IMPROVEMENTS IN BATHS FOR HYDROPATHIC OR OTHER PURPOSES AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
::
of my
I GEORGE TENNANT, of Smedley's Hydropathic. Establishment, Matlock Bank
in the County of Derbyshire, physician, do hereby declare the nature.
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BATHS FOR HYDROPATHIC OR OTHER PURPOSES
AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," to be as follows:-
CT
This invention relates to improvements in baths for hydropathic or other purposes,
and in apparatus connected therewith, and consists in constructing in an economical
manner a bath that.will answer the purposes of an ascending or descending douche,
or spray, and a sitz bath.
It is well known that in the treatment of certain diseases of the lowest parts of
the body a stream of water in a compact or divided form is thrown upon the
perineum and adjacent parts, and this is effected by what is commonly called an
ascending douche, the lid or seat of which is formed with an aperture similar to
that of a water closet. In the interior of the box is a pump fed by water in the
bottom of the box, and the delivery terminating in a single jot or rose is directed
upwards towards the centre of the aforesaid aperture in the lid or seat. This
apparatus is used solely for the purpose of throwing a jet or spray of water upon
the perineum and adjacent organs.
In the treatment of disease an apparatus known by the name of a sitz bath
is also employed, which consists of an arrangement by which while the patient is
in a sitting posture, the lower part of the body can be immersed in water.
My invention consists in an arrangement whereby the ordinary sitz bath
can be converted into an ascending douche, or a spray, thus answering the double
purpose, which is accomplished as follows:-I fix to the side or other convenient
position of the sitz bath a pomp, provided with suitable appliances for working
the samo, also an air vessel to render the flow of the water continuous. The
underside of the floor of the sitz bath is provided with a water well or
cavity, from which the pump is supplied by suitable pipes. The floor of the
sitz bath is perforated and thus affords a passage for the water from the bath to
the well or cavity. The delivery pipe from the pump after passing through the
air vessel opens into the bottom of the bath by an aperture which is on a level with
the floor or seat of the bath, and is provided with a female screw into which the
nozzle of the douche jet, or the spray rose, may be fixed.

page_text: To the sitz bath is fixed a cover of wood or other suitable materials, in which
is an aperture similar to that of the ascending douche before described. The jet
and rose are screwed into the bottom of the bath vertically, consequently they point
upward towards the centre of the aperture in the seat, a patient seated on the
cover can thus direct a stream of water (a douche) or a spray to the lower parts
of the body. By removing the cover and displacing the nozzles, the apparatus or
bath may be used as an ordinary sitz bath. The douche nozzle is screwed into
the seat of the sitz bath, the upper nozzle being provided on the outside with a
screw on which can be screwed the spray rose as desired.
In another arrangement I construct the douche and spray nozzles so that both
operations can be performed without removal, which is as follows:-The douche
nozzle is screwed into the seat of the bath, the upper part of which is provided
with sluts or openings, over which is fitted a swivelling pipe or nozzle with similar
slots or openings. To the latter is fixed by screwing or otherwise a rose, the centre
of which swivels round the apex of the douche jet. When it is required to use the
douche jet, the nozzle or swivelling pipe is so placed that the slots or openings are
closed, by which the water is forced or pumped through the nozzle: if the spray.
is required the slots or openings are opened, thus allowing the water to pass into
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page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I GEORGE TENNANT of Smedley's Hydropathic Establishment, Matlock Bank
in the County of Derby physician do hereby declare the nature of my Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BATHS FOR HYDROPATHIC OR OTHER PURPOSES AND IN
APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates to improvements in baths for hydropathic or other
purposes and in apparatus connected therewith, and consists in constructing in an
economical manner a bath that will answer the purposes of an ascending or
descending douche, or spray, and a sitz bath.
It is well known that in the treatment of certain diseases of the lower parts of
the body a stream of water in a compact or divided form is thrown upon the
perineum and adjacent parts, and this is effected by what is commonly called an
ascending douche, the lid or seat of which is formed with an aperture similar to
that of a water closet. In the interior of the box is a pump fed by water in the
bottom of the box, and the delivery terminating in a single jet or rose is directed
upwards toward the centre of the aforesaid aperture in the lid or seat. This
apparatus is used solely for the purpose of throwing a jet or spray of water upon
the perineum and adjacent parts.
In the treatment of disease an apparatus known by the name of a sitz bath is
also employed, which consists of an arrangement by which, while the patient is in
a sitting posture, the lower part of the body can be immersed in water.
My invention consists in an arrangement whereby the ordinary sitz bath can be
converted into an ascending douche, or a spray, thus answering the double purpose,
which is accomplished as follows:-I fix to the side or other convenient position of
the sitz bath a pump provided with suitable appliances for working the same; also
an air vessel to render the flow of the water continuous. The underside of the
floor of the sitz bath is provided with a water well or cavity from which the pump
is supplied by suitable pipes. The floor of the sitz bath is perforated and thus
affords a passage for the water from the bath to the well or cavity. The delivery
from the pump after passing through the air vessel opens into the bottom of the
bath by an aperture which is on a level with the floor or seat of the bath and is
provided with a female screw into which the nozzle of the douche jet, or the spray
rose, may be fixed.
To the sitz bath is fixed a cover of wood or other suitable materials; in which is
an aperture similar to that of the ascending douche before described. The jet and
rose are screwed into the bottom of the bath vertically, consequently they point
upwards toward the centre of the aperture in the seat: a patient seated on the
cover can thus direct a stream of water (a douche) or a spray to the lower parts
of the body. By removing the cover and displacing the nozzle the bath may be
used as an ordinary sitz bath. The douche and spray nozzle is constructed so that
both operations can be readily performed without removing the same which, is as

page_text: follows: The douche nozzle is screwed into the seat of the bath, the upper part of
which is provided with slots or openings over which is fitted a swivelling pipe or
nozzle with similar slots or openings. To the latter is fixed by screwing or other-
wise a rose, the centre of which swivels round the apex of the douche jet.
When it is required to use the douche jet the nozzle or swivelling pipe is so placed
that the slots or openings are closed, by which the water is forced or pumped
through the nozzle: if the spray is required the slots or openings are opened, thus
allowing the water to pass into the rose, which is effected by simply turning or
swivelling the rose to the right or left as desired.
It is obvious that this arrangement may be applied to various kinds of baths,
thus converting a sitz bath into a descending douche, or a spray or shower bath,
which is accomplished by attaching flexible or fixed tubing by a screw or other
equivalents to the opening or outlet from the pump, and affixing to the other end
of the tubing the nozzle described. In using a flexible tube a douche or spray may
be directed to the back or any other part of the body at will.
In order that my said Invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
This
Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a sitz bath with my improvements applied for the
-purpose-of-constructing in an economical and efficient manner a bath that will
answer as an ascending or descending douche, or spray, and-a-sitz-bath; Fig. 2
is a sectional elevation of Fig. I through line AB, and Fig. 3 is a plan of the
Bamo. A is an ordinary sitz bath to the side of which is fixed in any convenient
manner the pump B, provided with the handle C for working the same.
pump can be made on the single or double acting principle with any suitable kind
of valves and of-any-convenient size, provided with the air vessel D to render the
flow of the water continuous. The floor E of the sitz bath is perforated; through-
which the water flows into the ordinary well or cavity H from which the pump B
-is-supplied through the pipe F. On the air vessel is fixed the outlet or delivery
pipe G from the pump to the underside of the well-or-cavity-H under the floor or
seat of the bath. The floor of the bath is provided with a female screw into which
the end of the douche jet and spray nozzle K is fixed vertically, through which,
when a patient is seated on the cover or perforated seat I, a stream of water
(a douche) or a spray can be directed to the lower or affected parts of the body.
By removing the cover or seat I and displacing the nozzle K the bath can be used
as an ordinary sitz bath.
My arrangement of douche jet and spray nozzle K will be better understood by
referring to Fig. 4, which is a sectional elevation of the same with the spray open.
The end L is screwed into the female screw in the seat of the bath, the flange M
resting on the floor of the same; the upper part is provided with the projection N
with the slots or openings O. Over this projection is placed the swivelling pipe or
nozzle provided with similar openings R, round which is disposed the shell or
casing K and rose T. The shell K and rose T with the nozzle P swivel on and
round the projection N sufficiently to open or close the openings O, as in Figs. 8
and 9. Fig. 8 is a section through line C¹ D¹ shewing the position of the openings
when the rose is in operation and the douche jet closed, and Fig. 9 is a section
through the same line shewing the said openings when the douche jet is open and
the spray closed, in which the water passes through the openings V in the top end
of the projection N and swivelling nozzle P, which are shewn open in this figure
and closed in figure 8. Fig. 6 is a sectional plan through line E' F¹ shewing the
pin W and slot Z in the flange Y for the purpose of determining the travel and
position of the swivelling nozzle P and its openings. Fig. 7 is a plan of Fig. 5
shewing the rose and jet end.
It is manifest that my improvements may be applied in a variety of ways by
which a sitz bath may be converted into a descending douche, spray, or shower
bath, which is effected by disconnecting the bend Q in Fig. 1 and coupling a flexible
or other tube to the outlet G on the air vessel of the pump as shown in Fig. 10.
In using a flexible tube provided with the nozzle K as in Fig. 10 a douche or spray'

page_text: may be directed to the back or any other part of the body of the patient when
sented in a sitz bath in the usual way.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. The method of converting a sitz bath into an ascending or descending douche
and spray or shower bath by means of a pump, nozzle and connections, substantially
as and for the purposes herein set forth and described.
2. The combination and arrangement of the nozzle K constructed to give a
stream of water in a compact or a divided form for the purposes herein set
forth, applied and operating substantially as described and as shown on the
drawings.