The Turkish Bath, Its Design and ConstructionAllsop, Robert Owen
Science
The Turkish Bath, Its Design and Construction
Allsop, Robert Owen
Baths, Turkish
The tonic appliances for treating the bather subsequently to the
shampooing, the soaping, and the cleansing, are various. The most useful
is the simple shower bath, with a very large rose, and amply supplied
with water through a regulating valve. It is employed for thoroughly
cleansing the bather before he enters the plunge, whose waters are for
the common use of all. In many small baths its place is efficiently
taken by an ordinary hand rose or spray of the kind shown at Fig. 15.
The shower proper is usually fixed above the "needle" bath, as at Fig.
14, or formed by a continuation of the "backbone" of the needle. It is
best to have separate regulating valves for the needle and shower, as at
Fig. 16; but at Fig. 14 it is shown with a branch from the pipe
conducting to the needle, and with stop cocks. The needle-bath is a
skeleton-like structure having a large hollow backbone and branching
ribs. The water ascends the backbone, and, passing into the ribs,
squirts out of small holes punctured in their internal circumferences.
The bather stands in the centre of the apparatus, with the ribs
encircling him. The ribs should be of 1/2-in. copper piping, the
backbone and lesser supports being of iron, 2-1/2 and 1-1/2 in. diameter
respectively. In a convenient position for the attendant must be placed
the regulating valve.
A more elaborate contrivance may be made, which will include needle,
shower, ascending shower, spinal douche, and back shower; but this
should be left for hydropathic institutions and invalids. Simplicity in
these matters should be the great desideratum. The above-named
additions, however, may be briefly described. At Fig. 14 I have
indicated the position of ascending shower. It would be connected with
the pipe supplying needle and shower, and have a stop-cock. The spinal
douche is a little nozzle behind the shower proper, and should have
similar connection with the supply-pipe. The back shower or spinal
spray would be a rose placed about half-way up the iron backbone, and be
connected in the same manner. Avoid these complications in a bath for
healthy persons.
[Illustration: FIG. 14.
A Needle Bath.]
The needle bath is best left exposed, but it may be enclosed in a metal
shield if desired. This bath may be placed in one of three
positions--(1) in the shampooing room, (2) in a separate chamber, (3) in
the plunge bath chamber. It is most conveniently placed where the bather
passes it _en route_ from the washing room to the plunge. For this
appliance a good head of water is absolutely essential, as with a low
pressure it is very ineffective. The illustration shows the bath
standing on iron shoes. If fixed in a corner, as ordinarily, it can be
secured to the wall by such cramps or brackets as may be necessary.
[Illustration: FIG. 15.
Spray, Wave, and Douche Baths.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account