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

amusing story OF one of thcs. Jews,
whic.i yet contains all element of pa
thos. 1t appears that the Jews ho!iest
day is lom kppu, or the Day of
Atonement; on that day he fasts from
morn till eve, and however he may
have neglected the bathing regulations
on other lays, he is sure to bathe on
the afternoon proceeding this greatest
of days. The Jew of whom Mr. Zang-
will writes was hurrying home on the
afternoon in question, in order to bathe
before sunset, at which the day of fast
ing begins, when he was stopped by a
friend, whom he brushed aside, fran
ticaiIy shrieking, Don't stop me, for
Heavens sake! | missed my bath last
wear" 1t is amusing, of course, and
I,r..F.,h'v an ir,nttion of Mr. Zang-
viii $ I.ltt.. ..ls..l, tut It 't.u-;r2;- :
how the jew regards the bath as de-
NOtlolldl tAclSlSS. uc oIuildilCC VI
baptism originated with the Jews, it
being, in fact, their prescribed form for
the admission of women proselytes
into covenant with God in the Jewish
Church.
Among the ancient Greeks. bathing
was regarded largely as a hygienic
measure; necessity in nation that
looked upon physical development and
perfection as one of the aims of life.
The houses of the wealthy Greeks con-
tanned tub baths, while swimming and
river bathing were widely practiced.
Even douche baths must have been in
vogue among them, for such bath is
shown on Grecian vase now in the
Royal Museum at Berlin. We learn
from Homer that not only cold bathing
but hot water baths must have been es-
tablished over three thousand years
ago, for he mentions their use in the
Greek camp during the scigc Of Troy.
Diomed and Ulysses were refreshed by
the bath on rcturnin. from nj ght eN-
petition:
Now, from nocturnal sweat and sanguiu stain
They cleanse their bodies in the neighborng main;
Then, i'll the polished bath. refreshed from toll,
Their joints they supple with dissolvin2 OIL
And Ulysses gives 4 glowing de-
scription Of the bath prepared for him
10y the nymphs of Circe, thus:
.In the trip I'd oer the kindled pile
The water pour>; the bubbling waters boil,
An ample vase ceives the smoking wave,
And in the bath prepared my limbs lave;
Reviv,ng sweats prevent the minds decay,
AID take the painful sense Of toll away"
Medical baths were also known at
that time, the hot sulphur baths at
Thermopyl;e being highly regarded tor
the cure of diseases At later day
the gymnasiums Of the Greeks gener-
ally had baths attached, which were
used not merely as a matter of luxury
and pleasant sensation, but chiefly for
the sake of cleanliness and healthy eX-
ercise.
All the baths and bathing-houses of
antiquity pale into insignficance be-
side those of the ancient Romans, who
made the bath an institution of the
State, and who showed, by their costly
and magnificent bathing houses, how
highly they regarded it. SO splendid
were these es' Adjustments that even
the ruins Of them are to-day the most
interesting sights of the Eternal City.
In earliest times the Romans hathed
in the Tibcr; subsequently, cod swim
ming baths were introduced and proved
popular. In the time of Clodius public
baths began to be common in Rome
and other cities. while in the course of
time private baths were attached to
the villas of the wealthier citizens.
Mpcenas was one OF the first Roman
rulers to build public baths at his own
expense After his time, each Roman
emperor, as he wished to ingratiate
himself with the people, lavished the
rcvcEu $ of the state on costly and
magnificent buildings, containing not
merely suits Of bathing apartments, in
which one could take swimming, warm,
hot air or vapor baths, but also gym
nasa, and at times even theatres and
called Mrrm8 They were established
by Agrippa, Nero, Titus, Domitian,
Commodus, and by Caracalla, Dioclc-
tian, and Constantine. Tne historian
Gibbon (chap. 81 thus speaks of them:
THE stupendous aqueducts, so Justly
celebrated by the praises of Augustus him
SELF replenished the therm;e or baths, with
imperial magniticence. The baths of An
toninus Caracalla, which were open at
stated hours for the indiscriminate service
OF the senators ana the people, contained
above sixteen hundred seats of marble,
ana more that three thousand were
recHoned in the baths of Diocletian The
walls of the lofty apartments were COW
cred with curious mosaics tnat initiated
the art Of the pencil in the elegance of de-
sign and the variety of colors. The Egyp
tan granite was beautifully encrusted with
the precious green marble of Numidia, the
perpetual stream of hot water was poured
into the capacious basins through so many
wide mouths of bright and massy silver;
and the meanest Roman could purchase,
with a small copper coin, the daily en- 10y
ment of a scene of pomp and luxury hich
might excite the envy of the kings Of Asia.
From these stately palaces issues a swarm
Of dirty and ragged plebelans, without
shoes and without mantle, who loitered
away whole days in the street or Forum
to hear news or hold disputes; who dissi
pated, in cxtravAgant gamn the miser
able pittance of their wives and children"
Oils and pomades were used hy the
wealthy, but the poor caatented them