and hot weather, while western winds bring cool and sometimes rainy weather. Spring, as in the entire region, is quite rainy; the total annual precipitation is about 500 mm, of which the greater part falls in April and May. Summer is moderately hot with cool nights, without stuffiness during the day and without dew at night; the average humidity is about 77%. Barometric pressure averages about 700 mm; the average temperature in May is +13.9°, in June +18.4°, in July +21.0°, in August +20.6°, in September +15.6°. Thus, the end of summer and autumn are drier and warmer than spring and early summer. The number of sunny hours during the year is very large - up to 1,740, of which about 750 fall in summer; insolation is very intense due to the exceptional purity and transparency of the mountain air. The ionization of the air is very significant, apparently due to the presence of radioactive sources, the precipitates of which cover a considerable extent of the mountain slopes. According to its natural features, Zheleznovodsk represents an excellent mountain-forest climatic station for summer and early autumn. Hot iron springs were discovered by Dr. Haas on the southern slope of Mount Zheleznaya in 1809-10. In the 1820s, small bath and residential buildings were constructed. At the same time, Professor Nelyubin discovered about 13 new springs; one of them, the hottest, "Gryaznushka," in 1860 was put into wide use by Dr. S. A. Smirnov and later, under the name "Smirnovsky," constituted the fame of the Zheleznovodsk resort. In the 1870-80s, the Zheleznovodsk springs were surveyed and partially capped by French hydrogeologists J. François and L. Dru; later the settlement was replanned according to the type of a dacha town, a park was laid out, bath buildings were constructed (the extensive capital Ostrovsky building with 28 cabins - 1893). In the early 1900s, Zheleznovodsk was connected by a railway branch to the network of highways. On the western slopes of Mount Zheleznaya, a new dacha town grew up; state hotels, a curative hall ("Pushkin Gallery"), a new abundant water supply from Mount Raval, electric lighting, and paved streets were built; the medical society, formed in 1907, established a laboratory for medical analyses, a dairy laboratory, and a dietary dining room. In 1912, a new bath building with 32 cabins was constructed. In 1913-16, extensive geological surveys were conducted in Zheleznovodsk by geologist N. N. Slavyanov, and one of the deep boreholes (No. 16 - 107 m) was capped in 1914 and received the name of the Slavyanovsky source, the hottest (55°) and most mineralized. In 1920, Zheleznovodsk was reorganized on new principles (see Kavkazets, mineral waters). At present, the number of patients reaches 10,000 in season. The springs of Zheleznovodsk owe their origin to volcanic processes that created the group of mountains of the Caucasus mineral water region. All springs, in their main mass, are of deep, "juvenile" origin. They emerge in groups in three places around Mount Zheleznaya: on the southern slope - spring No. 1, on the eastern - Slavyanovsky, Smirnovsky, Nezlobinsky (formerly Mikhailovsky), François (formerly Mariinsky), Haasovsky (formerly Baratinsky), and Zavadovsky; on the northern slope - Vladimirsky and Kegamovsky. These springs are very diverse in temperature - from 17° to 55°, but are uniform in composition: the difference in the content of individual components in their dry residue does not exceed 3-5%, with the hot ones containing somewhat more sodium, chlorine, and sulfuric acid, and the cold ones containing somewhat more calcium and CO₂. According to Karstens, they represent alkaline glauber's lime waters with a significant iron content and excess CO₂. Their composition is dominated by sodium sulfate and bicarbonate of lime; according to Ogilvy, they are distinguished by very significant radioactivity (see tables 1 and 2).-Zheleznovodsk consists of two different parts: 1) the resort town and 2) the communal town. The first is located on the southwest slope of Mount Zheleznaya, well-planned and quite well-equipped, supplied with water supply and sewerage with a biological treatment plant. Here are the sanatoriums of the Resort Administration and Tsustrakh. Part of the sanatoriums has a special purpose for certain diseases - urological, gynecological, nervous, children's; others are therapeutic of a mixed nature - mainly for patients with gastrointestinal diseases, who now constitute the majority in Zheleznovodsk, and partly for metabolic diseases. In the center of the resort are the two largest bath buildings - Ostrovsky, at the bottom near the station, with 13 cabins for mineral baths and 15 for mud baths with shower departments, and the New Building, at the top, with 32 cabins, with a department for small gynecological mud procedures; both bath buildings are supplied with hot mineral water from spring No. 1. In this same part of the resort is a polyclinic for outpatients with a laboratory, X-ray and electrotherapy departments. Under the jurisdiction of the polyclinic is a dining room for outpatients, located in the park. The old settlement is now the communal town on the eastern slope of the mountain; built more densely, with small houses, without sewerage, with a water supply in the courtyard. Here are the institutions of the city council, school, outpatient clinic, infectious hospital named after Dr. Haas, anti-malarial station, and sanitary bureau with a laboratory. Along the eastern slope of Mount Zheleznaya above the old town stretches an extensive park, which beyond the city turns into forest. Here in the park are the main healing springs: Slavyanovsky, Smirnovsky, Nezlobinsky, François; here also, near the springs of the same name, are the old bath buildings: Muravyevsky - with 10 cabins, Baratinsky - with 8 cabins. The excess of hot water from the Slavyanovsky source is used in summer in open pools for bathing (the so-called "people's baths" in the park); the excess of water from hot spring No. 1 in winter is conducted to the enclosed "people's baths" along Ostrovskaya Street, which replace the bath for the residents of Zheleznovodsk. The paths of the park and excursion roads around Mount Zheleznaya and to the mountain itself are developed for treatment by climbing according to Ertel (Terrain-kur); in the park is located the curative hall ("Pushkin Gallery") with a theater and a children's playground. Medical significance of Zheleznovodsk. The Zheleznovodsk resort during its 120-year history did not immediately reveal its true medical significance. At first, the Zheleznovodsk springs attracted attention by their reddish-brown color of their iron precipitates; hence the very name "Zheleznovodsk"; these waters, indeed containing iron, although in small amounts, along with the excellent climate, created Zheleznovodsk's reputation as a first-class resort for anemic patients, convalescents, and especially for women and children; this reputation Zheleznovodsk has retained to this day. In the 90s, attention was drawn to the richness of Zheleznovodsk waters with lime. They are therefore considered indicated for kidney and bladder diseases and for urinary sand. These indications have been justified in experience on patients. The springs of Zheleznovodsk, in terms of their content of Glauber's salt, are similar to those of Carlsbad.

The hot Zheleznovodsk springs have a beneficial effect on diseases of the liver and biliary tract. Since 1922, the hot springs of Z. (Smirnovsky and Slavyanovsky) have been recognized as useful for diseases of the stomach with increased acidity, as well as for chronic stomach and duodenal ulcers. All these old and new observations marked the beginning of a new era in the life of Z., which during the past 6 years has transformed from a resort for anemic patients into a first-class resort for stomach patients. This significance of the resort was verified and confirmed in 1924 at the Zheleznovodsk clinic of the Balneological Institute through clinical and experimental work. - Indications for treatment in Z.: A. Diseases of the digestive organs. 1) Catarrhs of the stomach with increased acidity; hypersecretion of gastric juice in the absence of organic disorders of the stomach's evacuation capacity. 2) Ulcers of the stomach and duodenum, except for acute and subacute forms, as well as cases of operated ulcers no earlier than 6 months after the operation. 3) Chronic enterocolitis (except ulcerative). 4) Catarrhs of the biliary tract and gallbladder, gallbladder disease, and pericholecystitis. B. Diseases of metabolism. 1) Gout, diatheses, uraturia, oxaluria, and phosphaturia. 2) Diabetes (in the absence of severe acidosis). 3) Obesity (with sufficient cardiac capacity). C. Diseases of the urinary tract. 1) Chronic pyelitis, including calculous. 2) Chronic cystitis with neutral and alkaline urine. D. Gynecological diseases. Chronic inflammatory diseases of the uterus and its appendages, as well as of the pelvic peritoneum and cellular tissue, when combined with the above-mentioned diseases and especially with general nutritional decline. E. Children's diseases. 1) Scrofula and lymphadenitis of various origins. 2) Exudative and other childhood diatheses. 3) Rickets. 4) Secondary anemias after infections.