90 THOMPSON YATES AND JOHNSTON LABORATORIES REPORT 
Now the water used to fill the baths examined was either fresh or salt ; if salt, 
owing to careful filtration, it contained under 10 bacteria per c.c. ; if fresh, not more 
than 40 per c.c. But after entering the bath this water was contaminated with 
bacteria adhering to the floor and sides, and by others dropping in from the air } 
consequently the number of bacteria present in the morning at six a.m. had increased. 
A salt water bath, for example, examined on three occasions at seven a.m., after the water 
had been stirred by two or three bathers, contained an average of 46 bacteria per c.c, the 
highest figure being 61 per c.c. Again, the clean water in a first-class fresh water bath, 
examined about eight a.m., on four occasions contained an average number of 541 
bacteria per c.c, average number of bathers being thirteen ; and the second-class 
examined on eight occasions, 1,096 per c.c, the average number of bathers being 
twenty-one. Thus, making allowances for the number of bacteria introduced by each 
bather, it is clear that the clean water in the bath contains comparatively few bacteria. 
The following table gives the average number of bacteria growing on agar at 
37 0 C, present in various swimming baths at nine p.m. ; the capacity of the bath, 
the number of bathers, and the number of observations is also stated ; baths bracketed 
together were in the same building. In Nos. 1 to 5, inclusive, the water \yas 
changed daily. In the case of No. 6, the same water remained in the bath three 
days on two occasions ; samples were taken every evening, and the figure in column 
four represents the average of the six observations. No. 7 and No. 10 were clean in 
the morning of the day that they were examined. Nos. 8 and 9 had been clean the 
morning before. 
Where 
taken 
Class 
Capacity 
(Gallons) 
Bacteria present 
per c.c. 
Number of 
bathers 
Number of 
observations 
I . 
Liverpool. 
Salt water 
First 
5 5,000 
5,088 
276 
2 
2. 
Liverpool. 
Salt water 
First 
70,000 
4>'94 
277 
8 
2.1. 
Liverpool. 
Salt water 
First 
70,000 
966 
90 
5 
(October) 
3- 
Liverpool. 
Salt water 
Second 
26,300 
1 1,970 
186 
3 
4~ 
Liverpool. 
Salt water 
Ladies 
2 8,000 
1,1 20 
80 
2 
5- 
Liverpool. 
Fresh water \ ... 
Second 
70,000 
70,880 
596 
8 
6. 
Liverpool. 
Fresh water ) ... 
First 
70,000 
29,050 
150 
6 
7- 
Lancashire. 
Fresh water 1 
First 
38,000 
1,500 
53 
1 
8. 
Lancashire. 
Fresh water ) 
Second 
52,000 
297,600 
4 8 3 
1 
9- 
Lancashire. 
Fresh water 
First 
100,000 
342,400 
380 
1 
1 0. 
Lancashire. 
Fresh water I 
Ladies 
40,000 
1 92,000 
80 
1 
