Turkish And Other Baths

Gordon Stables presents Turkish and Other Baths as a practical, health-minded guide to longevity, arguing with earnest conviction that bathing deserves serious attention. Though modest in size, the book promises advice that can improve well-being, and it builds its case from the skin outward, explaining how this vital organ protects the body, regulates heat, removes waste, absorbs substances, and even aids respiration. From there, Stables links proper skin care to diet, gout, rheumatism, and overall bodily balance, urging early rising, a morning bath, moderate meals, pure water, fresh air, regular sleep, loose clothing, and exercise that is pleasant rather than exhausting. The book's centerpiece is a spirited defense of the Turkish bath, described step by step from hot room to sweating, shampooing, showering, cooling, and dressing, with praise for the calm, cleansing, restorative effect it produces. Stables also weighs the inconveniences of public bathhouses and turns to portable alternatives that bring the experience home. Blending humor, technical detail, and medical testimony, he recommends these baths for everything from skin troubles and kidney complaints to colds, neuralgia, fatigue, and sleep, while also introducing a Traveller's Bath for journeys and outdoor life. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.