We feel very proud in this country about our national cleanliness. Doesn’t every home have a bathtub? Well, did you know that at one time there were mole homes with radios in this country than with bath tubs.

In spite of all our pride concerning cleanliness, we have never made as big a fuss about bathing and baths as have certain peoples of ancient times! Why right in the heart of Rome, taking up about a square mile, there were the baths of Caracalla that were probably the most luxurious baths man has ever known. There were swimming pools, warm baths, steam baths, and hot-air baths—even libraries, restaurants, and theaters to amuse the people who came to take the baths!

The wealthy classes of Rome took their baths in costly tubs or pools, and they didn’t bathe in just plain water. They filled the tubs with the finest wines and perfumes, and even milk!

But long before the Romans, in fact before history was written, man was bathing for pleasure and for health. Swimming in rivers, of course, was always the commonest way to take a bath. But the people of ancient Crete had already advanced to the point where they had baths with running water. In ancient times the Jews took ceremonial baths on special occasions.

By the third century B.C., almost every large Greek city had at least one public bath. By this time, too, the wealthy classes had private baths and pools in their homes.

During the Dark Ages people must have looked rather dark and dirty. They just weren’t much concerned about keeping clean. When the Crusaders invaded Palestine they were surprised to find that it was part of the Mohammedan religion to bathe at certain times of the day, before praying.

They tried to introduce regular bathing into Europe when they came back, but they didn’t have much success. In fact, it wasn’t until about 100 years ago that people began to understand the importance of bathing regularly!