Springs and Miracles

CMEC M E

SUMMARYDevelopment of hot springs inthe Canadian Rockies wasdosely inked to their reputedmedicinal value. In 1885, thefederal government created asmall reserve around the springsat Sulphur Mountain, an arealater enlarged to become BanffNational Park, in recognition ofthe "great sanitary and curativeadvantage to the public."

RESUMEL'exploitation des sourcesthermales dans les Rocheusesconadiennes est etroitement Uleea leurs proprietes mbdicnolesremarquables. En 1885, legouvernement federal creait unepetite reserve autour dessources du Mont Sulphur, zoneagrandie par la suite pourdevenir le parc national Banff,en reconnaissance des "grandsbienfaits curatifs et sanitairesrendus a Ia populationf.Can Fam Physician 1994;40:729-737.

ill ra sringiand miracles

MERNA M. FORSTER, BA, MA

ANFF IS THE BIRTHPLACE OF

3 Canada's national park sys-C95 tem, primarily because ofl~lhot mineral waters bubblingout of the northern slopes of SulphurMountain. Competing claims by vari-ous supposed discoverers brought thesprings to the attentioft of the federalgovernment in 1885. Recognizing thepotential medicinal value of thesprings, various politicians andCanadian Pacific Railway officialsrecommended that a public park beestablished to preserve the watersfrom private development. In late1885, the government created thereserve, which became RockyMountains Parks of Canada and even-tually BanffNational Park.

Prime Minister Sir John A.MacDonald expected that "thesesprings will recuperate the patient andrecoup the treasury." Supporters of theinitiative hoped the reserve woulddraw tourists to the Rockies, replenish-ing the coffers of both the country andthe government-subsidized railway.Early developers of the park strived to

Ms Forster, a historian, worksfor NationalHistoric Sites, Parks Canada, in Ottawa. She wasformerly a park naturalist in several nationalparksin the Rockies and President oftheJasperYellowhead Historical Socie_g.

make Banff a successful spa, a healthresort that would draw wealthytourists. The healing waters were thekey to their plans.

Hot springs in thesouthern RockiesThermal and nonthermal mineralsprings are scattered along the westernedge of North America in the moun-tain belt from Alaska to Mexico. Allknown thermal springs in Canada arein this Cordilleran region, includingthose that became most well-known inthe Southern Rockies: Banff, Miette inJasper National Park, and Radium inKootenay National Park.

High relief permits ground water tofollow deep circulation paths where itwarms up and dissolves large concentra-tions of mineral salts and gases from therocks it passes through. Hot springsusually occur in groups, as is the case inBanff where there are five. The springsare similar in containing about1000 parts per 1000000 total dissolvedsolids, primarily calcium and magne-sium sulfates and calcium bicarbonate.The principal gases are nitrogen, carbondioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and methane.'In Banff, the Upper Hot Springs is thehottest spring, with a maximum outflowtemperature of 47.3C; the dischargerate averages 545 L/min.

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Legacy ofthe great spasThe development of the hot springs atBanff, and later at nearby Radium andMiette, is linked with a centuries oldtradition of both drinking and bathingin mineral springs because of theirhealing powers. Supposed medicinalqualities were described as early as400Bc by Hippocrates, and hot springs

Dr R.G. Brett, a physician i4io playedan important role in the developmentofBanff as a health resortProvincialArchives ofAlberta, Edmonton (1896).

were used increasingly for medicinalpurposes in the Hellenistic age andunder the Roman Empire.2 Manysprings frequented by the Romans arestill well-known, such as Bath inEngland, Baden-Baden in WestGermany, and Spa in Belgium. Afterthe 15th century, Spa was in fact thesource of the term spa, which came tobe known as a place of mineral springs,and commonly a scenic spot and cen-tre of social activity.

Taking the waters became increas-ingly popular at places such as Spa,which were frequented by poets andprinces, kings and physicians, states-men and socialites. Various medicalbenefits were attributed to particularsprings, including the relief or cure ofheart disease, gout, rheumatism, vari-cose veins, sciatica, arthritis, blood dis-eases, respiratory inflammation,

certain skin diseases, and kidney prob-lems. Some of the miracle cures wereattributed to bathing in the waters,while others were to be derived fromdrinking them. Michelangelo con-sumed spring waters near Rome torelieve the torment from his kidneystones, while Peter the Great of Russiafound that drinking 21 glasses eachmorning of the bubbling waters of Bruin Belgium eased his indigestion.3

Luxurious spas flourished in Europeand the United States during the late19th century, where the wealthy couldpromenade, gamble, dine, and dance,as well as sip the waters and bathe inthe healing mineral springs.4 With the"discovery" of the springs at Banff,which were soon patronized by invalidscamping out in tents, promoters hopedthey could develop a great spa in theCanadian wilderness. The healthresort in the Rockies would, however,have a distinct frontier flavour.

BanffbeginningsIn spring 1886, the first permanentresidents settled in what would becomeBanff Townsite. It was an isolated spot,but the newly completed railwaypromised access for the visitors whowould be attracted to the springs. Thegovernment conducted an analysis ofthe mineral waters using samples col-lected in two wine bottles, and parkauthorities concluded there wereindeed "remarkable curative proper-ties."5 Several hotels were constructed,along with bathhouses supplied withhot water from the springs.

Banff soon mushroomed. In 1887,there were about 650 residents,180 lots leased, and 3000 visitors.6 Parkauthorities constructed rustic buildingsfor visitors bathing in the Cave andBasin springs, and in 1888 theCanadian Pacific Railway opened theluxurious Banff Springs Hotel. By1905 visitation had climbed to 30000.Park officials credited this rise to thegrowing popularity of the health resort.The annual report for the parkhighlighted the medicinal value ofthe springs:

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Mineral springs and miracles

The marvellous cures effected here havebecome known in distant lands, and the result isthat invalids from every conceivable place comehere for treatment, which in almost every caseresults in a cure.... In my opinion it will be nec-essary with the least possible delay to erect amodern hydropathic establishment with a resi-dent physician in charge... the enormous bene-fits which the government can in this wayconfer on suffering humanity would entitle theadministration to the sincere gratitude of thepeople of Canada and other countries as well. Itis impossible for one who is not on the spot torealize the curative properties of the waters atthe Upper Hot Springs. In rheumatism and kin-dred ailments, some marvellous cures havealready been effected, with the results, as statedabove, that it has become almost impossible tocope with the increased patronage, or to giverelief to many who urgently need it.7

Medical doctors were frequentlyinvolved in treating visitors taking thewaters at Banff. DrJohn A. Rose fromRegina noted that he visited thesprings not more than twice a year, butsent many patients for treatment andcure. He recommended that the mosteffective routine was to stay in the areaof the Upper Hot Springs, drink from

Aet~~~w.,,,

the Kidney Springs waters early in themorning, take breakfast, 1 hour latersoak in the hot baths, take lunch, andrepeat the process later in the day.8

TestimonialsStories of the miracle cures that resultedfrom taking the waters in Banff arecountless. Patients, physicians, newspa-per articles, and early residents all toldof the curative power of the springs. Foryears park staff advertised theCanadian National Park as "A Med-icinal Watering Place and PleasureResort," and many strongly endorsedthis claim well into the 20th century.The Grand View Hotel, erected

near the Upper Hot Springs in 1886,once kept a register in which visitorsrecorded their experiences and theresults of treatment. Many wrote oftheir cures, and in 1893 about 80 guestsdescribed the relief of their sufferings.9

At the turn of the century, Mr A.D.Wright, an early proprietor of theGrand View Hotel which recently

The Sanitarium in Banff, a combination hotel and hospital, completewith hot sulfur bathsParks Canada, Ottawa (circa 1890).

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burned down, was interviewed aboutthe cures he had witnessed.'0 Heexplained that hundreds of invalidshad bathed there since he took posses-sion in 1888, many of them forrheumatism, but also for other ail-ments, such as sciatica, skin diseases,blood poisoning, and kidney and stom-ach troubles. Wright stated that hardlyany left without some improvement,

Basin pool, one of the places wherevisitors could bathe in mineralsprings water in Banff: The pool'scurative properties were believed to be less thanthose ofthe Upper Hot Springs. Parks Canada,Ottawa (circa 1890).

and nearly all were completely cured.The reporter read for himself the hun-dreds of testimonials in the registerbook, describing many who had beencarried from the railway station to thebaths on stretchers and were curedwithin 2 or 3 weeks.

Others wrote of a stairway that onceled to the baths near the Hot SpringsHotel, located near the Upper HotSprings (which were most valued fortheir curative properties). The bannis-ter apparently consisted of crutchesdiscarded by the cured."lA park publication'2 described in

detail the moving testimonials thatwere scattered by the healed on ahillside near the Upper Hot Springs.Written on old boards, fence rails, and

door jambs from the burned hotel,they "would constitute one of the mostinteresting and unique collections ofabsolutely trustworthy medical testimo-ny extant." Former invalids had stucktheir testimonials of healing in crevicesbetween the rocks. Some even recitedtheir benefits in verse.One wrote of being carried to the

springs, as he or she could not toleratethe motion of a carriage. The patienthad not walked for 2 years. "In threeweeks after coming here I walkeddown to Banff, and in five, I ran a footrace. Praise God." Many told ofthrowing away their crutches aftertaking the waters.A lengthy testimonial was written by

a 37-year-old engineer who becamecrippled after catching a chill 6 yearsearlier. His savings disappeared and hehad given up hope of living a produc-tive life. A friend had had his sciaticacured at Banff, and lent the engineer$150 to go there. After I1 weeks at thesprings, he could walk from Banff tothe springs for a bath three times daily.The engineer was going home toPeoria, III, "... perfectly cured - I, whonever thought to take another stepagain. This is certainly the greatestcure in the world."' 2

In 1901, Dr White, a physician whohad practised in Banfffor 5 years, notedthat he was quite familiar with thefamous watering places of Great Britainand Germany. He found that none weresuperior to the Banff springs for thecure of certain ailments, most notablyrheumatic and gouty afflictions, certainskin diseases, and blood disorders.Dr White indicated he had witnessedsome marvelous cures, and that in mostcases drinking the water, apparentlysimilar to that of the famed Harrogatein England and Aix-La-Chapelle inGermany, was very beneficial.'0

Dr Brett and the SanitariumSeveral resident physicians were avail-able to care for early Banff visitorsseeking miracle cures. The mostnotable was Dr Robert George Brett,who built the Grand View Villa in


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1886 and completed a combined hoteland hospital the following year. (Thiswas known under various names,including the Sanitorium, TheSanitarium Hotel, Bretton Hall Hotel,and Brett's Sanitarium.)An Ontario physician, Dr Brett

came to the mountains as companydoctor for the Canadian PacificRailway in 1883. Before the park wasestablished, the entrepreneur appliedto lease land for a "first class summerresort for invalids."' 3 Dr Brett was bothproprietor and medical director of theSanitarium, which by 1902 was a largethree-storey brick building. Two addi-tional floors were added in 1905. Hebuilt a pavilion nearby to provide the-atre, dancing, and other entertainmentfor his guests. They could also try fish-ing excursions, rides and drives withhorses, canoe trips, and-so on.

With a splendid location overlook-ing the Bow River and more moderateprices than the Banff Springs Hotel,the Sanitarium was a popular accom-modation for visitors, particularlythose seeking improved health. The

bathhouse there provided water pipedfrom the hot sulphur springs and everyfacility "for the most successfultreatment to health seekers." Theycould choose from a variety of baths:Turkish, Russian, hot and colddouches, plunge, tub, and electric.'4Massages were also available.

As one doctor pointed out decadeslater, the history of the hospital in Banffis the history ofDr Brett.'5 Brett himselfonce claimed that he had "the mostcomplete and comfortable private hos-pital in the Dominion,"16 and by 1915 itwas considered to be a highly efficientfacility with a continent-wide reputa-tion.'7 The hospital component ofBrett's Sanitarium accepted patients suf-fering with any ailment except tubercu-losis.'8 Because of the curative mineralwaters, it was reported to be especiallywell equipped to treat sciatica, neuritis,kidney and bladder troubles, torpidityof the liver, functional digestive disor-ders, skin diseases, neurasthenia, andalcoholism. The same account suggest-ed, however, that 'A great many of theguests at the hospital have really

~::.-:

Bathers in an early log pool at Miette HotspringsProvincial Archives ofAlberta, Edmonton (circa 1920).

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nothing wrong with them but comehere for a rest and change and whilehere avail themselves of the opportunityto take a course of baths."' 8

In 1910, Dr Brett constructed a newhospital, the Mineral Springs, and themain building of the Sanitariumhenceforth served only as a hotel.When Dr Brett became lieutenant-gov-ernor of Alberta in 1915, he trans-ferred responsibility for the hospital tohis physician son, Harry. The facilitywas a three-storey building withaccommodations for 60 patients, main-ly in private wards. There was an elec-trical room with various apparatus fortreatments, and an x-ray plant. Thefairly large staff included physicians,nurses, and a trained dietitian. In 1923a training facility for nurses was added.Dr Brett's involvement with the hos-

pital ended only with his death inSeptember 1929, after which he waslauded as "One of the Finest and Most

respected doctors in the west."'9 TheSisters of Saint Martha acquired thehospital, which became the BanffMineral Springs Hospital. While mira-cle cures perhaps no longer toppedBanff's list of attractions, the Sistersstill considered their supply of sulfurwater essential to the hospital for itscurative qualities.20

Lithia waterAnother venture of Dr Brett's was bot-tling lithia water. One of the springs atBanff was sometimes called the LithiaSpring or Kidney Spring, due to itsreputed curative properties for kidneytroubles. Analyst Professor McGill hadreported that the quantity of lithiumin the spring was at least 100 timesgreater than in bottled water fromLithia Springs, Virginia.'2 Some Banffresidents apparently bottled the localsource for their own use, and localphysician Dr White advised that

DispenserJohn Lawrenson and Nurse Mowatt in the pharmacy operated byDr R.G. Brett in conjunction with Brett's Sanitarium.Whyte Museum ofthe Canadian Rockies (circa 1895).

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drinking freely of mineral water was inmost cases very beneficial.'0Dr Brett obtained park permission

to bottle hot sulphur water from theLithia Spring, and by 1912 reportedthat he had been bottling "Banff LithiaWater" for the past 4 years. He claimedgood success in introducing the productthroughout Alberta, Saskatchewan, andBritish Columbia. In addition, theCanadian Pacific Railway carried thebottled water on all their dining cars.2'Brett had a bottling plant in Banff,which also produced ginger ale,ginger beer, lemon sour, claret, andlemonade.22 These were no doubt soldat the Banff Pharmacy that Dr Bretthad also established.

Some consumers of the Banff LithiaWater apparently could not decidewhether it had best results when takenstraight or with whisky.

Radioactive watersIn nearby British Columbia, anEnglish country squire was schemingto bottle spring water from what cameto be known as Radium Hot Springs.Just 5 years after the federal govern-ment had established a reserve aroundthe springs at Banff, entrepreneurRoland Stuart paid $160 for a crowngrant of 160 acres around the RadiumHot Springs.23 There was little possibil-ity of developing a successful healthresort at the time, given that access waslimited to a pack trail. However, Stuartplanned to sell bottled spring wateraround the globe.An analysis of the odourless spring

water by the British medical journalLancet in 191 1 suggested radioactivity inthe water,24 a fact that was confirmedby tests at McGill University severalyears later. The studies showed moreradium than at famed Bath in England.The springs are actually the mostradioactive in Canada and one of themost radioactive in North America.25

Stuart was greatly encouraged bywhat was considered proof of theamazing curative qualities of the springwater, and by the beginning of con-struction of a road that would run right

beside Radium Hot Springs. In searchof financial backers to develop hisproperty, Stuart promoted his projectaround the world before grabbing theattention of a multimillionaire called StJohn Harmsworth.

Harmsworth's holdings included amineral water business at Nimes,France. In addition to his financialinterests in Radium Hot Springs,Harmsworth, a newspaperman, want-ed to test the waters in the wildernessof British Columbia. He was paralyzedfrom the waist down as a result ofbreaking his neck in a car crash.

Following a difficult journey to themountains, the crippled man was sus-pended in the spring water on a ham-mock. After 4 months of frequentbathing, Harmsworth moved a toe.Stuart was apparently surprised, butglad to pocket a $20 000 investment inhis venture.

Stuart had perhaps initiated hisenterprise too late to ride the wave ofenthusiasm for the great spas and theirmiracle cures. He went back toEngland at the beginning of WorldWar I and did not return until 1920.That year the government createdKootenay Dominion Park in the areaof the springs, which they soughtto purchase from Stuart; the parkexpropriated the property in 1922.After workers completed the Banff-Windermere Road the following year,hundreds of people began visiting theRadium Hot Springs.

Miracles at MietteFarther north, another hot springs inthe mountains was gaining a reputa-tion for its healing powers. WhenJasper National Park was created in1907, the Miette Hotsprings wereincluded within its boundaries.Completion of the Grand TrunkPacific Railway in 1911 providedgreater access to the mountain park,but Miette remained isolated. Until aroad was completed in 1935, thesprings could be reached only byhorseback, a journey of 17 km fromthe Athabasca Valley.

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Mineral sprngs and mirades

Miette consequently missed the hey-day of the mineral springs meccasgrowing up across North America,though praise of miracle cures was cer-tainly no less. Outfitter Ralph James,who transported numerous invalids toMiette, told of many healings: a blindchild who regained his sight after3 weeks, a fellow who lost the blood clotsin his lungs after a month, a cripple whorode up with his "boots reversed uponhis knees" and could walk with a stickafter 10 weeks' treatment.26Among the earliest users of the

Miette Hotsprings were miners fromnearby operations. Park warden Daviesreported in 1918 that more than50 sufferers of rheumatism from Brulemines alone had been bathing therethat year. He had been told by varioususers that the water relieved all cases ofrheumatism, lumbago, and chest trou-bles, though the springs area looked toDavies like an ill-kept gypsy camp.27

Park authorities received numerousproposals for development of facilitiesat Miette: for a Swiss Village, a gran-diose Chateau Miette Hotel, a hospi-tal, and sanitarium.28 For variousreasons none of the projects came tofruition. By the early 1930s MietteHotsprings was a popular visitorattraction for health seekers, consider-ing its isolation. InJuly of 1933, 100 to120 people camped there, and another50 to 60 would visit during weekends.29That same year Dr Thomas

O'Hagan ofJasper applied to erect asmall hospital or sanitarium at Miette.Park authorities, however, decided thatthe springs should remain under gov-ernment control, given their exception-al nature in terms of temperature,mineral content, and therapeutic qual-ities. Some people were concerned thathigh fees charged by private enterpris-es would be prohibitive for many peo-ple needing cures.28

*. Upper hot springs pool in BanffNational ParkParks Canada, Ottawa

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Mamira lMineral springs and miraclesConclusionBy the 1930s the scenic wonders andwildlife of the Rocky Mountain parkseclipsed the healing hot springs as theprimary visitor attraction. The exclu-sivity of Banff as a health resort disap-peared when the introduction of theautomobile provided easy access totourists of modest means, and wealthypatrons found social life at the springsless fashionable. The more isolated hotsprings at Radium and Miette neverbecame the glamorous spas imaginedby some of their early promoters,though their waters apparently provid-ed similar benefits.

In 1930, the townsites at both Banffand Jasper had well equipped hospitalsoperated by the same order of nuns, theSisters of Charity. Institutionalizedhealth care systems, modern medicalprocedures, and patent drugs offeredpromising new cures for the sick. Incontrast to their early beliefs and pro-motions about the remarkable curativeproperties of the springs, park adminis-trators in the 1930s now cautionedpotential visitors that they could notguarantee beneficial results from miner-al water treatment to any patients.30 Buthalf a century after the Banff reservewas established, some still believed inwhat one had termed the "most won-derful waters in the world."" G

References1. SoutherJG, Halstead EC. Mineral and thermalwaters ofCanada. Ottawa: Information Canada,1973:225-56.

2. CroonJH. Hot springs and healing gods.AMlnemosyne 1967;20:225-46.

3. Green XI, Green T The best bottled waters in theworld. New York: Simon & Schuster, Inc, 1985.

4. WecksbergJ. The lost world ofthe great spas.London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1979.

5. Department of the Interior. Annual Reportfor1886. Ottawa: Queen's Printer, 1886.


7. Department of the Interior. Annual Reportfor1905-1906. Ottawa: Queen's Printer, 1906.

8. Public Archives of Canada. Records ofParksCanada. RG 84, vol 963, file B140,John A.Rose toJ.B. Harkin, 23 Aug 1922.


10. Crag and Canyon, 25 Dec 1901.11. Crag and Canyon, 3 April 1925.12. Department of the Interior. CanadianNational Park. Ottawa: Government ofCanada, 190?.

13. Public Archives of Canada. Records ofParks Canada. RG 84, vol 510, file B 143,George T. Orton to Minister of the Interior,9July 1885.

14. Crag and Canyon, 4 March 1901.15. Crag and Canyon, 18July 1901:4.16. Public Archives of Canada. Records ofParksCanada. RG 84, vol 505, file B39-6, R.G. BretttoJ.M. Daly, 6June 1895.

17. Historic Sites and Monuments Board ofCanada. Robert George Brett, biographical sketch.Ottawa: 1957 Agenda Paper No. 1960-8.

18. Blue J. Alberta past and present: historical andbiographical. Vol 2. Chicago: Pioneer HistoricalPublishing Co, 1924.

19. Crag and Canyon, 20 Sept 1929:1.20. Public Archives of Canada. Records ofParksCanada. RG 84, vol 510, file B 140-2-2,Brewster to PiJennings, 10 Dec 1931.

21. Public Archives of Canada. Records ofParksCanada. RG 84, vol 510, file B 140-2-4, R.G.Brett to Rogers, 7 Oct 1912.

22. Crag and Canyon, 4 May 1912:??.23. Zieroth, D. Nipika: A story ofRadium HotSprings. Hull, Que: Supply and ServicesCanada, 1978.

24. The Radium Natural Springs Syndicate,Ltd. Radium hot springs, British Columbia: Afascinating proposition. Lancet 1911:6

25. Van Everdingen RO. Thermal and mineralsprings in the southern Rocky Mountains of Canada.Ottawa: Information Canada, 1972.

26. Public Archives of Canada. Records ofParksCanada. RG 84, vol 528, fileJ140, R.James toWilliams, 19 Sept 1923.

27. Davies. Report re special patrol to areasV & VII including hot sulphur springs.jasper National Parkfiles, 12 Nox 1918.

28. Public Archives of Canada. Records ofParksCanada. RG 84, vol 528, fileJ140, G.L. toH.H.Rowatt, lIJan 1934.

29. J.B. Snape to Superintendent. 3asper NationalParkFiles, 18July 1933.

30. Public Archives of Canada. Records ofParksC5anada. RG 84, vol 963, file B140,J.B. Harkinto E.E. Kennedy, 27 Aug 1935.

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Springs and Miracles