NOVEL BATHS.
Numerous substances have been employed in bathing, under the idea that they possessed peculiar specific virtues; the following are some of the chief:—
Mud Bath.—Immersion of the body in warm mud has been a favorite practice at several places in Italy, France, Germany, and other countries. The effects are not very different from those of any warm bath, and are said to be very pleasant, by those who have taken them. If the mud were not medicated, this kind of bath would not be especially objectionable for those who could enjoy it.
Earth Bath.—Burying the body in the moist earth has also been practiced. We have known of one instance in which this remedy was successfully used in the treatment of ague.
Bees’ eggs, milk, blood, wine, sand, and gelatine have also been employed by different nations, at different periods, in bathing. None of these applications are superior to pure water, which all nature recognizes as the proper material for bathing purposes.