Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen, (ITV script 1995)

Kitty: Mrs Forster says she plans to go sea bathing

Lydia: I’m sure I should love to go sea bathing

Mrs Bennett: A little sea bathing would set me up forever!


Baths and Bath Engineering October 1934

Sea Water BathingSOME MEDICAL ASPECTS OF A COMPLETE SCHEME

By G. R. BRUCE, O.B.E., M.A., M.D., D.P.H., Medical Officer of Health, Hastings

The sea represents the shop window of the marine resort, sea bathing the most important thing it has to sell. In the larger and more important marine resorts visitors and residents should be able to indulge in sea water bathing in one form or another on any day throughout the year, under suitable conditions as to comfort, safety, cleanliness and temperature of the water.

These postulates can only be obtained by providing:

(a) Suitable bathing facilities for open sea bathing.

(b) An open-air swimming pool, which will be available on the days, more numerous than

is generally imagined when bathing in the open sea is dangerous or impossible.

(c) A covered swimming pool, generally attached to a baths establishment with facilities for hot sea water immersion’ baths, seaweed baths, possibly a few medical baths.

To this list might be added a shallow pool for children ‘s wading, specially chosen for shelter and sun.

(A) Cleanliness and General Hygiene.

Pollution of the open sea near the foreshore, whether naked eye, bacterial or microscopical, may occur from a variety of causes, but notably from sewage outfalls, tipping of house refuse, rubbish or sewage from piers or passing steamers, especially pleasure steamers, and also from fouling of the foreshore at low tide. Fortunately, the dilution of such pollution is enormous, but even so it is the bounden duty of local authorities to reduce the opportunities of entry to the absolute minimum. For example, bathing stations should be situated as far as possible from sewer outfalls; sewage should be held in tanks and evacuated by lengthy outfall pipes only during the ebb tide.

Adequate lavatory accommodation should be, provided a.t the bathing stations. Measures should be taken to reduce the trouble with the pier companies and pleasure steamers to a minimum. In this connection also the oil nuisance, getting worse every year, although not of much medical importance, may be mentioned.

In spite of every effort with certain tides and winds the intending bather may find ocular evidence of pollution of the sea. Under these circumstances, in the up-to-date resort, he can repair to the open-air or indoor swimming pool where the cleanliness of the water is under the control of the baths engineer.

In securing at all times, in either type of baths, a clean, clear, sparkling and bacteriologically satisfactory water, four processes, which I will not describe in detail, are recommended.

(a) Clarification by alum or alumino ferric with the addition of lime or soda ash, to render the water alkaline.

(b) Continuous filtration through sand and gravel in steel cylinders.

(c) Aeration after filtration.

(d) Chlorination, preferably by chlorine gas to such an amount as will provide not less than 0·2, and not more than 0·5 part of free chlorine per million of water.

The amount of chlorine gas should be varied according to the number of bathers in the pool, so as always to neutralise the increase in the organic matter and yet provide the requisite amount of free chlorine. For this reason, it is essential that the water should be tested for free chlorine frequently, at least twice a day, generally by the usual method of starch and iodide, the simple technique of which can be acquired by any intelligent bath superintendent. Complaints of smarting due to chlorine occasionally arise, but if the free chlorine content be not more than 0·2 per million, the cause is probably not chlorine, but the mild conjunctivitis caused by salt water which occurs in the open sea after a prolonged bathe.

Finally, a figure of 0·2 to 0·3 per million of free chlorine ensures a water as satisfactory as a first-class drinking water, as regards bacterial content, presence of B. coli or number of organisms per c.c.

It is also necessary to test for the desirable degree of alkalinity by a similar test. In addition to the purification of the water there are other details of hygienic importance to be observed in the planning and administration of the modern swimming pool, for example: –

(a) The provision of adequate shower or foot baths, with hot and cold water so placed that all bathers must pass through before entering the bath.

(b) Sidewalks should slope away from the bath.

(c) The entry to the boxes should be from the back only, thus avoiding the entry of dirt from boots into the water.

(d) Adequate washing of all costumes and towels.

(e) Adequate lavatory accommodation for both sexes.

(f) In addition, an appeal should be made, to all intending bathers, who may be suffering from

chronic skin conditions, chronic catarrh of the nose, throat or running ears, to desist from

bathing.

(B) Possibility of the Transmission of Infection by Sea Water.

As regards the open sea, the risk of gastric intestinal infection from sewage, especially by

the typhoid or paratyphoid group of organisms, is comparatively slight, as far as recorded cases go, probably on account of the dilution of the infective material. At the same time there would appear to be some risk of concentration of infection or pollution in open-air pools which are· only cleansed by the movement of the tides. Other infectious conditions which are from time to time attributed to polluted water, especially m swimming baths of the older types without chlorine plants have been: –

(a) Respiratory infections.

(b) Skin infections, such as boils, scabies and impetigo. These, however, are more likely transmitted by dirty costumes or towels.

(c) Conjunctivitis

(d) Nasal catarrh and sinusitis.

(e) Pharyngitis and tonsilitis.

(f) Otitis Nedia Furunculosis of External Meatus.

Otitis nedia is the most important infection. and the one most frequently connected with swimming in polluted water.

The possibility of infection from bathing, even in grossly polluted water, does not appear to be great. Glover states in his report to the Ministry of Health on the purification of the water of swimming baths: “There is no evidence to support the alarmist rumours which appear from time to time, indicating that disease in epidemic form has its origin in swimming baths in this country.” By taking all possible steps, as indicated, to ensure cleanliness in the open sea, by attaining the high degree of purity in the water of enclosed baths by the methods described, I am of opinion that the risk of these infections can be reduced to a point at which they can be disregarded.

(C) Advice to Bathers from the Medical Profession.

For the greater number, sea bathing is a perfectly suitable and health-giving recreation, but undoubtedly in a small proportion, especially among children, great care in the hardening and acclimatising process is necessary, especially during the early days of the seaside holiday. Hence a toll of chills, catarrhs and gastrointestinal disturbances, with disappointment and disillusionment as to the results of the holiday. Some children react so badly to bathing that they should not be allowed to bathe at all.

Another most important matter is the temperature of the open sea or open-air swimming pool which rises in the region from the somewhat cool and uncomfortable region of 56 deg. or 57 deg. Fahr. in June to the much more happy region of 63 deg. or 64 deg. Fahr. in mid-August, thereafter slowly declining. The temperature should be prominently displayed, as undoubtedly, except towards the peak period, bathing in the open sea may be actually harmful to delicate children, and adults with impaired circulation or of the rheumatic type. In the modern resort with the complete bathing scheme, it is easy to add such words as these, ” if this temperature is uncomfortable or unsuitable for your constitution, try the covered swimming pool with a temperature of (say) 68 deg. Fahr., or have a warm sea bath.”


10 best sea pools in the British Isles – Coast Magazine

14 of the UK’s best saltwater and tidal pools (thetimes.com)


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