The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-10-11
Hygientc Bathing

hy StOhio
To the Editor of the Journal and Courier:
AS bearing on the subject of a pro-
posed public bath house in this city,
for which the sum Of $4,000 has been
appropriated, and concerning the delay
in erecting which one of your CORE
spondents inquiries will you kindly re-
print the enclosed extract from a med
ical publication of acknowledged au-
thority? 1t will be observed that the
objections made against public SWIM
ming pools would also apply against the
use of public bath-tubs.
Instead of erecting costly city bath
house, toward which $4,000 would hard
ly suffice for beginning, and which
would be available for the people of
only one section Of the city and practi-
cally useless for those of all the other
sections, would 1t not be better to ar
range for shower bath accommodations
in several different wards? Probably
this could be done by the city In coop
Grafton with various factories which
have already at command the water,
heat and power that would be required,
and the employees of which would be
among those most benefited by conven-
fences of this nature. Used In this way
$4,000 would be quite considerable
sum, and would confer the greatest ben
eflts on the greatest number.
H. T. B.
Physicians Raise Objections to the Use
of the Swimming Pools.
The dangers of the public swimming
pool should not be forgotten by those
suddenly interested in the subject of
cleanliness among the poor of the cities
In the first place. only a small portion
Of the citizens of the United States can
or will avail themselves of the supposed
benefits OF unregulated free bathing.
The city poor is small part of the
whole number Of citizens. Indeed, the
proper place for cleansing the body is
at home, and effort should be made by
hygienists to educate the people In this
matter. Then, again, 1t is only on the
ocean shore that sufficient pure water
can be had for clean bathing. The
water of our streams and rivers is so
fouled that without flltering. etc, no
competent sanitary authority would
advise its indiscriminate use, in the
eyes, mouth, nose, ears and upon the
skin.
To make our public water supplies
sufficiently pure and plenteous for free
baths and swimming pools for all who
need bathing would at once bankrupt
every city and State. But the worst Is
vet to come. Surprising the purified
water could be, supplied in such quanti-
ties, the free swimming tank or pool Is
Immediately fouled, and almost newt
ably infected when the bathing has be-
gun The contagion of any person hav-
ing an infectious disease may be given
off in the water and carried to another
bather. To carry off or change the dir
ty and possibly infected water in pop
ular tank rapidly enough to avoid this
would be impossible.
The proper methods Of bathing are
four: ID BY the bath in ocean water
at the seashore. For only very few
of the entire people, and for but one
fourth of the year, is this possible Such
bathing, like many other kinds Of bath
ing. is not for cleansing the body. (O
BY the bath-tub with pure water pos
sible only for the well-to-do and for a
limited number in public lighthouses.
90 By the spray or rain bath, the sole
method advisable IN public baths and
If supported by the benevo-
lent. by the State or by city appropria-
tions. (4) By means Of sponge or tow
Ell at home, even with only few ga!-
Ions of water This method should be
by hygienists, physicians
and all those who would discriminating
w help forward the cause of the public
health.
The free swimming bath for the vast
majority of our people is impossible to
if the water shall be pure, and |
II is impossible to keep the water pure |
when it is provided. We leave out Of |
the count the be-sneered-at fact |
that, unless the bathing is done I'M
clothed, soap and cleanliness are not to
be thought of, and, even at best, mod
,sty, that hardly won virtue, is not en-
outraged in public bathing. The only