New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-16
THE DAILY TUB
BATHING IN EUROPE.
THE RESULTS OF Az FNGLIsHMAN's OBsERvA
TIoNs-pEorLE WHO DON'T BELIEVE
IN BEING CLEAN.

Is there any race that enjoys the monopoly %
| cleanliness! With or two exceptions. every
nation puts forward a claim thereto, and makes no
cNort to concea! its conviction that lis peopl tlc
only tie face Of the globe who observe that
| particular virtue which. according TO IN" old saving.
comes Immediately next 10 sodlincsS. It : popu-
lar ana universal dclusion IN this country rs well Is
In Great Britain. in Germany. In France. In Rus a.
l"dla. emma and Japan nay. even among he H"nai
negroes at Alden. WHO cake their bodies with clay
acd permit II TO harden before removing IT, aS rr
m,>t ohcacous method Of Riding their body Of all
npur!'y Even they. notwitas andnS their rrpu
i've appearance-and ala! p'rlum"-Ar" convinced
hat they aion" practise cleanliness. and Look down
with magnificent contempt upon all foreigners a
dirty The notion that foreigner must n'cc,
'arly be untlcany Is current vcrywhrrc. and II"
matter what oar nationality We all feel more or lc,,
disposed 20 regard with contempt the various races
different from our own on The oft imaginary ground
that because they foreigners they must ncccS-
sarily bc dirty
The people WHO are perhaps the most frank In
their manifestations Of this contempt for what th"y
are pleased TO call those dirty foreign habits are
the English. II YOU were to believe them. th"v
alone Of all the nations TIE fac" Of the globe ap
preClaie the virtues Of "a bath. This. however. Is
altogether an erroneous impression, and. a' an Eng
lishmn myself who has travelled much In civilized
ana lnriviz'i countries. | can gnaran,"" the Tact
That nv coiinrym"n are not In any WAY superior 10
the rest OF the world rs regards personal cleanliness.
I'll" latter. a well as the diurnal tub Is cohih'd
almost entirely 10 the upper CLASSES and III" bath at
any rate has failed 10 achieve any widespread popn-
lary among Tie masses. The dcmasosu" I'm D.N-
racli'S move" "Sybil," speaks authortItivly for hi,
class when he SAYS Baths should oniv he used 10
drown the enemies Of the people I always Wa op-
posed to washing: 1t takes the marrow out Of
man r f. + representative. not an individual
opinion Personal cleanliness IL regarded hy the
,u1ftt
ard they are not ashamed TO openly glory In their
immunity from the tyranny OF Soan. Nor are Tia"
so-c0llcd middle classes Of England. III" trad~mrn.
tIe bank and business clerks the Shpph' cprr~ and
The majority OF thOS" people whose Incomes range
from $500 to $1,000 year. much sn-
pcrIor TO the masses I'm the maiirr "f
cleanliness. True. they are Obliged FOR
the sake OF Appearances 10 subject their nahd' anu
faces to soap and and invent many Ingenious
devices for the purpose Of leading CucicsS popl' u
believe that they delight I'm clean linen. l'nt they
certainly do not "tnb" every morning Indeed they
consider that they have done than their duty
in this respect when they take bath on SATURDAY
night. In Philadelphia ha"" seen even IN" houses
Of labonng equipped with bathrooms The latter
the exception. not III" rule in the small English
dwellings In those London houses which rent nm
furnished for 500 ana 900 year. II any wihc'
10 take bath IT is taken r the bedroom or dressing
room. and consists Of it'll" else than mere sponge
BATH considerable amount o. labor and ncOn.
venence Is involved in filling aud cmptying these
baths and In establishments II this kind the ser
wants are generally few in Yimbcr II. indeed. ;h"r"
are any kept nj ALL II requires the sense ~ clesnli
less developed In very high and cult
waited degree to make daily practic" of
the "ub." therefore unhcsllaiingly assert
that, while II Is perfectly true that ia" upper
classes in England believe In the virtues and efficacy
of daily bath and Of the personal cleanliness when
II implies, the great body OF the nation I, distinctly
dirty the middle classc, oontcnting themselves with
one bath at most I'm the week. while the lower clas,c,
dispense with It altogether. In fact The much vannid
cleanliness OF my countrymcn l. not 50 much Il
national virtue rs a national fraud. H." maintenance
OF which Is attributable In great measure To III"
picturesque and ubiquitous advertising posters ~
the enterprsing manufacturers OF soap. II Is i'm
possible to go anywhere In England without s'"Ine
every available tree fence wall covered with highly
coored bills representing people In In"
act OF washing or being washed. tn"
name OF the soapmaker being inscribed
and thus II l. that from the constant
contemplation OF pictures Of young pcopl" ami Old m
gagged In the performing" Of abn'ionS W" ar"
apt to obtain altogether erron"ou, impression WIN
re- gard to British CLEANLINESS.
Although the French accustomed Ia describe tho
English as "Ccs sales Anglai,7 nho,r dirty English.
they are but little better. III" daily baths being
luxury confined exclusively TO the richer ana NOR"
classes None OF the small dwellings NJ
Paris nor even the large hous', In the provinces are
fitted up with baths and when any Of til" members "i
the household desire Ia bahc-Usi.ay In Difference 10
written prescription Of the family phyiCian-thry send
ont 10 one Of the establishments which let out port
able baths on hire. and a cart containing the bath
and several cans ~ hot water Is sent around To III"
house. The tub Is filed by tn" employees %; ia"
firm I'm question and then piled and removed as
soon as the function Is terminated. Baths are there
fore the exception rather than th" rI" IN France
and when the cart with the portable bath Is seen IN
front Of any house. the pasSer,by are apt 10 remark
in plying tones "Fnut II qu'on sct maad" IL hani
panvr,s gems, nIow III somebody in that house must
be- poor p.opl.D II !, inconc"ivab" ~ ~"
mind OF the middle and lower classes OF the Fr"n'h
that any one should take bath unless very sick
r;amb.tta who was not really n Fr"nchmah' bnt
m Italian was never tired Of rcNiling IN" 'alllc
tendency 10 personal nnccanliness. and hav" often
heard him declare that the French Army w"nld never
,,taln military prc.cmlncncc until the French rs
nation became imbucd with the proper dcgrr" OF ap
oroci,tion az the virtues Of daily tub u j. "hlF |
fair however 90 add that the French are IN" most |
.leanly people In the world rs regards hheh' '"'''
. mn nation ON the fac. 81 the globe wh"r" III" !
,undress occupies 80 important Il piac" III inc com
nuniy aS I'm France: and both the French wo""' anu
mo French man. no matter how humble th''r r"hN
are content TO wear III" most shabby oi ''o'''' 80
onc ~ they can get clean I"h
Quite the contrary In every r'Sp'c' ''' NV
rononesc who no matter what their c"hdl''"'' !"
,fov princr or peasant. make Il practice "I H'N"E'
~, one but several sleaming hot baths every "'N
rho cleansing effect Of thcs" ADDITIONS - wv"
.omnet.Iv cnuntcIaccd by the fact tha' III" "''''
Invariably put on when emerging from 'n'''
no same unceanly garments that thrv III" V"
ore entering the water. These garments
. e,v th.v never change The SIX kilh"""' "
thor vcs,Inents are handed down from e'l''T""'" "
,crotion and inasmuch the fabric !, mAe'''N' %
oven they las. not one. but several lii'""'''
,,on underneath Is moi changed, but WORN ,
icing laundried until II drops OH III f"t' '" ,, a..
ccn august dgnltarics Of tho Japanese "'' ,no
, in ,bc most superb Of siikcn N"sim'h''' wv
c.ct Of which was entirely destroyed 10 H"'r
.os at any rate by the glimps" at the 'n'o"' ""n
ornd the wrist OF jersey uhn'rN"' ,, a.
r,rinoy been white hut that by age an" US III,
I,a buc altogether In keeping with tn" 'o"'"''
complexion OF It's we;r'r' who
In Europe the only p'asan'ry 'ha' ! N''" The