Part 9

Tem. 53°. Tem. 212°. 2 qts. added to 1 qt. equals 3 qts. at 106° 2½ „ „ 1 „ „ 3½ „ 98° 3 „ „ 1 „ „ 4 „ 93° 4 „ „ 1 „ „ 5 „ 85° 5 „ „ 1 „ „ 6 „ 80° 6 „ „ 1 „ „ 7 „ 76° 8 „ „ 1 „ „ 9 „ 71°

When larger quantities are needed, it is only necessary to multiply each of the combining quantities by the same number. For instance, if a gallon and a half of water is needed for a foot bath at 106°, pour into a pail or bath-tub four quarts of fresh well water and then add two quarts of boiling water. If four gallons of water are wanted for a sitz bath at 93° (a very common temperature), pour into the bath-tub three gallons of fresh well or spring water, and add one gallon of boiling water. Thus any required quantity can be obtained at the temperatures given. The cold water should be placed in the vessel first, and there should be no delay in adding the hot water, as it would rapidly lose its heat, and thus make a larger quantity necessary. Determinate measurement is not essential. The cold and hot water may be added alternately in proper proportions, being measured by the same vessel until the requisite quantity is prepared.

RULES FOR BATHING.

The following general rules should be carefully studied and thoroughly understood by any one who expects to employ the bath. Much injury to health and most of the discredit cast upon the use of water as a remedy have arisen from a disregard of some of them:—

1. A full bath should never be taken within two or three hours after a meal.

2. Such local baths as fomentations, compresses, foot baths, and even sitz baths, may be taken an hour or two after a meal; indeed, compresses and fomentations may be applied almost immediately after a light meal, without injury.

3. Employ the thermometer to determine the temperature of every bath when possible to do so; if not, employ the other methods described.

4. The temperature of the room during a bath should be 70° to 85°. Invalids require a warmer room than persons in health. Thorough ventilation is an important matter; but draughts must be carefully prevented, by screens of netting placed before openings into the room when necessary.

5. Never apply either very cold or excessively hot treatment to aged or feeble patients. Cold is especially dangerous.

6. Hot baths are rarely useful in health. The warm bath answers all the requirements of cleanliness.

7. Never take a cold bath when exhausted or chilly. A German emperor lost his life by taking a cool bath after a fatiguing march. Alexander came near losing his life in the same manner. Many have been rendered cripples for life by so doing. No harm will result from a cool bath if the body is simply warm, even though it may be in a state of perspiration. Contrary to the common opinion, a considerable degree of heat is the best possible preparation for a cold bath. The Finlanders rush out of their hot ovens—sweat-houses—and roll in the snow, without injury.

8. Cold baths should not be administered during the period of menstruation in females. At such times, little bathing of any kind is advisable with the exception of a warm or tepid sponge bath, or such treatment as may be advised by a physician.

9. Bath attendants should carefully avoid giving “shocks” to nervous people or to those inclined to apoplexy or affected with heart disease. Shocks are unpleasant and unnecessary for any one.

10. Never apply to the head such treatment as will cause shock, as the sudden cold douche, shower, or spray bath.

11. A light hand bath every morning will be none too frequent to preserve scrupulous bodily cleanliness. More than a week should never be allowed to elapse without a bath with warm water and soap.

12. The best time for treatment—especially cool treatment—is about three hours after breakfast.

13. Always employ for bathing purposes the purest water attainable. Soft water is greatly preferable to hard on many accounts.

14. Those not strong and vigorous should avoid drinking freely of cold water just previous to a bath.

15. The head should always be wet before any bath; and the feet should be warmed—if not already warm—by a hot foot bath, if necessary.

16. In applying a bath to sick persons, it should always be made of a temperature agreeable to the feelings.

17. One very important element in the success of a bath is the dexterity of the attendant. The patient should be inspired with confidence both in the bath and in the skill of the attendant. The mind has much to do with the effect of a bath.

18. In general baths, the patient, unless feeble, will derive benefit by assisting himself as much as possible.

19. Patients should receive due attention during a bath, so that they may not feel that they are forgotten. Nervous patients often become very apprehensive on this account. It is also important, in most cases, that a reasonable degree of quietude should be maintained.

20. When any unusual or unexpected symptoms appear during a bath, the patient should be removed at once.

21. In case symptoms of faintness appear, as is sometimes the case in feeble patients, during a hot bath, apply cold water to the head and face, give cool water to drink, lower the temperature of the bath by adding cool water, and place the patient as nearly as possible in a horizontal position.

22. The temperature of a warm or hot bath should always be decreased just before its termination as a precaution against taking cold.

23. In health, a cool or cold bath should be very brief, lasting not more than one or two minutes. A tepid bath should last not more than ten or fifteen minutes. A warm bath may be continued thirty or forty minutes, or even longer, but nothing could be more absurd than the custom prevailing in some places of prolonging the bath to great length. At Pfeffers and Leuck, in Switzerland, many persons spend the whole day in the water, taking their meals on floating tables, and occupying their time in reading, playing chess, and other games. Some remain in the water as many as sixteen hours out of the twenty-four. Of course, certain baths may be advantageously prolonged in cases of disease; but no intelligent physician will now recommend the antiquated practice which we sometimes see represented by a patient seated in a tub, with an open book in hand.

24. It is of extreme importance that the patient should be carefully dried after any bath. A large sheet is much better for this purpose than a towel. An old linen or cotton sheet is preferable to a new one, being softer. Full directions are given under the heading, “Dry Rubbing-Sheet.”