Of cheerful days, and nights without a groan.”—Cowper.
“Melancholy is overcome by a free perspiration; and cheerfulness, without any evident cause, proceeds from it.”—Sanctorius.
What is a Turkish bath? Should this question be asked by any of our readers, we would answer, that it is a bath differing from all other hot baths in this important particular, viz., that the heated medium is AIR instead of water; and that all parts of the body, when in the bath, are subjected to an even and equal temperature. The result of which is, that inasmuch as man was constituted to breathe AIR instead of vapour, the Turkish bath may be enjoyed for hours at a time, without [[40]]inconvenience; whereas in the vapour-bath the patient is unable to remain in it for more than about a quarter of an hour, in consequence of a feeling of suffocation, from want of a sufficient supply of air to the lungs. And further, there is this difference between the two baths, that in the case both of the vapour-bath and the vapour-box[2] the pulse is materially raised, whilst in the Turkish bath the pulse seldom rises above its normal state, which shows that the circulation is very little affected by it—an all-important fact, which is thus accounted for:—The normal temperature of the human body, when in a state of health, is about 98° Faht., a temperature which cannot be much augmented or diminished without producing injurious results in the system; but as it is impossible always to maintain so low temperature about us, Nature has provided, by means of perspiration, a safety valve, by which the human body is protected from the evil consequences which would arise from its exposure to a high temperature—the principle on which she acts being as follows:—It is a physical law that whenever evaporation takes place a considerable amount of latent heat, (i.e. heat not sensible to the thermometer), is absorbed, by which abstraction of heat the temperature of the body from which the evaporation proceeds is greatly lowered; but as evaporation consists in the absorption of vapour by the surrounding air, it is evident that no evaporation can take place where that air is already saturated with moisture, and it is also evident that the amount of evaporation will depend on the dryness of that air. Accordingly, in the Turkish bath, the air being almost dry, when perspiration takes place it is followed by a rapid evaporation which cools the body, and prevents its temperature from rising above a healthful limit; whereas, in the vapour-bath and vapour-box, the air being saturated, with moisture, evaporation cannot take place, and consequently as no means for reducing the high temperature of the body exist, the heat is thrown in upon the system, raising the pulse, producing feverish headache, and other symptoms of a highly deranged circulation; whilst a further derangement arises from an insufficient supply of air to the surface of the [[41]]body. In the Turkish bath, again, the system, feeling that it has an ample supply of air, is not called upon to quicken the circulation through the lungs in order to obtain an increased supply, and thus another source of feverish excitement is obviated. These and other considerations give the Turkish bath the pre-eminence, longo intevallo, over all other artificial modes[3] yet invented for acting on the skin by perspiration.
It may be observed that, cæteris paribus, the strength of each person’s constitution is directly proportional to the quantity of oxygen which his system is capable of imbibing, for on this the vitality of his system and the purity of his blood, and therefore his health, depends. Hence arises the importance of supplying the system with an abundance of pure air, and the absolute necessity, when the lungs are by nature small and deficient, of increasing that supply of air through the only other medium open to us, viz., the skin[4]—(the great supplementary organ to the lungs)—the necessity for improving and developing the absorptive powers of which is in exact proportion to the lungs’ diminished capacity. It is in this lies the great therapeutic value of the Turkish bath, viz., in its opening the pores of the skin[5], and so improving that medium for the access of oxygen to the blood. Let two individuals, one with large lungs, the other with small, pursue the same habits of living; the individual with large lungs indulging himself to the furthest extent, consistent with the continuance of his health, and it will be found, that his small-lunged companion, in trying to keep pace with him, will utterly break down, his blood becoming diseased, and his health failing him from want of a sufficient supply of oxygen to purify his blood by burning off the carbonaceous matter which poisons it and depresses his [[42]]vitality. The individual with large lungs will indulge in alcoholic beverages with impunity, to an extent which would entail consumption or some other miserable disease on his narrow-chested companion; it was the great exercise, constant exposure to, and rapid passage through, the air, (by which a large quantity of oxygen was supplied to the system through the lungs) that enabled our fox-hunting ancestors of old to live a life which their more sedentary descendants of the present day dare not attempt to practise.
Having premised thus far, we now proceed to a description of the principal features of the Turkish, or more correctly speaking, the Roman bath: at the same time strongly recommending to our readers the perusal of Mr. Urquhart’s pamphlet, for an historic and detailed account of this interesting remnant of Roman civilization.
The bath consists of three apartments, communicating with each other, each being dedicated to a special purpose. The first, or cooling-chamber, consists of a good-sized room, which may or may not be open to the heavens; but this condition is essential to it, that it be well ventilated, with a free current of cool air passing through it. In this room are placed sofas and reclining couches; and here the bather divests himself of his clothes, and places his feet in wooden clogs, previous to his entering the bath, the first act of which is enacted in the second or middle chamber.
This middle chamber consists of a room fitted with marble slabs, and mattresses to recline on; the ceiling being arched, and light transmitted from above through stars of stained glass, spreading a tinted gloom through the apartment, which effectually cuts off the mind from all communication with the outer world, disposing it to rest or quiet meditation—a frame of mind peculiarly desirable for those who medicinally[6] seek the bath. After reclining in the apartment for about half-an-hour [[43]]or three quarters, according to the temperature, which varies from 90° to 100° Faht., until the surface of the body becomes soft and moist, and the pores slightly excited, you enter the third, or heated apartment, the Sudatorium[7] of the Romans. Under a roof similar to the one already described, are arranged seats of marble, together with a large platform of the same material, which is placed in the centre of the apartment, whilst along the walls are ranged marble basins, supplied by pipes with hot and cold water. In this chamber, the temperature of which varies from 130° to 150° Faht., shampooing, an essential part of the bath, is performed, a description of which process we will borrow from Mr. Urquhart’s interesting pamphlet. Having placed the bather on the marble platform, he thus describes the process:—
“The cloths are taken from your head and shoulders; one is spread for you to lie on, the other is rolled for your head. You lie down on your back, the tellak (bath attendant) kneels at your side, and bending over, gripes and presses your chest, arms, and legs, passing from part to part like a bird shifting its place on a perch. He brings his whole weight on you with a jerk; follows the line of muscle with anatomical thumb; draws the open hand strongly over the surface, particularly round the shoulder, turning you half up in so doing; stands with his feet on the thighs and on the chest, and slips down the ribs; then up again three times, and, lastly, doubling your arms, one after the other, on the chest, pushes with both hands down, beginning at the elbow, and then putting an arm under the back and applying his chest to your crossed elbows, rolls on you across till you crack.”
The foregoing account of the process of shampooing may appear anything but pleasant to many of our readers; but they should recollect that it is a description of the process when FULLY carried out, and that it may be modified to any extent, or wholly omitted, according to the tastes of the bathers, or the physician’s prescription. Shampooing is, however, healthful and invigorating, causing the blood to flow briskly through the minor veins and capillaries, and bringing muscles and sinews into play which would otherwise remain inactive, unless a large amount of exercise were taken; it also materially assists in removing the inert skin from the surface of the body, and brings the pores into healthy action. Few people, after once undergoing the operation, would consider [[44]]that they had received the full benefit of the bath were shampooing omitted. The shampooing being concluded, the bather is conducted to one of the marble fountains already described, where the waters are mixed to the required temperature. With these he is thoroughly washed, the water being poured over the body from metal bowls. Soap is then had recourse to, which, had it been used earlier in the process, would have materially interfered with its success, as the alkali of the soap, by combining with the oily substance of the epidermis, would have deprived it of the necessary consistency for its easy detachment from the body.
After a good lathering, and a good washing with warm water:—