The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1898-02-04

til he becomes Injured to it. The head
Is surrounded with cloths wet in cold
water, and cool water is given him to
drink should he feel the necessity for
it. Upon emerging from the hot
rooms, he plunges into cold bath, or
receives cool shower bath. The eff
feet is tome and cleansing, although in
lesser degree than in the Turkish
bath. The original mode O. adminter
ing a vapor bath, and one which can
still be extemporized on an emergency
almost anywhere, is by means of tub,
! partly filled with water, and heated
bricks and stones The bather sits
naked on a canebottomed or OPEN
work chair, with pair of blankets
around his neck and extending over
the tub, which is placed under the
chair. A red-hot brick or stone is put
into the water in the tub; the patient
is instantly enveloped in steam, which
may be continued or intensified as de-
sired by the occasional addition of an
other vaporizer or brick, the quantity
of steam and degree of heat being reg
ulated by the frequency with which
additional bricks or stones are added.
This method Of using the vapor bath
has been found to exist among the
original Mexicans aud other aborigi-
nal Americans.
The Turkish bath is really not q
bath at all, for it consists iu the appli-
cation of dry, hot air, the perspiration
which this application induces result
ing in thorough cleansing. The
bather passes from one apartment to
another, each being of a higher tenn
perature than the preceding. The 70.
pid evaporation of the perspiration is
really a cooling process, and bathers
consequently endure with comparative
ease the intensely hot atmosphere to
which they are subjected and find
themselves able, with little inconve-
! lIcncc. to remain in room heated to
even two hundred and twenty degrees
Fahrenheit. After emerging from the
hottest room, they undergo thorough
shampooing, which removes all the ef
fete matter. The pores are closed by a
plunge or shower bath. The Turkish
bath is an nagreeahle luxury and an hy-
gienic agent Of great value. 1t should
be made feature of all public baths.
At present such modes Of bathing are
entirely beyond the reach of the poor
who perhaps need them more than
others. 1t is pos ible, however, to
purchase, at small price, home Turk
ish bath cabinets, and thus secure the
benefit of either Russian or Turkish
bath at ones own home and rs mini
mum of expense.
Sea bathing is an excellent tonic,
and is deservedly popular in America,
especially in the East. No doubt
much of the benefit usually ascribed to
it is due to other causes, such as the
incidental exercise, the fresh air, and
the general freedom from care and rou-
tine. But there is no doubt that the
bath has an excellent revitalizing ei-
feet upon the organs of the body.
The shower or rain bath is widely
utalized in America, and is usually an
adjunct of tub baths. The water pro-
duces an agreeable shoe, by coming
into direct contact with the skin. The
bather stands beneath the reservoir,
and numerous small streams fall upon
his head, neck and shoulders. 1t is
employed either cold, tepid or hot, be-
ing moderated according to the ability
! of the bather to withstand the shock
or induce reaction. As already indi-
Gated. this bath is popular in German
schools, aad is the best form for public
bathing establishments. 1t is not on
ly tonic, but cleansing as we'll
The douchc bath is popular bath
among athletes and students of physi-
cal culture. 1t is 40 excellent applica-
tion Tor sprains or weak or stiff joints.
! \ stream of water is dashed upon the
+ bather from a distance. The effect is
! similar to the shower bath, save that it
| is intensified.
The foree ding are the principal
baths in vogue, bat advocates of the
watercurc recommend a variety of
others, a few of which deserve notice.
For instance. there is the sponge bath,
which consists of the application to the
body of water through tho medium Of
sponge, and is well adapted to inva-
lid patients The foot bath, or INNER
sion Of the feet in water, is known to
every body. The sitz-bath, Or INNER
sion of thighs, hips and abdomen, is
making great hcadway. Then there
are sulphur and other medical baths,
as we'll as t,e sheet pack, which is
nsed in inducing persplration in eases
of fevers and similar morbid states.
| Bathing is one of the higienic agents
which. in course of time, will sound
the knell of drug medication, each year
being discarded more and more, us
people learn that hygienic living can
/ obviatc the need of medicine and pre-
vent most human physical ills AS
public bathing establishments multi
! ply in America-where at present the
very few that exist are regarded as
novelties-we may expect to see a
healthier and cleaner generation, bet
ter fitted to cope with the hard work
and taxing strain oflifr.--OscAR HERR