Turkish Baths

ITS DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION. 93
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
Fig. 15. The shower proper
is usually
of the kind shown at
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
-in. copper piping, the backbone
and lesser supports being of iron, 2\ and \\ 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