446 



HATH. 



phicnl society, public grammar school, &c. There 

 art- fivi> public baths, viz. Kind's ami Queen's Imth, 

 kith, Hot bath, and Ncv. Private or Kin^-ton 

 batli. The temperature of the dii'u -rent springs \aries 

 from 93" to 117 Fahrenheit. That of tin- King's bath 

 is I Hi', that of the Hot Imth 117, ami that of the 

 Cross bath 111. They contain carbonic acid, azotic 

 gas, muriate ami sulphate of soda, carbonate and snl- 

 pliate of lime, with a very small quantity ofsilexand 

 uxycarbonate of iron. They are found of great effi- 

 cacy in cases of pout, rheumatism, indigestion, palsy, 

 ami biliary ob-truetinns. The population of IJath va- 

 ries greatly at dim-rent seasons. Hy the census of 

 1831, it was 38,063. 



BATH ; a post-town and port of entry in Lincoln 

 county, Maine, on W. side of the Kennelx-ek, 12 

 miles from the sea; 13 S. W. Wiscasset, 35 N. E. 

 Portland ; Ion. 69 4SX W. ; lat. 43 55' N. : popula 

 lion in 1HIO, 24SH ; in 18^0, 3026. B. is pleasantly 

 siiuated, ami has great advantages for commerce, 

 being at the head of winter navigation. The river 

 N seldom frozen over. It is one of the most 

 commercial towns in Maine, and considerably engag- 

 ed in ship- building. It contains an academy, two 

 banks, and three houses of public worship. 



BATH. Bathing undoubtedly took place first in ri- 

 nd in the sea, but men soon learned to enjoy 

 tlf- plea-tire in their own houses. Even Homer 

 mentions the use of the bath as an old custom. When 

 riyes enters the palace of Circe, a bath is prepared 

 for him, after which he is anointed with costly per- 

 fumes, and dressed in rich garments. The bath, at 

 this period, was the first refreshment offered to the 

 guest. In later times, rooms, both public and private, 

 were built expressly for the purpose of bathing. The 

 public baths of the Greeks were mostly connected 

 with the gymnasia, because they were taken imme- 

 diately after the athletic exercises. The Romans, in 

 the period of their luxury, imitated the Greeks in this 

 point, and built magnificent baths. The following 

 description applies both to the Greek and Roman 

 baths : The building which contained them was ob- 

 long, and had two divisions, the one for males, and 

 the other for females. In both, warm or cold baths 

 could be taken. The warm baths, in both divisions, 

 were adjacent to each other, for the sake of being 

 easily heated. In the midst of the building, on the 

 ground-floor, was the heating-room, by which not 

 only the water for bathing, but sometimes also the 

 floors of the adjacent rooms, were warmed. Above 

 the heating room was an apartment in which three 

 copper kettles were walled in, one above another, so 

 that the lowest was immediately over the fire, the 

 second over the first, and the third over the second. 

 In this way, either boiling, lukewarm, or cold water 

 could be obtained. The water was carried, by sepa- 

 rate pipes, provided with cocks, from these kettles 

 into the bathing-rooms, and a fresh supply was im- 

 mediately poured into the kettles from a reservoir. 

 Close to the heating-room were three separate rooms 

 on each side, for the hot, the lukewarm, and the cold 

 bath. The bathing-rooms had, in the floor, a basin 

 of mason- work, in which there were seats, and round 

 it a gallery, where the bathers remained before they 

 descended into the bath, and where, also, the atten- 

 dants were. There was also a sweating room, which 

 was heated by means of fines, and was called laconi- 

 citm. This room had an opening in the ceiling, 

 through which the light fell, and from which was 

 suspended a brazen plate, that could be raised or let 

 down at pleasure, to increase or lessen the heat. For 

 undressing, for receiving the garments, and for anoint- 

 ing after bathing, there were different rooms ; and 

 connected with the bath were walks, covered race- 

 grounds, tennis-courts, and gardens. These build- 



ings, together with r. number of bathing-rooms, were 

 ry fora public bath, which was adorntd with 

 splendid furniture, and all the requisites fur recreation, 

 and resembled, in its exterior appearance, an exten- 

 sive palace. Roman luxury, ahvavs in -i arch of means 

 for rendering sensual enjoyments more exquisite, in 

 later times, built particular conduits for conducting 

 sea-water to the baths, used mountain snow, ami 

 enlarged these establishments in such a way that even 

 their ruins excite admiration. (See \Viehelhausen, 

 On the Baths of the Ancients, Mannheim, 1807.) 



Among the Europeans, the Russians have peculiar 

 establishments for bathing, which are visited by all 

 classes of the people during the whole .year. The 

 Russian bath consists of a single hall, built of wood. In 

 the midst of it is a powerful metal oven, covered with 

 heated stones. Round about there are broad benches. 

 In entering this hall, you encounter such a heat, that 

 one who is not accustomed to it can bear it but a few 

 moments. Those, however, who can endure it for 

 some time, undress, and stretch themselves on a 

 mattress upon one of the benches. Cold water is 

 then poured upon the heated stones ; a thick, hot 

 steam rises, which envelopes the bather, and heats 

 him to such a degree, that the sweat issues from his 

 whole body. The thermometer, in this steam, usu- 

 ally rise to 40 or 50 Reaumur (122 to 142 Fah- 

 renheit). After the Russian has enjoyed his bath in 

 this way, he is gently whipped with wet birch rods, 

 rubbed with soap, in order to lessen the perspiration, 

 and, afterwards, washed with lukewarm and cold wa- 

 ter ; of the latter, some pails full are poured over his 

 head; or else he leaps, immediately after this sweating- 

 bath, into a river or pond, or rolls in the snow. The 

 Russian of higher rank takes, after his Kith, a draught 

 of English ale, white wine, toasted bread, sugar, and 

 citrons, and rests upon a bed. The common ltu>-ian, 

 after having cooled himself in the snow, drinks some 

 brandy, and goes again to his work. The people 

 regard these oaths as a necessary of life, and they 

 are to be found in every village. They are also met 

 with in Finland. 



Among the Asiatics, baths are in general use. 

 The Turks, by their religion, are obliged to make 

 repeated ablutions daily : besides these, men and wo- 

 men must bathe in particular circumstances and at 

 certain times. For this purpose, there is, in every 

 city, a public bath connected with a mosque; and 

 rich private persons possess private bath-houses, 

 adorned with all the objects of Asiatic luxury. Be- 

 sides these baths, the Turks have also the dry-bath 

 of the ancients. The buildings, which they use for 

 this purpose, are built of stone, and usually contain 

 several rooms, the floors of which are of marble. 

 These rooms are heated by means of pipes, which 

 pass through the walls, and conduct the heated air 

 to every part. After undressing, they wrap them- 

 selves up in a cotton coverlet, put on wooden slippers, 

 in order to defend the feet against the heat of the 

 floor, and then enter the bath-room. The, hot air 

 soon produces a profuse perspiration ; upon which 

 they are washed, wiped dry, combed, and rubbed 

 with a woollen cloth. At last, the whole body is co- 

 vered with soap, or some other application, which 

 improves the skin. After this bath, they rest upon a 

 bed, and drink coffee, sherbet, or lemonade. The 

 Turkish ladies daily bathe in this manner ; the men 

 not so frequently. 



A peculiar kind of baths are used in the East In- 

 dies, of which Anquetil gives the following account : 

 An attendant stretches the bather upon a table, 

 pours over him warm water, and begins, afterwards, 

 with admirable skill, to press and to bend his whole 

 body. All tlie limbs are extended, and the joints 

 made to crack. After he lias done with one side, he 



