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83
necessarily be present having regard to the large number of persons using
the bath.
It was patent to observers that the water kept clear for a longer
period and was more refreshing to bathers with the Electrolytic Fluid in
it than without it.
The opinion of masters and mistresses attending with the boys and
girls from the schools was that the water, by the addition of the Electrolytic
fluid, was fresher, and more invigorating, and had lost its body
odour.
The secretary of a swimming club on Tuesday night, 14th September,
stated that the members felt much fresher, and had lost that " dead
feeling" when coming out of the bath.
A voluntary statement was made by one of the women employed in
the laundry by the Council that the swimming costumes of the men and
women have no unpleasant odour since the fluid had been used in the bath
water; she stated that previously they gave off a most unpleasant odour.
This was not to be wondered at having regard to the result of the bacteriological
examination of a sample of the water reported upon to the
Committee.
After the bath had been run out, the Superintendent stated that there
was an absence of the slime usually found at the deep end of the bath.
The cleansing of the bottom and sides of the bath was much more easily
accomplished.
The water of a swimming bath becomes discoloured after being used
by only a few bathers; as mentioned above the germs from the body
multiply enormously (see foot-note, page 81), the warm temperature at
which the bath water is kept being favourable to their growth and
development; and it is noticed by the Attendants that it very soon gives
off bad odours after a number of bathers have used it; therefore if anything
can be done to arrest and destroy these growths it must be
advantageous not only to the health of the users of the baths, but
indirectly to the health of the public at large.
A single contingent of bathers will pollute the water of a swimming
bath, consequently, where there are a number of bathers the water should
be renewed several times during the day, but as this cannot be done, it
must be good to endeavour to keep the water sterile whilst the bathers are
in it.