The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-08-05
THE PUBLIC BATHS.
Are They Means Of Commu-
nicating Disease?
OPINIONS OF PHYSICIANS.


large cities the attention of physicians has been re-
Gently and strongly directed to the public vehicles and
TO various places Of public resort With regard to the
facilities for tho propagation Of these Diseases
furnished by our street cars omnbuses ana
other vehicles the HERALD has already spoken
with emphasis Within ashort timo attention has been
directed TO our public baths further and perhaps
more prolific source Of conSgon. The TACT that
towes-and In the OF swimming baths ana sen
side bathing DEMONSTRATING suits are furnished very
naturally gives rise to tho question whether these
articles in all thoroughly ccansed AFTER
use cGectually destroy a traces Of virus which
may have been lott on them by balhers affected with
conta aous discusses AS II is certain that many
buthcrs are affected. this obviously oe-
comes important question. and one which
has not escaped the attention Of physicians. us
shown by the opinions expressed by many oil
them TO a representative of the HERALD. prominent
physician uptown after stpulaing mat MS name
should not DO used, spoke in effect as fol'ows-
.wHAr A PROMINENT PHYSICIAN THINKS
sit would be difficult 10 tell with any exactness how
great risks are run by the requentcrs. OF our baths
public or private because of the lack OF data Of suf-
ficent scope and lruslworthncss. There can be
no doubt that very many contagious diseases
may readily be propaga'ed, not only ny Inc INC
so%es upasns , more Certainly and moro
frequently by means OF the bathing dresses kept Tor
hire at the swimming baths. Even tho furniture OF
the bath room may become source OF catngion
While these statemcus are undenable they are not to
DO easily demonstrated with scientific accuracy. We
know that persons .a1c baths nj public bath houses
and that they afterwards suffer from cutnncous aud
Other contagious diseases, hut these two iacts
do not amount to demonstration that the
disease a result OF the bath Physicians,
AS IL class are very chary OF admitting tno
correctness OF the popular course OF reasoning Wc
do always lnd That because person became i'll
alter dong certain thing hat therefore caused ms
,llness any taorc than willing concede that
a i,
covered that the drug cured HIM. One case does not
nuke a rule any more than ono swallow makes a sum
MGR"
'How may these necessary statistics be obtaineds''
.'li would bc very dnlcul, task II could only be
done by colIatng the experiences OF he different
dispcnsary and hospital physicians aud their records
of cases when might DO added The experience
OF those physicians having the largest practice
among the poorer classes We would not naturally
look Tor diseases contracted III this Wy among tba
class people having oath rooms in their residences"
"Wha, class Of diseases is more generally commune
Gated IN this way?"
varieties. There are many eruptions OF the SKIN
WHICH, though annoying to the pateut and disagree
able 10 others, ae not contagious, ana as In many
cases no one IN expert distinguish them from
contagious disorders 1t would be Impossible Tor the
wham 10 admit. IL might occasionally happen that
sucn disease scarlet lever or smallpox would be
communicated by person not sumciently recovered
IRON the dlscasc using the bathroom, but tins FISK
must be considered rs very slight There are other
Diseases necessary to specify, which should
slider much mure likely 10 he propagated nstnis way.
DANGER IN THE BATHING DRESSES.
"Rght here VIII that The bathing suits are prob
ably greater source Of danger than the towels. VI
course both towels and dresses are supposed 10 be
thoroughly washed and ceansed immediately after
use aud undoubtedly they are generally washed; but
IL Is quite natural and may say inevitable, that \
where there Is rush oil bathers Ibis operation should
be somewhat hastily and perhaps carelessy per-
I formed Now IT'S well known that in the case of
several Of these diseases the virus 10 of such a
persscpt nature that no Ordinary washing can
led Oh to destroy II. You perceive thai have not
alIaded the vastly increased danger arising from
giving out bashing clothes winch have been simply
homo had to fori hp
that do not know positively OF any establishment
guilty of this practlce but have some reason TO be-
lIeve that 1t may be done IN times OF great hurry.
there simply absolutely safe way, winch IS tor
every ba.her who can do SO to carry his own towels
sour pubic baths great public benefits sanitary
blessing. and their use should be =" every way Gu.
couraged. II would be better for the puoc health II
we mad four times many as we now nave, but care
shoild he taken that they be conducted win the
maze the means of disseminating worse diseases than
tuose they are designed TO prevenL'
VIEWS ANOTHER DOCTOR
Another physclan sand SCI add lew points
to the statement gwen above great difficulty with
the physician is to restrain patients wno
fever. particularly scarle lever, from 100 carly
exposure. ana IN spite of my most earnest remon-
strances have known patients (children) scarcely
val,scent, 10 go 10 a puUl,c oath TINS not only
entails danger upon tho patient but leopard yes to tho
greatest extent others with whom they may
be brought in contact, II known that
whom the patient Is convalescng the coniason Is most
ncl,yc Orner discusses Of chronic nature are danger
Gus II there be contact, particularly so there be
broken spots upon the skin VI the person
may wear clothes previously worn by diseased
person opinion, 1t Is absolutely necessary that
bathing garments should be boiled or washed IN water
at u TEN crature oil 2l2 degrees Fahrenheit. Washing
temperature, though II might not destroy every
poison, would think, be an almost perfect prophy-
tactic against contagion."
MAyAGEMExr OF THE BATHS
There are public free baths under the con-
troll of the Department OF Public Works. These
situated as ioows:-rhr'y-se street. East River;
Filth street, East River; Gouverncur street, East
Kivcr Bchunc street, North Rivers Fiity-hrst street.
North River, and 114ln street, Harlem RIVER. Most
of these are we'll located, not only in regard TO
ce s,oility but also regard to the tides and the
purity OF the water Tho FIRST free baths
aDlIshed eight years ago NJ Bcthune street, North
RIVER and Fi,th street. East River. Last year tho
baths 1t Governeur street aud Thirty street
added anu THIS year those at Fty and ll4tn
streets - 49,
As there never public institution which did
receive authnding criticism, whether Justly or
unlusty OF our public baths cannot escape.
some people, Tor Instance, claim that the keepers Pvo
TO .helr trends rooms with keys for whicn Il is also
said coin Of each Is received Others
wou likely lnd ault with the fact tnat those IN
charge OF baths permitted TO make charges for
towels and bathing SUITS There Is u male superin-
tendeut usually IN iron aud assistant matron ~
cacn public bath. The matron at one OF the
ccived Tor bathing suits aud towels hardly
| PAID the Of keeping the stock rcplenished
and required. Take all ia ALL the careful observer
must conclude that the FREQ baths are really ably and
satisfactorily managed. Very few things about them
rise anything like the dignity OF serious grew
apce ana this is course the more noteworthy IN
view oil the numbers Of nearly oil Glasses OF The
people who them. rho number who n1H resort
10 these baths continually on the incrcSec. and
there IS growing demand tnat the baths tLcMseNe s
shall be increased IN number Their use isycar by
year reaching up into the better classes Many who
first visit Tho baths have q prejudice against them,
looking upon them almost exclusively the property
OF INC ow downcrs ms the soutuerror would Sal! but
the excellence OF the water and the good management
generally these prcjudiccd people over INTO Ire
! 1uent use OF tho baths Those OF our citizens who
have never visited one OF these great institutions
would DC very much surprised al the high grade oil the
| patrons Good order always maintained, police.
mt tfonli anc IN
trouble with the boys ON account Vi kher Wild iun
! and com pet,tion, but this amounts 70 little as n
whole; the generally obedicnt 10 the rules;
and as the and girls, ono OF the mairohs OF
bath freq uenc by thousands SAID that IN her thrcc
or four Years experience At The Institution she had
mad serious troubc with bnthers only once.
| BArHERs.
| Formerly one OF The rules adopted by the Depart
ment of Public Works tor the regulation OF these baths
was he following mo person will be mtted with
out ticket and II required ust give his or her name
hal lof rooh ut hay Ni ho