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This establishment adjoining, and owned by,
Jury's Hotel was opened on 5 May 1878. Messrs Gibson of Dublin were responsible for the painted
rooms, though most of the floors and walls were tiled by Messrs Mansell
& Mitchell, while the drains, plumbing and gas-fittings were by Curtis &
Son, also of Dublin.
The baths
were situated close to the Royal College of
Surgeons and it was hoped that they would not
only be popular with hotel patrons but also with
members of the medical profession.
Most of
what we know about the baths is taken from an
article published, probably in return for
advertisements, in the Dublin journal of
medical science,
and aimed at persuading its readers to become
patrons of the Turkish baths, and to recommend
them to their patients.
The baths appear to have
been installed on a single floor, with a gallery
round the cooling-room, and a basement housing
the laundry and drying rooms, to which the wet
linen is sent in a lift.
The men's baths were
arranged in three sections with a set of baths
and showers leading off the entrance corridor.
There were six baths which could be used with
hot or cold water and which were provided with
Dr Barter's patent showers. Also included were
sitz baths, foot sprays, and seat sprays which
could be 'regulated by the patient' and were
recommended for the treatment of piles.
This wet bathing area also
included a Russian vapour bath, a room with a
separate box vapour bath, shower, and needle
bath and two 'magneto-electric' baths.
Beyond the wet bathing
area was a restaurant and bar, neatly separating
it from the dry bathing areas—and usable by
patrons of both.
On the farther side of the
restaurant was the cooling-room, from which
bathers reached the Turkish baths. Also
accessible from the cooling-room were smaller
rooms where patrons could obtain the services of
a chiropodist and a hairdresser. At the far end
of the cooling-room was a 4'6" deep plunge pool
with constantly running water, while around the
room was a gallery housing the dressing rooms.
From the cooling-room,
bathers progressed to the shampooing room at
about 126°F, and finally
to two hot chambers which were maintained at
184°F and 250°F.
The ventilation was
designed so that fresh air entered the premises
from 40 feet above ground level, and was
conducted through two large pipes to a furnace
around which it passed and was heated. The hot
air passed through perforated porcelain walls
into the hottest room, becoming a gentle current
as it flowed into the other rooms, escaping
downwards through pipes set in the floor.
Separate facilities were
provided for women. These were similar to the
men's baths but were smaller, with a drawing
room and a small select library, in place of a
bar. It seems most likely that these were on an
upper floor of the building, though this is so
far unsupported by any concrete evidence.
It is not known how
successful the proprietors were in attracting
the medical profession but they did continue to
operate the baths for around twenty years before
selling them to a member of the Jury family.
The baths remained open
until at least 1927 being owned in turn by the
Stephen's Green Turkish Baths Ltd and by George
Lovell Ltd.
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