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Victorian Water Closet
Early Flush Toilet: LC# GT 2400. H 5713
1987 v.4
Perrot, Michelle (ed) A History of Private Life: IV From the
Fires of Revolution to the Great War.
Belknap Press, Cambridge: 1990
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THE
BATH-ROOM.
Its Arrangements and Appointments.
THE bath-room should
be arranged according to the pecuniary resources at one's
disposal; but here, as everywhere else, one should do one's
best.
The millionaires of New York have
sometimes bath-rooms worthy of Roman empresses. In Europe
some very rich women, artists, and others whom it is
unnecessary to mention, are particularly luxurious in
everything that concerns the bath-room. The walls of these
rooms are sometimes panelled with vari-coloured onyxes,
framed in copper mouldings, which are polished every day.
From the ceiling hang quaint chandeliers of rose or
opalescent crystal; and a rich Oriental curtain, hanging
from a golden rod, veils the bath of rose-coloured marble.
At the opposite side of the room is placed a couch covered
with the skin of a Polar bear, whereon, clad in a luxurious peignoir,
one reposes after the fatigues of the bath and the douche.
In one corner, also screened from view by a silken
curtain, are the various apparatus for douches, shower,
wave, needle, or any other kind of spray bath which may be
desired. In the opposite corner is placed the flat tub or
sponge-bath in porcelain. This immense basin is accompanied
by another one of smaller dimensions, and both are painted
with designs of waterlilies and aquatic plants. Near each
bath is handily placed taps for hot, cold, and tepid water;
and on small shelves of marble all the articles one requires
when bathing.
Utensils
and Accessories.
When the bath-room has
to serve at the same time as a dressing-room, one must place
therein a large wash-stand with a complete toilet set in
porcelain ware or silver, with all the minor articles to
match. There must, of course, be also the dressing- table,
which may be ornamented according to the taste of the
presiding divinity. Everything placed upon it-brushes,
combs, boxes, scent-bottles, etc.-should be chosen with
artistic taste. One must not forget to mention the large
wardrobe, with its three doors of plate-glass mirror, such
as I have already mentioned. Therein are placed the
bath-linen, the flesh-gloves, loofahs, and all the arsenal
of feminine coquetry-creams, cosmetics, perfumes, etc.
etc.-which should be hidden from every eye, as no one likes
to be suspected of adventitious aids. One should not be able
to see in this dressing-room and bath-room combined either
trinkets, dresses, laces, or ribbons. Jewels and trinkets,
as well as valuable laces, should be kept in the bed-room,
and all dresses put out of sight in wardrobes or closets.
In many houses, however, the bath-room is
used by all the members of the family, and can therefore not
be treated as a dressing-room. Under such circumstances it
is not difficult to arrange a bath-room from which all
unnecessary luxury may be banished while preserving every
necessary comfort.
It is best to paint the walls in oil
colour - with an imitation of marble, if you can get it well
done. The floor should be covered with linoleum, and the
ground-glass windows should have the family monogram
engraved in the centre. The various kinds of baths should be
ranged round the wall: sitz-baths, sponge-baths, and the
smaller baths for children. The taps of hot and cold water
should be placed over the large bath, unless the water for
it. is heated by means of a "geyser"; and there
should also be a porcelain sink, into which the smaller
baths can be emptied. Before each bath, large or small,
should be placed a mat in cut-out leather, or, what is
perhaps better, in cork, whereon the bather may stand;
and near each bath, at a convenient level, shelves should be
fastened to the wall to carry the necessary soaps and
sponges.
In many bath-rooms where the water is
heated in the room itself by means of some gas apparatus,
the heater should contain a linen-box, for it is best to
wrap oneself in hot linen on leaving a bath. The bath-heater
must have a pipe leading into the outer air, to obviate the
possibility of noxious fumes ; and with this precaution it
is a useful thing, as it maintains the temperature in the
bath-room.
A wardrobe should contain a supply of
bath-linen, fine towels, Turkish towels, bath-sheets, etc.;
herein are also placed on the shelves the various kinds of
soaps, the boxes of starch, the bags of bran, the perfumes,
almond paste, cold creams, carbonate of soda, etc. etc. In
one corner of the room should be placed the hand-lamp and
aromatic perfume-box which are some-times used in cases of
illness for sweating- baths. There are certain kinds of
portable apparatus for vapour-baths which can, if desired,
be placed in the same room. These apparatus, and those for
shower and "rain" baths, are generally hidden
behind a curtain, which divides them off from the rest of
the room.
Besides the actual baths, there should be
in the bath-room a couch or ottoman, whereon to repose after
the bath; a little table, in case one would wish to have a
cup of tea; some chairs; and enough towel- horses whereon to
lay out both the warm dry linen before the bath, as well as
the wet linen after. It is unnecessary to place a
dressing-table in such a bath-room as this : one returns to
one's bed-room or dressing-room to complete one's toilette.
On Bathing.
Regular bathing should
enter into the habits of all classes of society. If it is
absolutely impossible to immerse oneself completely every
day in a large bath, or if it is forbidden by the doctor, a
sponge-bath may be considered sufficient for the needs of
cleanliness and health.
The human skin is a complicated network,
whose meshes it is necessary to keep free and open, so that
the body may be enabled through them to eliminate the
internal impurities, from which it is bound to free itself,
under pain of sickness, suffering, and possible death. The
healthy action of the pores of the skin is stimulated by the
bath, especially if it is followed by friction with a
flesh-glove or a rough towel. One can dispense with massage
if one objects to be manipulated by a strange hand. Both
fevers and contagious maladies of many kinds are often
avoided by such simple precautions as these.
In cases of internal inflammation and
congestion, and of bilious colic, there is no more certain
remedy than a hot bath. It is also known to have worked surprising cures in cases of
obstinate constipation. Anyone who is afraid of having
caught a contagious malady should immediately have recourse
to a hot bath, as it is quite possible that the infection
may make its way out of the body through the pores. Of
course, particular care would be needed not to take a chill
on leaving the bath.
Cleanliness of the skin has a great
effect in the proper assimilation of nourishment by the
body; and it has even been recognised that well-washed pigs
yield superior meat to those that are allowed to indulge
their propensities for wallowing in the mire. It is
therefore hardly necessary to repeat that the salutary
expulsion which the body accomplishes through the skin,
teaches the necessity of keeping the pores open by absolute
cleanliness, the smallest particle of grime or the finest
dust being sufficient to block the tiny openings with which
Nature has so admirably endowed the cuticle.
Pitiful Middle Ages that ignored the use of
soap and water! "A thousand years without a bath!"
cries Michelet in one of his historical works. It is not
surprising that plagues and pestilences ravaged poor
humanity in those days. Even in the time of Henri IV. the
use of the bath must still have been sufficiently rare, when
one remembers the naif astonishment of a grand
seigneur of the period who asked, "Why should one
wash one's hands when one does not wash one's feet?"
Even at the Court of Le Roi Soleil the
fair ladies were yet so neglectful on this point that one
shudders with disgust when one reads about their habits; and
yet in all ages les grandes coquettes have recognised
the good effects of baths and ablutions. Isabel of Bavaria,
having heard that Poppaea, wife of Nero, used to fill her
bath of porphyry with asses' milk and the juice of
strawberries, determined not to be behindhand in similar
researches. Even in
those days marjoram was recommended, and justly so, for its
refreshing effect upon the skin; so the spouse of Charles
VII. had enormous decoctions of this plant prepared, in
which to bathe.
It is on record that Anne Boleyn took
baths, a fact which is more or less supported by the story
of certain of the courtiers, who, by way of flattery, drank
her health in part of' the water wherein she had bathed.
Diane de Poietiers bathed every morning in a bath of
rain-water.
In the eighteenth century the great
ladies became fanciful in the matter of baths, and had them
concocted, like Poppaea, of asses' milk; of eau de mouron,
like Isabel; of milk of almonds; of eau de chair, or
weak veal-broth; of water distilled from honey and roses; of
melon-juice; of green-barley water; of linseed- water, to
which was added balm of Mecca, rendered soluble with the
yolk of an egg. All these decoctions were undoubtedly good
for the skin, but the bath for cleansing purposes does not
need so much preparation.
The Dauphine Marie Antoinette
"invented for her demi-bain," says a
writer of· her time, "a half-bath which yet bears her
name." It was a deep basin of oblong shape, mounted in
a wooden frame supported on legs, the back of the frame
being raised and stuffed like the back of an armchair. This
shape is more conveniently imitated in zinc at present. For
her large baths the Princess had a decoction prepared of serpolet,
laurel leaves, wild thyme, and marjoram, to which was
added a little sea-salt. The prescription for these baths
was made by Fagon, chief physician to Louis XIV., who also
desired that they should be taken cold in winter and tepid
in summer, so as to balance the external temperature with
the sensibility of the epidermis.
Hot, Cold, and Sponge Baths.
There are many people
who immerse themselves every day for a few instants in a
cold bath; one must be very strong to support this form of
bath, and it is perhaps wiser not to try it without having
consulted a doctor. Even when the cold bath is allowed, it
is best to take only one plunge and come out at once. The
water ought to be about 50º to 600º Fahrenheit, and a good
rubbing is indispensable after a bath of this kind.
The hot bath is good for those who are
subject to a rush of blood to the head. Its temperature
should not exceed 100º.
The tepid bath is the one most used, and
its temperature may range from 68º to 96º. It is a mistake
to remain too long in a tepid bath; thirty minutes is the
maximum time one should stay therein, and it is perhaps best
to leave it after a quarter of an hour, unless of course
medical orders decide otherwise.
If it is impossible, for various reasons,
to have a large bath every day, a sponge bath will replace
it conveniently, and is sufficient for the necessities of
health and cleanliness. One should begin by taking a sponge
bath of tepid water, and then by degrees one can lower the
temperature of the water until at last the daily tub is a
cold one. In all cases, however, the bath-room should be
slightly warmed in winter, spring, and autumn; and care
should be taken that the towels are warm and dry. People
with delicate lungs should remain faithful to the warm bath.
A good rubbing is a necessity after all and every bath; but
of that we shall speak farther on, as well as of massaGe.
It is often a good thing to take a little air and
exercise after the bath, but only on condition of walking
very fast. Never take a bath, or in any way immerse yourself
in water, immediately after having eaten; a bath would be
distinctly dangerous, and even minor ablutions are apt to
trouble the digestion. One should allow three hours to
elapse between any meal at all copious and a bath.
When soap is used in a large bath, it
should be used towards the end of the time of immersion, and
should be immediately washed off with clear water. In a
sponge bath this is an easy matter, as the fresh water is
ready to hand in a large basin alongside of the bath. The
soap chosen should be white and very pure, and little, if at
all, perfumed. It seems almost superfluous to say that it is
contrary to cleanliness and hygiene that two people should
bathe in the same water, no matter how healthy they may be;
but as some fond mothers have a habit of taking their little
ones into the bath with them, it is as well to warn them
that the delicate skin of babies is often apt to suffer from
such a custom.
Soothing and Refreshing Baths.
It is unnecessary here
to speak of Russian or Turkish baths, nor even of vapour
baths. These last belong properly to the domain of the
doctor, who can order or administer them when necessary. The
others demand an installation which it is almost impossible
to have at home, even when expense is no object.
But there are other baths whose soothing
properties may be recommended without having recourse to a
doctor. In spring it is best to take one's bath at night,
just before going to bed, so as to avoid all possibility of
a chill, which is more dangerous at that time of year than
any other, and also so that the skin may benefit by the
moist warmth which it will thus be able to keep for several
hours after having left the water. A delicious bath for this
season can be prepared with cowslips or wild primroses.
Three handfuls of these flowers, freshly gathered, should be
thrown into the bath, which thus becomes not only delight.
fully perfumed, but extremely calming to the nerves by the
virtue in the sweet golden petals.
The bath of strawberries and raspberries
which Madame Tallien took every morning, as we are told by
the gossips of her time, was prepared in the following
manner:- Twenty pounds of strawberries and two of
raspberries were crushed and thrown into the bath, from
which the bather emerged with a skin freshly perfumed, soft
as velvet, and tinged with a delicate pink.
A bath of lime-flowers (also a delightful
perfume) is particularly soothing to over-excited nerves. A
decoction of spinach, if a sufficient quantity were
obtained, would make an excellent bath for the skin. Here,
however, is a recipe equally good for rendering the skin
fresh and delicate :-Sixty grammes of glycerine and one
hundred grammes of rose-water, mixed with two quarts of
water, are added to the bath five minutes before using it.
Some women mix almond-paste with their bath, and perfume it
with violet; others prefer oatmeal and orange-flower water;
others, again, prefer tincture of benzoin, which gives the
water a milky appearance. Nothing is better for the skin
than a bran bath. Two pounds of bran, placed in a muslin
bag, are allowed to soak in a small quantity of water for
three hours before the bath, to which it is added, is
required. A bath of aromatic salts is easily prepared. Pound
into powder some carbonate of soda and sprinkle it with some
aromatic essences (of which only a small quantity is
needed). These aromatic essences can be prepared beforehand,
according to the following recipe
Essence of fine lavender ... 15 grammes
Essence of rosemary ... 10 grammes
Essence of eucalyptus ... 5 grammes
Carbonate of soda crystals ... 600 grammes
Pound the crystals, sprinkle and mix
them with the essences) and keep them in a well-stoppered
bottle. For a large bath, 315 grammes of this aromatic salt
will be required; for a basin, a teaspoonful to a quart of
water.
For a tonic and refreshing effect upon
the skin the aromatic bath is one of the best: 500 grammes
of the various aromatic plants enumerated in Fagon's recipe
for Marie Antoinette's bath (of which I have already spoken)
should be allowed to infuse for an hour in three quarts of
boiling water; the water should then be strained, and added
to the bath. Another bath which is both strengthening and
soothing is thus composed:- Dissolve in the bath half a
pound of crystals of carbonate of soda, two handfuls of
powdered starch, and a teaspoonful of essence of rosemary;
the temperature of the bath should be 36º to 37º C., and
the immersion should last from fifteen to twenty minutes.
When the nervous system is much
exhausted, the following bath will be found useful, viz., an
ounce of ammonia to a bucket of water. In a bath of this
kind the flesh becomes as firm and smooth as marble, and the
skin is purified in the most perfect way. It would be unkind
to finish this section on baths without remembering those
who suffer from rheumatism, to whom I can recommend the
following bath as likely to ease them from their pain. A
concentrated emulsion should be made with 200 grammes of
soft soap and 200 grammes of essence of turpentine; it
should be well shaken together, until the mixture is in a
lather. For a bath, take half this emulsion, which has an
agreeable smell of pine when mixed with the water. After
five minutes' immersion in a warm bath thus prepared, the
patient is aware of a distinct diminution of pain, and a
pleasant warmth spreads all over the body. At the end of a
quarter of an hour he feels a slight pricking sensation,
which is not at all unpleasant; and he should then leave the
bath, and get straight into bed, where lie will at once fall
asleep; on waking in the morning he will find his pain
greatly alleviated.
The
Victorian Dictionary
compiled by Lee
Jackson |
