BAT 



the weft fiJe of Kenncbeck river, about 13 miles from 

 AVifcafTct, 60 N.E. from Portland, 32 from HallowcU, 

 and 16? N.E. from Bolton. N. lat. 43" 49'- .. 



Bath, a thriving town, in Berkley county, in Virginia, 

 feated at the foot of the warm-fpring mountain. 1 he 

 fprinKs in the vicinity of this town,, though lefs efr-cacious 

 than the warm fprinirs in Bath county, draw upwards of 

 1000 people here, during fummer, from various parts ci the 

 United States. The countiy in the environs is agreeably di- 

 verfified with hills and valleys ; the foil rich and well culti- 

 vated; 269 miles S.W. from Philadelphia. 



Bath, a townfhip of America, in Grafton county, New 

 HampOiire, containing 493 inhabitants; and lyins on the 

 call bank of Connedlicut river ; 35 miles N.E. by N. from 

 Dartmouth college, and 97 N. W. from Portlmouth. 



Bath, or Port Bath, an ancient town m Hyde county, 

 North Carolina, on the north fide of Tar river, about 24 

 miles from Pamplico found, 61 S. by \V. from Edenton, 

 and in the port of entr)- on Tar nver. It contains about 

 12 houfes, and is declining. N. lat. 35° 31'. W. long. 



77° '5'- 



Bath, a village in the county of Renflalaer, New York, 



pleafanily feated on the calt bank of Hudfon river, nearly 

 oppofitc to the city of Albany, at the head of Sloop navi- 

 gation. A mineral fpring has been difcovered in this place, 

 and a commodious bathing houfe has been erefted, at a 

 confiderable expence, containing hot, cold, and fhower 



baths. 



Bath, a thriving poft-town in Steuben county. New York, 

 containing about 50 houfes, fituate on the north bank of Con- 

 hofton creek, a northern head-water of Tioga river, 42 miles 

 fouth-eaft from Williamfturg, 120 from Niagara, and 221 

 »?ea from. Hudfon city. N. lat. 42° 15'. W. long. 77° 10'. 



Bath, a village in the eaftcrn parilh of St. Thomas, in 

 the ifland of Jamaica. It owes its rife and name to a hot 

 fpring near it, which is faid to be very efficacious in the 

 care of the dry bellv-ache. The fulphureous water flows 

 from a rocky mountain about a mile dillant, and is fo hot 

 that the hand cannot be held in it. 



Bath, Balneum, a convenient receptacle of water for 

 perfons to wa(h or plunge in, either for health or pleafure. 

 Jkths are either natural or artificial. Natural, again, are 

 either hot or cold. 



Baths, Natural, hot and coli See JllineralW at ^ks. 



B.»THS, jlrtyiaal or Medicated. The very accurate imi- 

 tations of mo!l of the mineral waters for the purpofe of 

 drinking which are now met with, have' induced fome inge- 

 nious artitls to extend the imitation to larger quantities of 

 water fufficient for the purpofe of bathing. The method 

 of performing each will be explained under the article of 

 Waters, Mineral. 



Of artificial baths fome are aqueous, others vaporous, 

 ethers dr)', &c. 



Baths, /Iqueous, are thofe prepared from common 

 plants and other fubftances of emollient, rcfolvent, and 

 nervous kinds. Aqueous Baths fometimes confift of milk 

 and emollient herbs, with rofe-water, &c. when the defign 

 is to humectate ; at other times of bian and water, when 

 llie defign is only to cleanfe ; fometimes again they are 

 made of a dccoftion of roots and plants, with an addition 

 of fpirit of wine, when a perfon bathes for a great pain or 

 tumor, &c. 



In Vapour Baths, the fume or fleam of fome decoiflionis 

 received upon the body to promote a'perfpiration. Thefe 

 are alio by fome called Balnea Laconka. 



Vapour Baths are, when the patient is not plunged into 

 what is prepared for the bath, but only receives v.t Iteam 



BAT 



upon thofe parts of his body which require it : as in fome 

 diftcmpsrs of the fundament and womb, where the patient 

 fits and receives the fumes of fome proper fomentation, &c. 

 Mr. James Playfair has publifhed " A Method of conllruft- 

 ing Vapour Baths," fo as to render them of fmall expence, 

 and of commodious ufe in private families." The principles 

 on which this method is founded are, that in the vapour 

 bath the water being applied, not in the fl:ate of fteam, 

 but of folution in air, a much Icfs quantity of the heated 

 fluid tliau that ufually applied will fuffice, provided the heat 

 of the inclofed air can be maintained in a fufficient degree ; 

 and that denfe fubllances, efpecially metallic ones, being 

 the grcateft conductors of heat, are to be avoided in the 

 conftrudtion of the vefftl containing the vapouis, and the 

 lighted and moll non-conduAing materials ufed inftead of 

 them. The whole apparatus for the vapour-bath is, there- 

 fore, reduced to a tin boiler, tin pipes wrapped in flannel, 

 and a deal box, with a cotton cover, for the reception of 

 the body and circulation of the vapour. 



To thefe may be added the bagnio, where people are made 

 to fweat by the heat of a room, and pouring on of hot water ; 

 after which they generally go into a hot bath, or bagnio. 

 See Bathing. 



Baths, Dry, are thefe made of allies, fait, fand, (hrcds 

 of leather, and the like. 



The ancients had divers ways of fweating by a dry heat ; 

 as by the means of a hot fand, ftove rooms, or artificial 

 bagnios, and certain natural hot lleams of the earth, re- 

 ceived under a proper arch, or hot-houfe, as we learn from 

 Cclfus. They had alfo another kind of bath by infolation, 

 where the body was expofed to the fun for fome time, in 

 order to draw forth the fuperfluous rr.oifture from the in- 

 ward parts ; and to this day it is a praftice in fome nations 

 to cover the body over with horfe-dung, efpecially in chro- 

 nical difeafes, to digell ar.d breathe out the humour that 

 caufcs the diftemper. In New England, they make a kind 

 of ilovcs of turf, wherein the fick are fhut up to bathe or 

 fweat. Phil. Tranf. N° 384. p. 130. The fame name is 

 fometimes alfo given to another kind of baths, made of 

 kindled coals, or burning fpirit of wine; the patient being 

 placed in a convenient clofe chair for the reception of the 

 fume, which rifes and provokes fweat in a plentiful manner : 

 care is here taken to keep the head out, and to fecure re- 

 fpiration. 



This bath has been found very effeftual in removing cldob- 

 ftinate pains in the limbs, and venereal complaints ; and, it is 

 laid, will often complete a cure, left unperformed byfalivation. 



Baths, Metallint, thofe made of water impregnated with 

 ihefcorls of metals. The mod common and ufeful of this 

 kind are thofe prepared with the fcoriis of iron, which abound 

 with the earthy, lahne, and fulphureous fubftance of the 

 metal ; and thefe are of excellent fervice for ilrengthening 

 and bracing up the part to which they are applied, and re- 

 covering weak and decayed limbs ; itopping various kinds 

 of bleeding ; and reftoring the menftrual and hnemorrhoidal 

 flux, where obilrufled ; infomuch that they may well be 

 fubfliruted for the natural iron baths. 



Adjacent to the fmelting huts where metals are run fron^ 

 their ore, are to be found large quantities of the (lag of 

 copper, anrimony, and cobalt, which abounding with ful- 

 phur, vitriolic fait, and an earthy principle, makeferviceable 

 baths for flrengthening the loft tone of the fibres, and re- 

 laxing them when they are too lliff. Thefe baths have like- 

 wife a deterfiveand cleanfing virtue ; fo that, with prudence 

 and due regard to circumllances, they may be ufed on 

 many occafions. The way of making thefe artificial baths 

 is, either to take the flags as they come hot from the fur- 



naccj 



