Sharp County record., 1879-11-13
Turkish HammamS.


The Turks are generally healthy and
free from many of the maIadles COM
mon to other countries. Dyspepsia,
gout, rheumatism, neuralgia, and al
fections of the liver and kidneys and OF
the cutaneouS surface are quite uncom,,
mon. Consumption is less known, and
is even more dreaded than the plague,
and is considered so infectious that all
clothing worn by the deceased is burneds
Aside from the advantages OF the ell
mate, the cleanliness of the people,
through the universal employment OF
Turkish bathing, is no small factor IN
securing immunity from disease. Inc
hammamS in ConstantinOple, as well as
throughout the empire, are open at
dawn, and, rs the habit of early rising
prevails, they are thronged by those
who seek their invigorating dement's.
The bath before breakfast is found to be
the most salutary and strengthening
1t is, in fact, the best possible prepara-
ton for the duties of the day, however
arduous. BY this means cleanliness,
comfort and contentment are secured
and the duration of life greatly en-
hanced. The small cost places this
luxurious necessity within the reach OF
every citizen.
Mohammed made ablution a part OF
religion; his followers, therefore, reel IL
incumbent upon them to endow bathing
establishments for the good OF the pub
lie. As these institutions are charlta-
bic, no fixed price is demanded; ana IL
is left to the option of the bather to con-
tribute what he chooses to the current
expenses. Although these baths seem
to have existed from time immemorlal
in the East, their Introduction into TINS
country marks little more than single
decade.
The finest baths of the Orient, though
more costly, are less effective than the
best American structure. lhere Is
much relating to the administration as
well as the construction of baths which
the Orient might wisely learn Of the De-
cident.
Cleanliness and health are the prl-
mary objects sought in all bathing, and
those who have submitted to immersion,
fumigation, steaming, or yaporauon
have only to employ Turkish baths to
find not only that they can bathe more
agreeably, more comfortably, more ef-
fectively, more luXuriously, but that
hitherto they were not clean; that they
belonged to "the great unwaShed'"
This recalls with new force what was
said of Turkish bathing by that diStln-
guished American, Edwin Forrest, who
declared, with almost tragic emphasis,
"The man who has not taken Turk
ish bath has never risen to the moral
dignity of being personally clean"
The greatest offenders against clean
illness and intelligence are those who
pretend to give Turkish baths in sort
of sentry box, sometimes excluding ana
sometimes including the head. Only
those without brains can escape cereDral
congestion. 1t may be enunciated that
an atmosphere unfit for the head is onllt
for the body. The skin, as well as the
lungs, has its part to perform IN the
function of elimination as well as resPl-
ration; and in these boxes the effete ele-
ments evolved from the surface are re
tanned in contact with the body, and as
they can not escape they are reabsorbed,
rendering benefit as impossible as IN
Jury is inevitable. TO call this Turkish
bathing is no less a libel upon the Turks
than reflection upon the good sense OF
those whose indiscretion permits them
to be deceived and injured. -SanItarta".