The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1861-01-25 00:00:00

TURKISH BATHS FOR LIVERPOOL.

INTERESTING LECTURE jBY MR. GARDINER,

YESTERDAY.

The subject of Turkish Baths is one that ha's long
engaged a considerable share of public attention, both
in this country and on the continent. Within the last
month a very erudite lecture, descriptive of Oriental
baths, was delivered by Mr: itaiightoli, of tlublin, to a
large audience in tiVetpool, tlidti IVhieh fbiv tb*ns in.
the Milted ltingdoni are more in need Of these ilsertil and
necessary auxiliaries to health, happiness, and long life:
The Matter having been mooted, a project was-soon set
on foot, and in a short time we hope to have the pleasure
of recording the openingg of a new Turkish bath in our
great commercial einpotinni— a boon that will be
appreciated by all glasses of the temnilinify; A com-
pany has, we understand, been formed and when a
sufficient sum is. realised, -we may expect to see the
baths in efficient operation. In connection with this
subject, Mr. Gardiner (late of the London Infirmary,
and author of '! Tracts for the Times," &c.) gave an
instructive and interesting lecture; detailing his
own, personal experience of a - Turkish bath,
in the Cotton Saleroom, Exchange Buildings, yesterday,
before a large and attentive audience, chiefly'composed
of the merchants,: capitalists, and other influential gen-
tlemen of the town.

With the inianirnous approbation or the meeting,
Wm. TITIIERINGTON, Esq., T. C., (of. Chester), was
voted to the chair. In opening the proceedings the
Chairman said that he had great pleasure in presiding
over the meeting on that occasion, as ho felt the import-
ance, the paramount importance of the subject which-
Mr. Gardiner intended to bring before them in his lec-
ture. It was one that was occupying no inconsiderable
share of attention in many of the leading towns of the
kingdom, and he trusted from what they would hear
that day they would not be backward in giving their
support and sympathy to Mr. Gardiner and the object
which. he had in view, and which he would lay before
theni tin his lectnre.. He hoped they would see the
necessity of having the people of Liverpool provided
with so useful and long needed a desideratum as a
public bath, so as to meet the requirements of a great
commercial town' like Liverpool. (Hear and applause.)
Mr. GAItDINER, then proceeded with his leettire. He
said that in looking round the room he found that he
should, take exception to the general rule df addressing
the audience as "Ladies and gentlemen," for he per-
eeived there were no ladies present, and he should
therefore not say " Ladies and gentlemen." There was
a time in his life when be had heard of great ship-
owners, and cotton lords and merchant princes, and he
had often wondered what sort of men they were ;, but,
on 'the present -occasion he had the pleasure and the
honour of standing in the presence of such men, and
the privilege of addressing the gentlemen of Liverpedl,
and those. who "go down to the sea in , ships, and
do business in great waters." It was his intention
as they were all aware, to say something to them about
the subject of Oriental and Turkish baths; but before
doing so he felt it necessary, as a stranger amongst
them, to say a few words about his antecedents.' In his
advertisement he had stated that he was connected with
the London Institution, of which he had the manage-
ment for a considerable period,
,and had, gained the
approval of a large number of noblemen, gentlemen,
physicians, surgeons, and others ' in the metropolis
and Dublin. He had also a private practice of
his own, and had been very successful in effecting
cures, some of which could be found in this neighbour-
hood. But, independent of these facts, he was sur-
rounded by friends who knew him well and intimately.
He then detailed a few particulars relating to his per-
sonal history. He read some quotations from the
annual report of the medical inspector, from which it
appeared that during the time Mr. Gardiner occupied
the position of secretary to the London Institution, he
bad gained the ` confidence and • esteem of all parties
connected therewith, from the very efficient and ener-
getic manner In which he discharged his various and
onerous duties. He also read extracts from the letters
of Dr. Barter, of
.Dublin, and other eminent gentlemen
in the medical world, speaking in the highest terms of
the talents, zeal, and abilities of Mr. Gardiner. .It
seemed that some time ago the lecturer had written
to Dr. Barter, informing him of his views and thoughts
about Turkish baths, and the feasibility:of establishing
one in Liverpool. He told him that he hnd a circle
of friends in Liverpool who would assist him in getting
up an institution of this kind worthy of such a great
town. , Dr. Barter, in reply, highly approved of the pro-
posed scheme, and gave it as his opinion that it would
confer incalculable benefits on the people of the town
and neighbourhood. He unhesitatingly approved of the
lecturer's plans, and highly eulogised the method laid
down by him to carry these. plans to a successful com-
pletion. Yesterday' he was favoured with a communi-
cation from Cambridge, which took him completely by
surprise. It was dated from Willow-house, Cambridge,
and the writer, E. T. King, -Esq., (a master of arts in
Abe University,) said that 'having seen• Mr. Gardiner's
advertisernent in a Liverpool daily paper (the Daily
Trines) he thought that there was' a good opening Foy *Lath
a bath in Cambridge, with a population of 30,000, and
totally unprovided With such accommodation. He
invited the lecturer to visit the town and give a,lectiire,
• which he felt 'confident would stir up' the people to take
the, necessary steps to provide the bath. The, lecturer
then proceeded to say that his object on the 'present
occasion was not so much to give them a lecture as to
lay before the meeting a few brief outlines and details
of the nature and character of the Turkish bath. And
here he would remark that this subject had been so,
fully treated already by Dr. Haughton, that it was
nearly exhausted, and left the present lecturer scarcely
anything new to. say. He spoke in the most kindly
terms of Dr. llitughton, who, he said, deserved well of
his country, because he had written a number of most
useful and valuable books, 'and had exerted himself
in the most praiseworthy manner for the education
of the masses. He could most ,strongly recommend
the works of this talented gentleman to their notice, as
also those of Dr. Barter of Dublin. In reference to
the subject of the baths, the lecturer had very little neir
to say beyond what had been advanced by the authori-
ties already named, with the addition of what he knew
from his own personal • experience. He then gave a
'quotation from an old work (Sanctorius), wherein the
author spoke highly of the utility ,of baths. He also
cited the opinion of Henry Ward' Beecher, who thought
that more invalids could 'be eared by a good perspiration
and a breath of pure air than by "doctors' stuff" or
the Bible. (A. laugh.) He spoke about the air, and
called it the life of the blood, and the stimulus of the
power of man ; it had been appropriately •called
by the ancients "the pabulton of life." Water was a
very necessary element in its place, but not so neces-
sary or vital to man as the air he breathed.
It might cleanse us from the impurities which attach to
the body, but not so effectually as when the combined
action of air is introduce.d This was the great advantage
of the Turkish bath, which was a heated air bath, into
Which water was only partially admitted. It consisted
of ilte processes—first, the party about taking the bath
would have to divest himself of all clothing, except a
slight covering, and he would then have to go into what
was known as the tepid room, into which air at a tempe-
rature of about 100 degrees was allowed to pass.- He
should, in this room, sit down, walk about, or lie down,
and after that he would have to go into an adjoining
room. [The lecturer explained the subject and the
different processes necessary to be gone through, by
means of a neatly-designed and well-executed diagram.]
It frequently happened that parties complained of certain
strange sensations, experienced in the skin and about
the head, when they had for some time remained in the
first or tepid room; but this feeling gave way to one of
delight when they entered the second room, the tem-
perature of which varied from 140 to 230 'degrees.
There was a third apartment, called the heated room,
which they next visited, and where they soon perspired
freely. He advised a person at this stage to drink plenty
of cold water, which would have the beneficial effect of
opening the pores of the skin, and from these pores the
water would ooze out as clear as when it had been taken
into the mouth ; and not till this was effected could a
person say he was properly cleansed. The other item'
which was to be entered was called the lavatory, where'
the operation of shampooing would have to be gone
through. Shampooing was the most essential part of
the bath, and by its instrumentality all the filth of the
body was brought to the surface, and then shampooing
not only removed this accumulated dirt, but it equalised
or caused an equilibrium of the circulation of the
blood over the whole body. He then alluded to the
erroneous impression generally prevalent amongst cer-
tain classes in this country, that the body was thoroughly
and effectually purified from all dirt by a mere process,
of soap and water or washing. A more fOolish idea
could not be entertained. Shampooing and the aid of
a Turkish bath could alone effect a thorough cleansing.
He himself had seen gentlemen, who having gone
through the operation of a shampooing, .could scarcely
be persuaded to, believe that the dirt and filth which
had been brought to the surface of their skin by, the
action of the shampooer, had come from their bodies ;
but such was the fact. After the whole operation had
been gone through, and the person was conducted into
a warm room, he should recline for some time upon a
couch ; and if he felt a desire for exertion, he might
rest assured that the desired effect of the bath had been
accomplished. After leaving the bath, they need' not
entertain any fear of catching cold,' and he specially
warned persons against "cloaking " themselves up,
after being in a bath, to guard against the possibility of
taking a cold. He then described the exhilirating and
beneficial effects generally produced on a person
after taking a bath, giving an instance of it
in his own person. Anomalous as the statement
might appear about the non-necessity of a person
muffling himself up after having partaken of the bath,
he assured them it was a fact. The sensations expe-
rience& by the Turkish !bath-receiver could not be pro-
perly described—they were of the most delightful,and
soothing kind. He remarked that by taking a bath *nee
or twice a week no degree of cold would affect the re-
cipient,. As regards the objection that had been so fre-
quently raised against the constant use of the bath, that
it had a debilitating or weakening tendency, heobserved
'that persons who held- such -an opinion laboared,under
•an egregious error; for on the contrary, by the constant
use of the bath, we got rid of a large quantity of efete,
poisonous, and sudorific matter, which clung to the sur-
face of the body, and without which the human frame
must necessarily be in' a more healthy and strengthened
condition. He then instanced sOme•remarkable Cures
that had been effected by the agency of the bath ; and
anent the question of weakness he related the case of a
man who had been suffering, (tom chronic rheumatism,