The "Healing water" - gyogyiti_viz_en.pdf

Carbon dioxide baths

            "The miracle of Kapuvár" (said a journalist from Graz) - kapuvari_csoda_en.pdf

The beneficial effects of this special bath method were already known in the Roman era. Later, in the 16th century Paracelsus took advantage of the method, mainly for curing burns and ulcers. Since the 19th century several documents has mentioned the utilization of the Transylvanian mofettes by the traditional medicine. In Europe well-known carbon dioxide baths can be found in Germany, France, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria and Transylvania (Romania). In Hungary first Dr. Pál Schwartz applied artificial carbon dioxide bath (in bath-tub) in Mihályi in 1940’s. Later he continued the treatments in the hospital of Kapuvár. The carbon dioxide for the treatments was obtained from gas-fields that were exploited in the 1930’s and ‘40’s by deep-boring. Schwartz applied the bath successfully for the treatment of chronic joint diseases.

Natural carbon dioxide for the bath therapies is obtained from the 1600-meter deep gas-fields of two villages, Mihályi and Répcelak, and it is utilized in the form of carbonic acid snow. Besides carbon dioxide, the fresh carbonic acid snow contains 9,6 + 5% pCi radon 222 per liters and 1,5 + 15% pCi radium 226 per liters, which act as a paregoric and intensifying factor in case of carbon dioxide. The supply of the gas-fields provides the carbon dioxide quantity required for the therapies for more than 100 years.Due to the geographical closeness, fresh carbonic acid snow can be transported on a daily basis to the medicinal baths of Kapuvár. Its importance lies in the fact that fresh carbonic acid snow is more effective than the stored carbon dioxide (due to the short, 3,8-day half-period of radon).

In Sándor Lumniczer Hospital of Kapuvár this treatment has been used – mainly for angiopathy – since 1967. After the impact study the hospital treatment is financed by the social security. For the safe carbon dioxide bath treatment special tubs are used. The solid carbon dioxide of minus 79°C (carbonic acid snow) required for the bath is transported from nearby Répcelak on a daily basis. Hot water of 70°C is added to the carbonic acid snow placed in the tub, which evaporates fast, without melting and produces dense carbon dioxide gas. In the special tub, which closes hermetically at the neck too, the carbon dioxide concentration is extremely high (90-92 %) on behalf of the desired effect, and it cannot be breathed in. The amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by the skin depends on the gas concentration, the degree of humidity, the temperature and the curing period. As a result of the absorbed gas, the blood vessels locally enlarge and the blood circulation increases. As a result, due to the carbon dioxide the circulation increases and the blood supply improves in respect of peripheral blood circulation too.

The low carbon dioxide concentration in the room is provided by a ventilation system built in the floor. Due to the exact keeping of therapy methods, breathing in undesirable amount of carbon dioxide is excluded. It has never occurred during the 30 years of treatments. Through the above mentioned therapy, significantly more quantity of carbon dioxide enters the circulatory system through the skin than in case of water, carbon dioxide baths. The skin in contact with gas strongly blushes, the blood vessels enlarge, the oxygen-supply of tissue significantly increases. As a general impact, the circulation improves in a way that does not notably burden the heart because of the enlarged blood vessels. Not only the circulation of limbs but also the circulation of blood vessels feeding the brain and the heart improves considerably. Patients spend 10-20 minutes in the tub, depending on their health condition.

The institution receives yearly more than 1000 patients, whose recovery is insured. After a 3-week-therapy the average walking capacity of the patients increases from 155 meters to an average of 263 meters. The number of applications and applicants for the treatments from all around the world is the multiple of the current capacity. The current infrastructural background cannot satisfy this demand. For this purpose too, investors are awaited.

The most important indications of the carbon dioxide bath:

Indications:

• chronic arteriosclerosis and embolism that are inoperable or not require operation,
• after-treatment of circulation improving and restoring vascular operation,
• chronic vein insufficiency,
• first- and second-degree frostbite,
• slowly-healing ulcer,
• lymphoedema.