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water nor yet dry fweating-baths ; differing in tliis re^ptB. 

 from all the batlis of antiquity, as well as from tliofo ot tlie 

 modern Orientals ; and in this coiififts their efTential excellence, 

 that they are beneficial in fuch a variety of cafes, where hot- 

 w;iter baths would be ulelefs or even pernicious. They are 

 further " falutary baths," as they promote cleanlinefs, afUfl 

 the perfpiration.'rctider the (Idn foft and fmooth, &c. and 

 not voluptuous baths hke thofe of the Greeks and Romans. 

 All the inventions of effeminacy and IUXU17 are entirely ob- 

 viated ; and of anointinp; after the ufe of the bath, indifpen- 

 fible in thofe, the R\i(rian is wholly ignorant. Inllead of 

 this the fudden tranfition from heat to a rigo-ous froil liardens 

 his body, and adapts it to all the feveritics of climate, and to 

 every vi'ciffitude of weather ; a tranfition which feems to us 

 unnatural or dangerous, merely from the prejudices of a foft 

 and elTeminate age. 



Mr. Tookeaddf, that, without doubt, the Ruffians owe 

 thtir longevity, their robull llate of health, their little dif- 

 pofition to certain mortal difcafcs, and their happy and chear- 

 ful temper, moRly to thefe baths, though climate, aliment, 

 and habits of livinj: likewife contribute their (hare. 



The great lord chancellor Bacon, and other fagacious 

 obferversof nature, and of mankind, have lamented, and cer- 

 tainly not without caufe, that the pradice of bathing lias 

 fallen into difufe among the modern nations of Europe, and 

 anxioufly wifh that it might again revive in all our towns and 

 villages. In faft, wlien we confider, fays Mr. Tooke, 

 that the old phyficians fo early introduced into their prac- 

 tice tliis remedy of nat\ire's own invention, and employed it 

 with fuch great fuccefs ; when we recoliecl that Rome for 

 500 years had no phyficians but only baths, and that to this 

 dav a multitude of nations cure almoft all their maladies 

 merely by baths ; we cannot avoid regarding the dilmiflion 

 of them as the epocha of a grand revolution, which has been 

 wrought in the phyfical ftate of the human race, in one 

 quarter of the world. The natural perfpiration, the moil 

 in'.portant of all excretions, mufl naturally go on better in a 

 body conftantly kept foft by bathing. Many impurities 

 that privily lay in us the train to tedious and dangerous dif- 

 tempers are removed in time, before they poifon the blood 

 and juices. All exanthematic difeafes are abated by bath- 

 ing, and confequently the fmall-pox ; and if this dreadful 

 diiorderbe actually lefs fatal in Rnflia than in other countries, 

 this phenomenon need not be attributed to any other caufe 

 befides vapour-baths. 



Bathing, medic'inalh confiikreil, ranks among the mod 

 efficacious means by which difeafes are prevented or cured. 

 Its effcAs vary according to the variation of temperature, 

 and according to the qualities of the liquid medium em- 

 ployed ; that is, according as the bath confifts either of 

 common water, or of water containing fait or other mineral 

 ingredients (fee Mineral Waters), or of water impreg- 

 nated \flth the virtues of aromatic or other herbs. Thefe 

 lall, which go under the name of medicated baths, are feldom 

 ufed ; and when they are, we are inclined to believe that it 

 is to the water)' medium, rather than to fuch impregnations, 

 that their beneficial operation is to be afcribed. 



Under the prefent head, we fhall confine ourfelves to the 

 confideration of the cffefts produced by bathing, fo far as 

 they depend upon a diminution or increafe of tempera- 

 ture above or below the natural llandard of the human 

 body. 



Baths of different degrees of temperature, correfponding 

 to the familiar terms, cold, temperate, and hot, are fuited to 

 different and oppofite ffates of the body. The manner of 

 ufing them is alfo different ; the time of immerfion or (laying 

 in them varj-ing according to the difference of temperature, 



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and accordinff to the required quantum of impreflion or ef- 

 fect, as will be particularly noticed in treating of each. — 

 And, firll.'of the 



Cold Bath, by which is underftnod water of a tempera- 

 ture from 65 to 33 of Fahrenheit. The general effefts pro- 

 duced in a healthy perfon by immei-fion into an ordinary 

 cold bath (that is, water of the temperature of 48 or 50) 

 are, according to the accurate ftateir.ent of Dr. Saunders, 

 as follow : " Firft, there is a general fenfation of cold, 

 forming that fudden (liock to the whole fydem, which is one 

 of the moll ii<i]>ortant efTedis of the cold bath. This is al- 

 m >ll immediately fucceedcd by an equally univerfa! fcufe of 

 warmth, wiiich increafcs rapidly to a certain point, fo ss 

 to caufe the furrounding water, though acluaily cold, to 

 feel of a comfortable warmth ; and this feeling i^ foor.er 

 produced, and continues longer, in p-oportion as the perfon 

 is in full health, and naturally polfeffes a vigorous circu- 

 lation. By degrees, however, if the body continues im- 

 meifed, it becomes chilled; violent (hivering com.es on; 

 the extremities grow numb and pale ; iometimes ficknefs 

 takes place ; and, at lall, the animal pov^fers are exhaufted 

 by cold and fatigue. In this procefs, the mod remarkable 

 elTedls are thofe which occur fird, and are direAly confe- 

 qnent to thj (liock of im^merfion ; and thefe require parti- 

 cular attention in a medical view, as it is only to the pro- 

 dufticn of thefe that the cold bathing fnould be fuffered 

 to proceed. The fenfations of returning warmth which 

 take place direftly after the cold of the firft im.merfion, con- 

 ditute what has been called the renSicn of the fyjhm ; and 

 tl'.is is certainly a proper and charafterillic term, as it im- 

 ports an aftion produced in t'le body itlVlf, to refift an ex- 

 ternal impreffion. Reaction in this place feems to be a pe- 

 culiar effort of the living power, and to be excited in a de- 

 gree proportionate to the force of that power, and to the 

 intenfity of the caufe which called it into aftion. It implies 

 not merely an increafe of the produclion of animal heat, 

 but, fuperadded to this, a fudden effort within the body, and 

 the whole arterial fydem, to overcome an impreffion on the 

 extremities as fudden and powerful. Hence it is, that a 

 mere abllraftion of heat, by a cold medium, will not pro- 

 duce that which is precifely meant by readlion, except the 

 external cold be applied fuddenly, and to a large furface. 

 Thefe two conditions are fulfilled by fudden immerfion into 

 cold water. The iuperior power of conducing heat which 

 water poffeffes over air, is alfo a circumdance that is always 

 to be kept in mind in applying cold externally. This is par- 

 ticularly (hewn where a perfon continues long in this cold 

 medium beyond the fird effedls of reaftion. On account of 

 the high conducing power of water, the body mull bf con- 

 dantly employed in producing an unufual quantity of heat ; 

 and this appears to be a great eftort in the conditution, 

 which, if carried too far, goes diredlly to deftroy the ani- 

 mal powers." Thus three effeils are produced by immerfion 

 in cold water; viz. an indantaneous and powerful (hock, a 

 fudden abdratlion of heat from the furface of the body, and 

 that exertion of the vital energies to counteraft the drock 

 and redore the lod quantity of animal heat, which is termed 

 reaction. It is eafy to perceive, that when the body is 

 placed under fuch circumdances for a few feconds, a confi- 

 derable impreffion mull be made, firft, upon the fentient fyf- 

 tem, i. e. the brain, and its ramifications, the nerves ; and, 

 fecondly, upon the fanguiferous and abforbent fyftems : 

 and that fuch impreffion may be rendered fubfervient to the 

 prevention and cure of various difeafes. Accordingly, the 

 cold bath is a principal remedy, fird, in many convulfive 

 affeflions, and in maniacal attacks ; and, fecondly, in certain 

 forms and conditions of fever. 



1. In 



