ioo THOMPSON YATES AND JOHNSTON LABORATORIES REPORT 
is often too high, but mainly because baths are frequently badly ventilated. The great 
importance of thorough ventilation in swimming baths, gymnasia, ballrooms, and other 
buildings in which violent physical exercise is taken, is usually overlooked. 
Lastly, assuming that it is proved that no definite illness ever occurs directly 
attributed to bathing in dirty water, it does not, therefore, follow that such water is 
healthy ; it may be unhealthy, it may diminish the vitality of the constant bather 
without him being aware of it. It has taken centuries for the civilized world to 
appreciate the fact that impure air is, in the long run, injurious. 
To sum up, though there is no evidence whatever at present that bacteria 
in public swimming baths are injurious, yet if they occur in large numbers it proves 
that the water is not clean, to put it mildly, and cleanliness is the essence of hygiene. 
Therefore, it should be the ambition of every bath superintendent to 
keep tne water as clean as possible, and to change it as often as possible, 
at least every third day. This of course is often a question of money. To 
show what may happen, we can vouch tor the fact that there is a swimming 
bath in a Midland manufacturing town which was formerly emptied once a 
fortnight, but now, by occasionally drawing a pole over the surface of the water and 
thereby catching the solid particles which float upon it, a process known as ' scumming ' 
the water, it is now changed once a month — a crime against sanitation. 
There is another reason why the water should, in most cases, be changed 
frequently, it is this. It does not require a bacteriologist to prove that the water is 
often dirty, the bather can see it, and as dirty water is less attractive there are fewer 
bathers. 
In our opinion, all municipal authorities should, in the interests of public health, 
encourage swimming in every legitimate manner, not only because every Briton should 
be able to swim, but also because there is probably no form of exercise more suitable 
for the over-worked and busy inhabitants of dirty towns than swimming. It is a tonic. 
It affords a maximum amount of exercise in a minimum amount of time. It cleans the 
bather — unfortunately at the expense of the bath. 
We do not think it necessary that every bather should be made to use soap 
before entering the bath, as obtains in several colliery districts in Lancashire, especially 
as such a practice would, owing to the trouble, certainly prevent many people from 
bathing. 
In conclusion, we are bound to say that there is probably no town in the king- 
dom where there are more baths, especially salt water baths ; where the water is more 
frequently changed, owing to the splendid water supply; and where more care and 
supervision is exercised over the baths than in Liverpool. 
We beg to thank the Authorities and Superintendents for their great courtesy 
in affording us every facility during the investigation. 
