The uses of water in health and disease

by John Harvey Kellogg

FULL BATH.

For this bath a tub is required the length of the body, about eighteen inches deep, two feet wide at the top, and, preferably, six inches narrower at the bottom. It is better to have the end intended for the head a little elevated. Place in the tub sufficient water so that the patient will be entirely covered, with the exception of the head, when he lies upon his back. During the bath, the body should be vigorously rubbed by the bather or an attendant, or both, particular pains being taken to knead and manipulate the abdomen, in a gentle, but thorough manner. The temperature of the bath, when taken for cleanliness, or for its soothing effects, should be not more than 95°, and it should be cooled down to about 85° before the conclusion of the bath, by the addition of cool water.

Every family ought to possess conveniences for this bath. Indeed, it is now found in every well-regulated modern house in our large cities. It is not so expensive but that any one can possess it. Portable baths of rubber can be obtained which are worth many times their cost. A cheap bath can be constructed of duck well oiled or covered with paint and suspended from a frame; but it will be quite unsatisfactory, not being perfectly water-tight, as such a bath should be for family use. A stationary bath may be made of wood, of the dimensions given, and lined with lead or zinc. There should be an opening in the lower end for withdrawing the water.

The full bath is one of the most refreshing of all baths, being also one of the most pleasant. Employed at a low temperature, it is a powerful means of reducing excessive heat in fevers. The hot full bath very promptly relieves the pains of acute rheumatism, and is almost a specific for colds, if taken just before retiring. Very hot and very cold temperatures are quite hazardous with this bath, since it involves so large a portion of the body. Such extremes are rarely useful in any case, and should not be used except under the eye of a physician.

HALF BATH.

The half bath is much the same as the full bath. A smaller tub is required, as the bather sits upright with his limbs extended. The water should be at least a foot deep. During the bath, the body should be well rubbed, and water should be poured over the upper portion of the body. Its general effects are nearly the same as those of the full bath, and it may be used for the same general purposes. A little more vigorous rubbing is required to prevent chilling, as so large a portion of the body is exposed. It affords a better opportunity for stirring up the bowels and abdominal viscera by shaking, percussing, and kneading the abdomen.

SHALLOW BATH.

Of this bath there are two varieties; sitting shallow and standing shallow.

Sitting shallow differs from the half bath in employing less water, and being much more vigorous. Its effects and uses are about the same. The bather should rub his limbs and the front portion of his body while the attendant pours water over his chest and shoulders, and rubs vigorously his back and sides. A person can take the bath very well alone by using a rather long coarse towel which can be drawn back and forth across the back by grasping one end with each hand. It is a very valuable means of applying water, and is in constant requisition in the hydropathic establishments. From 85° to 90° is the proper temperature for this bath. It may be used at a lower temperature in fever cases. At Bellevue Hospital it is applied at about 70° in such cases, and is administered whenever the temperature exceeds 103°. To avoid the shock of a cool bath, it may be commenced at a temperature little below blood-heat and then gradually cooled by the addition of cool water until the desired temperature is reached. The reduction of the temperature obtained by this means fully equals that obtained by the sudden application of cold, and the shock and subsequent reaction are prevented. This applies equally to all cool baths as well as the cool shallow bath.

The duration of the bath may be from one to thirty minutes. Ten or fifteen minutes will be the usual extent.