Editing Bathing (section)

====Victorian Turkish baths====
{{Main|Victorian Turkish baths}}
[[File:Visiting London Turkish bath.tif|thumb|upright=0.6|Maud and friends visit a London Turkish bath, 1892]]
[[Victorian Turkish baths]] (inspired by the traditional Islamic bathhouse—the hammam—itself an adaptation of the [[Thermae|ancient Roman baths]]) were introduced to Britain by [[David Urquhart]], diplomat and sometime Member of Parliament for Stafford. He wanted, for political and personal reasons, to popularize Turkish culture in Britain. In 1850 he wrote ''The Pillars of Hercules'',<ref>Urquhart, David (1850) ''The Pillars of Hercules, or, a narrative of travels in Spain & Morocco in 1848''. Vol.2 (London: Bentley) pp.18–88</ref> a book about his travels in 1848 through Spain and Morocco. He described the vaporous hot-air baths (little-changed since Roman times) which he visited, both there and in the Ottoman Empire. In 1856 [[Richard Barter (physician)|Dr Richard Barter]] read Urquhart's book and worked with him to construct such a bath, intending to use it at his [[Hydrotherapy|hydropathic establishment]] at St Ann(e)'s Hill, near Blarney, County Cork, Ireland.<ref>Shifrin, Malcolm (2015). ''Victorian Turkish baths''. (Swindon: Historic England) pp.21—25; 49—50. ISBN 978-1-84802-230-0</ref> Barter realised that the human body could tolerate the more therapeutically effective higher temperatures in hot air which was dry rather than steamy. After a number of unsuccessful attempts, he opened the first modern bath of this type in 1856. He called it the "Improved" Turkish or Irish bath,<ref>'The Improved Turkish or Irish bath' [Advert]. ''Waterford Mail'' (1 March 1861) p.2</ref> now better known as the Victorian Turkish bath.

The following year, the first public bath of its type to be built in mainland Britain since Roman times was opened in Manchester,<ref>Potter, William. 'The Turkish bath'. ''Sheffield Free Press'' (18 July 1857) p.3</ref> and the idea spread rapidly. It reached London in July 1860, when Roger Evans, a member of one of Urquhart's Foreign Affairs Committees, opened a Turkish bath at 5 Bell Street, near Marble Arch.<ref>Goolden, R.H. 'The Turkish bath' ''Lancet'' (26 January 1861) pp.95—97</ref> During the following 150 years, over 700 Turkish baths opened in the British Isles, including those built by municipal authorities as part of swimming pool complexes. It was claimed by Durham Dunlop (and many others) that hot-air bathing was a more effective body-cleanser than water,<ref>Dunlop, Durham. (1880). ''The philosophy of the bath: with a history of hydro-therapeutics and of the hot-air bath from the earliest ages''. 4th edition. (London: W.&nbsp;Kent) pp.208-209</ref> while Richard Metcalfe meticulously calculated that it would be more cost-effective for local authorities to provide hot-air baths in place of slipper baths.<ref>Metcalfe, Richard. (1877) ''Sanitas sanitatum et omnia sanitas.'' Vol.1 (All published) (London: Co-operative Printing Co.) pp.151—170</ref> 

Turkish baths opened in other parts of the British Empire. Dr. John Le Gay Brereton opened one in Sydney, Australia in 1859,<ref>'The Turkish bath' ''Sydney Morning Herald'' (13 October 1859) p.4</ref> Canada had one by 1869,<ref>'The modern Turkish or Roman bath' ''Industries of Canada: City of Montreal…'' (Montreal: Historical Publ Co, 1886) p.134</ref> and the first in New Zealand was opened in 1874.<ref>[The Otago Turkish Bath Company] ''Tuapeka Times'' (21 March 1874) p.2</ref> Urquhart's influence was also felt outside the Empire when in 1861, Dr Charles H. Shepard opened the first Turkish baths in the United States at 63 Columbia Street, Brooklyn Heights, New York, most probably on 3 October 1863.<ref>'The Turkish baths in Brooklyn' ''Brooklyn Daily Eagle'' (19 October 1863) p.3</ref>