Turkish and Other Baths: A Guide to Good Health and Longevity

It would seem that Professor Lionel Beale is somewhat of the same opinion as ourselves, and he even goes somewhat further, for he deprecates foreign travel, or at least considers wandering abroad in search of health, is, in many cases, a needless expense.

“If,” writes this learned authority, “patients could be induced to retire to a pleasant part of the country where they would take moderate exercise, and be free from mental anxiety, meet with agreeable society, live regularly, take small doses of alkalies, and bathe themselves for an hour or two a day in warm water, in which some carbonate of soda has been dissolved, they would receive as much benefit as by travelling hundreds of miles away; and at much less trouble and expense.”

There is a great deal in these words free from mental anxiety. It is to obtain this very needful aid to the cure of chronic complaints, especially those brought about by over-work or fast living, that we ourselves are in the habit of recommending to our patients a short sea voyage, such as that to America or Madeira and back. But very great benefit results in numerous cases from a short residence at some of the innumerable hydropathic establishments, which, like small terrestrial paradises, are scattered here and there in our beautiful island home. Those actually sick may go there, as well as the languishing invalid or the over-worked man of business, or worn-out pleasure hunter. To those resorting to these sanatoria, we can confidently recommend a handy and useful invention, recently brought out by Messrs Allen and Son (Plate Six). It is a portable electric bell, the cords can be passed under or over the doors, from one room to another, and by this means the nurse or attendant can be called immediately and quietly at any hour of the day or night.

We do not mean here to say much about the mercurial bath, because it must only be used under medical advice, but while reminding the reader that there is provision made for this kind of bath in the portable Turkish bath (page 44) there is (see Plate Seven) a nice handy little apparatus which can be used for this purpose used for this purpose or any other kind of fumigatory bath which the physician considers it right to recommend.

Some of the most efficacious medicated bath in common use are: —

1. THE BORAX BATH. – This is soothing and calmative in many irritable forms of skin disease. It is made in the proportion of four ounces of borax and three of glycerine, to thirty gallons of hot water.

2. THE AMMONIA BATH, used as a skin stimulant and derivative. The following is Mr Grantham’s formula: – Two ounces of strong hartshorn in two gallons of water, used in a hip bath. An excellent hip bath, very useful for people to whom stooping is objectionable is that made by the Messrs Allen (Plate Eight). One glance at the figure will show its many advantages, and we strongly recommend it.

People who suffer from cutaneous eruptions ought to take skilled advice before using a course of baths, but the following sentences excerpted from E. Wilson’s “Diseases of the Skin” may be read with profit by all.

“Aqueous remedies,” says the dermatologist, “present themselves in the form of simple water in its various states of cold, tepid, warm, hot and steam; water impregnated with saline matter as in the sea-bath, and saline solutions; in lotions, fomentations and poultices. Water may be sedative, emollient, or stimulant, according to the manner in which it is employed. As a tepid bath or fomentation it is sedative, and its sedative action is increased by the addition of various substances, such as oatmeal, starch, gelatine, and soda in small quantities. It is emollient when used as a water dressing or in the condition of steam, and it is stimulant when cold or hot. When hot it is the best means known of relieving pruritus (itching), and in its cold state it refreshes and gives vigour to the skin; hence, the morning bath, the sea-bath, and daily ablutions with soap. On this principle it is that we advise daily cold ablutions with soap of the face in cases of acne (pimples), and to other parts of the body, particularly the axilla and perinaeum in chronic eczema or chronic pruritus. Aqueous lotions of liquor plumbi (sugar of lead) are refrigerant and sedative, while lotions of carbolic acid, sulphurate of potash, acetate of ammonia, and bicarbonate of ammonia are anti-pruritic. Warm fomentations are sedative and anodyne, and their properties are increased by the addition of poppy heads. Poultices are emollient and sedative, but their protracted use, as of all aqueous applications, macerates and weakens the skin, and tends to perpetuate the disease or cause boils. As a rule, all aqueous applications except simple bathing, must be employed with great caution in skin diseases. Saponaceous ablutions generally aggravate eczematous affections; but certain forms and stages of that disease are benefitted by their use.”

As a means of using the hip bath, whether medicated or otherwise, and for female complaints and irregularities, there is nothing to equal the bidet herewith figured (Plate Nine).

3. FOMENTATIONS are simply local baths and are used to relieve pain and reduce inflammation, as in the poppy head or laudanum fomentation to painful swellings, or the turpentine fomentation to redden the chest in severe colds. The water must be very hot, and two pieces of flannel must be used, wrung from the water, time about. These may be sprinkled with laudanum or turpentine as the case may demand.

4. THE MUSTARD FOOT-BATH is useful in cases of incipient colds, headaches, or languor and listlessness with restless nights. A bucketful of hot water with a handful of mustard in it is all that is wanted; in this the legs are to be bathed for twenty minutes before going to bed.

5. THE OAK BATH is made by adding a pound of bruised oak bark to a quart of cold water and boiling for half an hour; the half of this maybe put in the morning tub as a tonic bath.

6. THE PINE BALSAM BATH is good in cases of rheumatism and great nervousness. The balsam is a distillation front the leaves of pines, and is simply added to the bath.

7. THE ALKALINE BATH may be used twice or three times a week by gouty or rheumatic subjects. Two ounces of the bicarbonate of soda are added to three gallons of warm water, and the bath is ready.

8. THE PEAT WATER Bath is a German invention, and seems to be of great value to sufferers from gout and rheumatism, swelling of the joints, congestion of the liver, etc. Why the peat of this country should not be as efficacious as that from German bogs we fail to understand.

9. THE ELECTRIC BATH is a good deal used at seaside places, and often with advantage, especially in cases where the tone of the system has been much lowered.

10. THE VINEGAR SPONGE BATH consists of one part of vinegar to three of cold water, the body or hands and arms, feet and legs, are then sponged with it.

11. THE IRON BATH is sometimes used as a tonic, and is of considerable efficacy, especially to delicate females and children. It is composed of half an ounce of sulphate of iron, in four gallons of cold or tepid water.

12. SULPHUR BATHS, CREASOTE BATHS, and NITRO-HYDROCHLORIC BATHS are all good in their way, but must only be used under medical advice.

Chapter Seven.

The Ordinary Home Baths – Seaside Bathing

The morning tub is a bath that people in ordinary health should take every morning. It is not only invigorating but it so tones the skin and nerves as to render catching cold all but impossible. A far better tonic for those who can bear it, is the shower bath.

A cheaper sort of Shower Bath is that represented underneath. (Plate Nine.)

From a recent Magazine Article of ours, we cull the following hints which may be found of use. In speaking of House Baths we say: —

1. – Then you must consult your own feelings as to whether or not you ought to continue the bath through the livelong winter. We should say, “Try to do so.”

2. – Let the first spongeful of cold water be applied to the head and shoulders and adown the spine.

3. – If you feel too much exhausted in the morning for a cold bath, from having been up late, raise the temperature of the cold bath several degrees.

4. – Be guided by your own feelings as to the temperature of hot and cold water. From 32 to 60 degrees would be right for the cold bath, and about 90 degrees for the water in the basin.

5 – A cold bath may be taken with advantage when the body is heated, from whatever cause, so long as there is no exhaustion or fatigue; but never go into the water if there be the slightest feeling of chilliness, nor after a full meal.

Plate Twelve represents a useful kind of bed bath which has been a source of comfort to many an invalid. (All these baths are manufactured by Messrs Allen and Son.)

In bathing at home, after lathering the whole body with warm water and soap, a cold sponge bath containing a handful or two of either Tidman’s or Brill’s Sea Salt will be found very invigorating.

We have before us a splendidly got up work entitled “Luxurious Bathing,” published by Messrs Field and Tuer, Leadenhall Street, E.C. The book is beyond praise, its well-executed etchings entitle it to a place on the drawing-room table, and its advice to those who value health, is simply invaluable.

Those who suffer from weakness, or who dread the winter’s cold, would do well to combine a course of bathing, with one of tonics and cod liver oil. De Jongh’s light brown is the only oil we ever use.

Those who wish to regain health in a month, “by the sad sea waves,” cannot err by taking the following rules as a guide. They are from a Magazine article of ours: —

Simple Rules for Seaside Enjoyment.

1. – Before leaving home, study your trains, pack trunks the day before, don’t forget anything, and avoid hurry and excitement.

2. – Look for rooms quietly, in a clean, quiet street or suburb, and see that the rooms are clean and airy.

3. – Rise early every morning, soap down and tub from head to heel, eat a biscuit, and go for a walk.

4. – Regular hours, regular exercise, regular meals, and regular medicine (if you need it).

6. – Enjoy yourself all you can, but ’ware excitement and fatigue.

6. – Strong men may bathe before breakfast, but the best average time is about three hours after breakfast.

7. – Walk at a moderate pace to the bathing ground, so as to be neither too hot nor too cold, and undress as speedily as possible.

8. – It is better to plunge at once into deep water; don’t unless you can swim, however, but after bending down and laving the face and both arms, drop right underneath the first wavelet.

9. – If you can swim, swim and nothing else; if you cannot, you can at least tumble about and keep moving, and also rub your limbs with the hands.

10. – Come out before you have actually ceased to enjoy yourself.

11. – It is better to have your own towel, one at least, and let it be moderately rough.

12. – Rub your face, shoulders, limbs, and body, using moderate friction, and finish drying with a smoother towel.

13. – When quite dry, dress, and it ought not to be at all necessary to dress quickly.

11. – If faintness or sickness comes on, which must be looked upon as quite an accident, lie down for a few minutes.