The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-04-28
BATHrNaFoR THE PEOPLE.
.CIeanliness Next to oodIIness'.-Pub-
lie Baths as q Sanitary Measure
..--ShouId be Provided by the City,
A Plan PFoPosea. II q -
Eton, the cincf,,,lan Ga.etle,

Next to the air we breathe and the
light that surrounds us, water is the
most IomnipTesentaa and II essential ele-
ment of human existence. But unfor-
tunately, having more substance and
solidity than either of the other ele-
ments, At has9b become, TO some extent,
an article of merchandise and 'in'our
cities at least, can only be obtained to
any extent by paying for 1t. And be-
sides, civilized society is SO constituted
that It is impossible for every one to
use it at all times and in all modes de-
sirable; hence. its health giving and
pleasure lprom otfng powers are limited
To a Serious.degcee, andlTEes think s1tiS
no doubt demonstrable that, to the ex-
tent to which certain classes of people
are denied, or deny themselves, the
free and varied use of water, are they
more liable than others to disease and
death.5.L W. - - So -
1t is in this view of the subject that we
wish to present the Importance of pub
lie baths. Yejhapel pretty thoroughly
exhausted the subject of clean streets
and alleys, clean yards and cellars, and
clean houses; weiproposesin this article
torconsider the,praoticabi bility of having
clean men and lwomenito tillathe clean
places we have been proyiding for
them. 10 s5ssfs
stUe age, to look to the past for models
of ellehce i'm yanyth hing relating to
Social welfare, but the ancients might
we'll be copied in the extent to which
theylpfoS Sided lmeatis for bathing. In
Greece immense public baths were pro-
yfded, to which the citizens in general
resorted, the same apartment being
used by both sexes; and Plato made
public baths one of the institutions of
his perfect repu bic. The bath at5P Pom-
Deii covered an area of 10000 square
feet, divided into two conn mpartments,
and finished in alfthe elegance peculiar
to the time and place, The great baths
of Rome were more extensive, one of
theme being EeapaciousA enough to ac-
commodate is, 900 people at once. The
TtirkSthaveLa publtGbathtin everylvil-
lage, and the Mohammendan religion
prompts more frequent attendance at
the bath than nt the mosques Bathing
is equally prevalent in India.
Inmoderh times bathing is confined
chiefly to the fWaterscpre persuasion
watering places. First class resi-
dencesi having all the modern improve
ments, nowadays generally ihayeia bath
room, with cofin-l like receptacle that
is known by the name of bath tub A
few barber shops, also, provide some.
thing of the kind for their customers.
But the great mass of the people know
nothing OF this circumscrfb i1nxu fy,
every day essential, lit should she.s In
London there is a small lake. we be-
Heve, in one of the large parks of that
city; where every body is at liberty to
batte, after s. o'clock at night, and be-
fore 6 In the morning. ay{ge5 iis.Tl ..l.'ir 9
In our.own city, the only municipal
provision in regard to bathing is of a
negative character. Nobody shall bathe
in the river, NJ ilcreek or the canal after
sunrise, orr before dark, under penal
ties, and every policeman, constable,
member of Council and -rudish old
citizen is made watch dog to nab
lueklegs Offenders, and place them i in in
prison bars. II As--,1 - 80 Ven Ss4
The history OF. the cholera-and this
death fiend, scratching at our doors,
YarylpropeFl Fly enters nto-eyefy topieof
the day-reports that the disease first
made its appearance among the Mo-
hammedans, during one ofnthefr pill
grimages to Mecca, where 1t was then,
and has since been, fearfully fatal. 1t
Is also recorded asla tact that the Pill
grims regard it as religious duty not
to change or cleanse their garments
from the time they leave home till they
return. TI ItSis in harmony with the OBJ
sefvation Of medical men everywhere
thRtithe impurities emauating from the
skin, thus held IN close contact with
the body, largely contributed to gener-
ate GQH rlHIals ElaeAHof ftastiE =EJlTFff- -EilE
There are thousands OF people In this
city who would make good Nfohamme-
dams. They make long pflgrimages
without changing their clothes, and
much longer ones without sheddtn the
coating of dirt that aecnmu1atess on
their skin. The larger portion of such
AIussulnanish subjects are those who
are crowded together in the tenement
hpusesr herds Of them, aEaales and fs-
male, ina 5stngle room, who having
some mod esty left cannot perform such
abIntions in those rooms as are neces-
sary to CLEANLINESS and health, and OF
course cannot afford TO pay for q bath.
In the summer season it is very late
before It gets dagk, they are faugned,
aud turn 70 sleep rather than TO a long
walk 10 the river. And there are thdnsz
ands of men and boys, better situated
fnS life, Swhos neglect to take good
wholesome bath once . week for The
IasfoSmes m years, during ths summer,