IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BATHS AND OTHER BATHS
Year: 1841

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MOSES
POOLE, of Lincoln's Inn, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Thirteenth day of July, in the fifth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her, heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Moses Poole, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Moses Poole, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others_
as I, the said Moses Poole, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no, others, from time to time and at all times during the
term of years therein expressed; should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and: vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
and also in all. Her said Majesty's, Colonies and Plantations abroad, the,
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BATHS AND OTHER BATHS," communi-
cated to me by a certain foreigner residing abroad; in which said Letters
Patent is: contained a proviso, that I, the said Moses Poole, shall cause
a particular.. description of the nature of the said Invention, and in. what
manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's.
High Court of Chancery within, six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
reference being. thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
་
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said.
Moses Poole, do hereby declare that the nature of the Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to

page_text: the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
(that is to say)
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 represents the section of a room suitably constructed and having
apparatus combined therewith according to the Invention; Figure 2 is a plan
thereof. a represents part of a steam boiler, which I prefer to be of copper,
which is to be fitted with a safety valve and also suitable means for keeping up
a proper supply of filtered soft water. In this boiler a constant supply of
steam at a pressure of ten pounds to twenty pounds on the square inch is to be
kept up for supplying the bath, and for heating water in a suitable vessel for
producing what I call rain douche baths as hereafter explaned. b, b, b, b, repre-
sents a room, the walls or sides and top and bottom of which are to be made
steam-tight, which is usually done by lining the same with lead or zinc or
other suitable materals, and there is a double glazed window z for admitting
light, and there is to be an opening y near the floor to admit air freely, having
a shutter, in order more or less close it, to regulate the supply of fresh air into
the room; and on the opposite side of the room at the upper part thereof is
another opening a, to allow of the steam and air from the room to pass off,
such opening having also a shutter by which it may be more or less closed; by
this arrangement the ingress and egress of air may be adjusted to the feelings
of the person taking the bath. c, c, is a wood floor perforated with holes, by
which the water used for the rain douche baths may flow off freely; d is a
steam pipe leading from the steam boiler to the room; on this steam pipe are
two nozels e, e, with stop-cocks, by which steam is permitted to flow into the
room constituting the bath, for it will be understood that the whole room
constitutes the chamber in which the bath is taken, thus allowing of the person
taking a steam bath according to the Invention to sit, or stand, or walk, or lie,
during the time of administering the bath; and the temperature of the bath,
owing to using of steam at considerable pressure in the boiler, will not be
above the natural temperature of the blood of the person taking the bath,
which is very important; at the same time I would remark that I do not claim
the simple use of steam generated under pressure when uncombined with a
room or apartment wherein there may be a ventilation of atmospheric air, and
a consequent change of the atmosphere of the room or bath during the act
of bathing. On either or both of the pipes e¹, e¹, may be applied a flexible
tube, with a suitable nozel for directing a strong flow of steam of different
temperature and pressure, which are regulated by the cocks on the pipes e
against any part of the person or persons taking the bath. g, h, are two tanks of
water, the tank g containing cold water, which should be pure water obtained

page_text: in condensing the steam used to heat the water of the vessel h, such vessel h
being kept supplied with filtered soft water, and by means of a steam pipe and
worm i the water in the vessel h is kept constantly boiling. j, k, l, are three
rose heads, or they may be douche nozels, screwed on to the pipes m, n, o;
such pipes having a communication with each of the tanks or vessels g, h, and
these three pipes are to allow of the person being subject to a flow of water
to three different parts of the person at the same time, which water may be at
the same temperature from each pipe, or each differing in temperature, and the
jets may have more or less force, according to the size of the perforations of the
rose heads and the opening of the cocks, and these may be regulated according
to the feelings of the person taking the bath, for instance, cool to the head,
warmer to the stomach, and still warmer to the feet, or only one or two of the
pipes may be used, according as may be desired. The pipe m by the pipe m'is
in open connection with the tank or vessel g, and by the pipe m³ the pipe m is in
open connection with the tank or vessel h; each of the pipes m² and m³ having
cocks, it will be evident that if only the cock on the pipe m¹ be opened, cold
water will flow through the pipe m, and in like manner if only the cock on the
pipe m² be opened, the flow of water would be boiling water from the vessel h
through the pipe m. It will therefore be readily understood that if both cocks
of the pipes m', m³, be open at the same time, a mixture of the water of the
vessels g and h will flow through the pipe m, and, therefore, according as the
two cocks m', m², are respectively more or less opened, so will be the temperature
of the water used, and the temperature of the water as it flows through the pipe
m may be regulated instantaneously by varying the relative quantities of hot and
cold water allowed to flow to the pipe m; and it only need to be observed, that
the pipes n and o have a similar arrangement of pipes n', n², and o¹, o², by
which a similar regulation of the temperature of the water may be obtained,
whether there be a douche nozel on each of the pipes m, n, o,. or a rose head,
as shewn; although I prefer to prepare the skin by means of the rain douches
before the steam bath, yet such preparation may be performed in an ordinary
plunge bath; p, and ŕ are four inclined benches, with the canvass or bed
tick stretched tightly over them, in order that the person or persons taking the
bath may recline thereon; s is a bench of wood perforated all over with small
holes.
In administering a steam bath according to the Invention, the person is
first subjected to a fine rain douche bath from all or any of the pipes m, n, o,
and at any temperature or force which may be felt to be agreeable to the
person, and what is considered necessary for the particular case; and such
temperature may be varied and made either hotter or colder as above de-

page_text: scribed; and before taking the steam bath I prepare the skin, by using a
rain douche bath at a comparatively low temperature, gradually increasing;
depending on the season and temperature of the atmosphere,. and according
to the medical directions for the particular case. The person having been
thus prepared, high-pressure steam is admitted into the room gradually by
the nozels e, e, and, if desired, also to a particular part or parts of the person
by means of the flexible tubes on the pipes e permitting the steam to flow,
so as to keep the room, from 80% to 100% off Fahrenheit, which will readily
be done by means of the cocks' and the ventilators, and, the patient may lie,
sit-
up, stand, or walk during the time of taking the steam bath, and it will
be found that the room will be light in addition to the advantage of the bath
being at a temperature from 80° to the natural' temperature of the blood,
which is consequent on, using. 'steam at high pressure.. The person having
remained subject to the steam bath á time, according to the circumstances of
the case and under medical advice, will again be subjected to the rain douche
bath of any or all the pipes m, n, o, commencing with a temperature
agreeable to the feelings of the person, gradually lowering the temperature
till the skin is prepared according to the temperature of the external
atmosphere; the person will then pass from the bath room into a dressing
room, and it will be found that owing to the use of, comparatively high-
pressure steam in a room constructed as above explained, and from the
circumstance of having sufficient atmosphere to breathe freely during the
time of being subject to a high-pressure.steam bath, there will, be no feeling
of oppression to the chest or head; and it is, as above stated, an important
and novel feature of this Invention: to use, high-pressure steam in a room
wherein the person taking a bath can have a plentiful supply of fresh
atmospheric air in conjunction with the steam, and also the further advantage
of having an attendant present to aid the patient and to; regulate the state
of the bath according to the feelings of the patient; and,lif. thought, necessary,
the patient can have his medical adviser, to observe the effects produced
during the bath; and such is the peculiar effects of this bath that; an attendant
'may continue throughout the day, and from day to day, subject to the bath,
with several persons in succession, without prejudice to health; on the contrary,
the attendant's health has been found to be improved under such circumstances.
And an important improvement constituting part of this Invention is the
combining the use of a previous and subsequent water bath with progressive
and gradually changing temperatures, with a high-pressure, steam bath in
a room, under the circumstances above explained:
And another improvement, above described, consists: in the mode of obtaining

page_text: any desired temperature and force of douche baths which may be used separate
from or conjointly with the steam bath as above described, and when to be
used separately, the rain douche apparatus may be made portable in place
of being fixed. And it will be evident that when required for particular
cases the water for the douche bath may be combined with vegetable, animal,
or mineral matters, which, however, forms no part of the Invention; and the
direction of the douche pipes may be varied by screwing on other pipes,
according as the patient requires to receive such baths in a sitting, standing,
or reclining posture.
Having thus described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood, that I do not confine myself
to the precise details, provided the peculiar character of either of the improve-
ments above described be retained. But what I claim is,-
First, the mode of producing a steam bath by the application of steam
(generated under considerable pressure) within a room so arranged as to
allow of a sufficient circulation of fresh atmospheric air, as above explained.
Secondly, I claim the mode of combining the use of a high-pressure steam
bath in a ventilated room with a rain douche or water bath, whereby the skin
is prepared before and after a steam bath, as above explained.
And, thirdly, I claim the mode of regulating the temperature of douche
baths, whether rain or voluminous, as above explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Moses Poole, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-two.