586 Of the Salubrity of Warm Bathing. 



been entertained of its being very beneficial to health ; 

 and nobody can doubt of its being pleasant and agree- 

 able in a high degree. 



Had warm bathing never prevailed but in certain 

 climates, doubts might be entertained of its general 

 usefulness ; but so many nations, remote from each 

 other, and inhabiting countries extremely different, not 

 only in respect to climate, but also in respect to situa- 

 tion and produce, and where manners and customs 

 have been extremely different in all other respects, 

 have practised it, that we may safely venture to pro- 

 nounce warm bathing to be useful to man. 



It was by accident I was led, about two years ago, 

 to consider this subject with that attention which it 

 appears to me to deserve ; and I then made an experi- 

 ment on myself, the result of which I really think very 

 interesting, and of sufficient importance to deserve 

 being made known to the public. 



The waters of Harrowgate, in Yorkshire, having 

 been recommended to me by my physician, I went 

 there in the month of July, 1800, and remained there 

 two months. I began with drinking the waters at the 

 well every morning, and with bathing in them, warmed 

 to about ninety-six degrees of Fahrenheit's thermome- 

 ter, every third day at my lodgings. 



At first I went into the bath at about ten o'clock in 

 the evening, and remained in it from ten to fifteen min- 

 utes, and immediately on coming out of it went to bed, 

 my bed having been well warmed, with a view to pre- 

 venting my taking cold. 



Having pursued this method some time, and finding 

 myself frequently feverish and restless after bathing, 

 I accidentally in conversation mentioned the circum- 



