The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-11-06 00:00:00

A CORONER ON THE TURKISH BATH.

On Saturday Dr. G. Danford Thomas held an in-
quest at the Islington Coroner's C )urt, Holloway-
road, on the body of James Francis, 40 years old,
lately residing at 45, Richmond-road, Barnsbury, of
the firm of Francis Brothers and Day, music pub-
lishers, Oxford-strect. Ile expired suddenly at the
Turkish Baths, City-read, on Wednesday morning
last. William Francis, 25, Thornhill-road, identified
the body as that of his brother, who was a widower,
and enjoyed very good health. Witness last saw
him alive on Tuesday night last, and the next day, at
two in the afternoon, he was fetched to the Turkish
Baths, City-road, where he found his brother was
dead. Witness learnt that he had had his bath, and re-
tired to the cooling room, where he fainted, and died
almost immediately. He had never known him to
have a fit before. Thomas Smith, proprietorof the City.
read Baths, stated that deceased, who was an old ci is-
tomer, arrived at 10 on Wednesday morning, and bad a
Turkish bath as usual. Shortly after one o'clock in
the afternoon the witness, on going to have a bath
himself, discovered the deceased lying down in the
first of the heated rooms, heated to 120 degrees, in
an insensible condition, and breathing heavily.
Witness and his assistant removed him into the wash-
ing room, which was cooler, and washed him. After
this the witness said, "I don't like the look of him,"
and they removed him upstairs, where he expired
within ten minutes. Three-quarters of an hour was
enough to be in a hot room for the purpose of taking
a bath. The deceased had always seemed to witness to
be a strong man, and had never before shown signs of
weakness. The baths were ventilated on the most im-
proved principles. The deceased, who had been asleep
between ten and twelve, was awoke at the latter hour.
He was sleepy from having been at his son's birthday
party the preceding evening. It was a constant prac-
tice for people to go to sleep in the heated rooms
He alluded to persons who used the bath as a place
of rest. He did not think the practice was dangerous
in the case of strong, healthy men. About four or
five years ago a gentleman died soddenly at the bath.
Charles Smith, an attendant, stated that he had
known the deceased for a considerable time as a
bather, and on the morning in question when he
arrived he said he had been out at a party all night,
and felt" seedy," and meant having a nap. it being
a usual thing for customers to sleep in the bath, he
took no notice of deceased when he lay down on one
of the benches, and seemed to enjoy a two hours'
sleep until Mr. Smith called witness's attention to his
hard breathing. Dr. Edward Syson, of the City-road,
stated that death was due to syncope from sudden
failure of the heart's action, owing to the strain put
upon it by the energy of deceased in his
profession, the fact of his being up all night, and
then the extra work given it by the heat of the bath.
The Coroner, addressing Mr. Smith, said his experi-
ence had shown him that persons being allowed to go
to sleep in a Turkish bath was most dangerous. He
knew it was most seductive for a man in a profuse
perspiration without garments to lie down and sleep.
It was all very well for the indolent Turks, but not
for bustling Englishmen, and he believed a great
many persons used these baths to sleep off the over-
night's carouse. It was a most dangerous proceeding,
and he hoped that the proprietor would issue notices
to his attendants that if they saw anyone asleep they
they should at once wake them up, for if a person felt
faint, which they frequently did, they could call the
attendant, who, in many cases, could save their lives
by dashing cold water in their faces. This was not
the first case of the kind he had known, and he oon-
sidered the proprietors should be more careful.

"GARMENTS Withelit buttons " are advertised. We've
got 'em, and so has every other bachelor.
A FrVE-YEAR-OLD boy, who was engaged in some
mischievous doings, on being remonstrated with by
his father with," Why will you do so, George ?" re-
plied : "Oh! I expect I am too little to know any
better."