Vichy

Vichy, a small town in the heart of France, dept. Allier, stands on the Allier, in a fine valley surrounded by hills clad with vines and fruit-trees, 30 miles SSE. of Moulins by rail. Vichy is the most frequented bathing resort in France. The springs which rise at the foot of the volcanic mountains of Auvergne (q.v.) are of the alkaline class, somewhat acidulous, and the most efficacious of the kind that are known. They vary in temperature from 54° to 113° F., are used both for drinking and bathing, and are resorted to in cases of indigestion, chronic catarrh, gout, and especially liver disorders (see MINERAL WATERS). Millions of bottles of Vichy water are exported annually. The virtues of the aquæ calidae of this place were known in Roman times, as is testified by the remains of marble baths and coins that have been dug up; but their modern repute arose only in the 19th century, being greatly promoted by the visits of Napoleon III. Now this town of (1891) 10,525 inhabitants is visited by from 20,000 to 30,000 persons annually. See Cormack, Mineral Waters of Vichy: Excursions in the Environs (1887).