Sea Bathing

SEA BATHING as part of thalassotherapy (treatment by marine climate and sea bathing) represents one of the long-known physical therapy methods of treatment, which has retained its significance to the present time in therapy and prevention of many diseases. The effect of sea bathing is not limited to the action on the organism of the seawater itself with substances dissolved in it, but consists of the action of a whole series of factors: solar radiation, water temperature, surf of waves, air and gaseous products suspended in it and products of metamorphosis, radioactive elements or emanations, further from movements, deep breaths, psychological influences. Sea bathing must be considered as a combined bath: water, air and solar. In seawater there are various substances (in diverse combinations): easily soluble ones - sodium, potassium, magnesium, iron, lithium, barium, strontium, manganese, arsenic, chlorine, bromine, iodine; traces of rare metals: silver, gold, aluminum, titanium, mercury, uranium, thorium, radium and a whole series of others. Predominant are the anions Cl, SO₄ and the cations Na, Mg, K and Ca. The concentration of anions and cations in the water of each sea is more or less constant and depends on a whole series of conditions, among which special significance is held by - the geographical position of the sea, the geological structure of its bottom, the outlines of the shores it washes, the amount of fresh water flowing into it in the form of rivers and the amount of precipitation. The composition and t^c of the water of individual seas are characterized by the following table: Salts Average Average Name of seas in 1 liter of water NaCl temperature t° summer Mediterranean . . . 46.38 g 34.90 g 15-20 22-27 Atlantic Ocean 33.51 » 26.01 » 10-15 20-23 North Sea ..... 31.05» 22.15» 5-10 15-19 Black Sea ...... 14.00 » 11.26 » 16-26 Sea of Azov ..... 11.83» 9.20 » - Baltic Sea .... 11.22» 9.58 » 5-9 15-18 Caspian Sea .... 10.10» 6.11» - The effect of sea bathing on the organism is expressed mainly in the thermal and mechanical effects on the peripheral blood vessels and nervous system by the water temperature, its pressure and movement and in the mild irritation from salts dissolved in the water and suspended particles (see Hydrotherapy, Balneotherapy). According to water temperature, sea bathing belongs to cold water procedures. Therefore, the physiological effect of sea bathing on the organism is in essence analogous to that produced by lukewarm baths (see Hydrotherapy). However, thanks to the mechanical irritations produced by sea waves, the effect of sea bathing manifests itself more strongly. When immersing in water, excitation of the vasoconstrictors occurs, withdrawal of blood from the external surface to internal organs - anemia of the skin, accompanied by so-called primary chill, increase in blood pressure. Then after 1-2 or several minutes, fatigue of the vasoconstrictors occurs, and the constriction of peripheral skin vessels is replaced by their dilation and hyperemia of the skin, accompanied by a feeling of warmth and greater heat loss. With longer stay in water (which is an error in the treatment of sea bathing), deeper cooling of tissues occurs, greater heat loss, and so-called secondary chill sets in. Before, during and after sea bathing, a person is subjected to the effect on the naked body of air and sun. All this requires expenditure of strength, causes a lively general reaction, fatigues, but ultimately strengthens the organism.-Sea bathing is indicated in general as a method of treatment that stimulates most functions of the organism, enhances oxidative processes and metabolism and causes a general increase in vital energy. Indications for treatment with sea bathing: 1) Neurasthenia in various manifestations, mainly with the character of inhibition and decrease in work capacity, with moderate disturbance of functions of the nervous system and secondary disturbance of various functions of the organism, developed on the basis of overwork, improper way of life and working conditions or harmful habits. 2) Various neuroses in moderate degree: neurosis of the heart, various types of sexual neurosis, climacteric period, gastro-intestinal neuroses. 3) Anemia, not sharply expressed general exhaustion and decline of strength as a result of suffered diseases, especially acute infections, or on the basis of chronic intoxications, in particular of professional nature. 4) Emaciation and anemia on the basis of various disturbances of blood formation, nutrition and metabolism, especially in childhood and adolescence (scrofula, rickets, chlorosis, scurvy, acne, furunculosis) with satisfactory nutrition. 5) Disturbances of metabolism with decrease of oxidative processes in constitutional predisposition: obesity (in the absence of cardiac weakness), gout and uric acid diathesis. 6) Some disturbances of internal secretion organs with decreased metabolism, in particular hypothyroidism and dysthyroidism.-Contraindications: 1) active tuberculosis of lungs, larynx, pleura, intestines, peritoneum, bones and joints. 2) Acute and prolonged diseases of respiratory organs of non-tuberculous origin. 3) Sharply expressed exhaustion and increased metabolism, in particular in Basedow's disease. 4) Tendency to bleeding. 5) Disturbances of cerebral circulation. 6) Diseases of the gastro-intestinal tract with tendency to diarrhea. 7) Disturbances of cardiovascular activity in clearly expressed form. 8) Increased nervous-psychic excitability. 9) Diseases of kidneys and urinary tracts. 10) Morbid states requiring rest and heat treatment and not allowing sharp changes of temperature. Technique of sea bathing. For weakened people it is recommended to preliminarily take several cool sea baths, with t^c gradually decreasing to 25°. To begin sea bathing, a water temperature of about 20° and air temperature of not less than 18-20° is sufficient. For therapeutic purposes, bathing once and not more than twice a day is sufficient. The best time for sea bathing is the first half of the day (10-12 h.). The average duration of sea bathing is 5 min. In wind and significant surf, it is necessary to decrease the duration of sea bathing. Twenty to thirty sea baths constitute the average duration of a course of sea bathing for therapeutic purposes. Resorts with sea bathing. Sea bathing is conducted in Europe along the shores of the Atlantic Ocean and the Baltic, North, Mediterranean, Adriatic and Black seas washing it, where numerous seaside bathing resorts of the USSR, Latvia (Riga seaside), Germany, Denmark, England, France and Italy are located. Many of these resorts enjoy world fame and attract visitors not only from different countries of Europe, but also from America.-Within the USSR, sea bathing is conducted along the coast of the Gulf of Finland (mainly in Sestroretsk), on the Black, Azov and Caspian seas. Most famous and widely used by both sick people and vacationers coming from various parts of the USSR are sea bathing on the Black Sea (in the vicinity of Odessa, along the western and southern shores of Crimea, along the Black Sea coast from Anapa to Batumi) (see Crimean resorts, Anapa, Gelendzhik, Yevpatoriya, Gagra, Black Sea coast, Resorts). On the Sea of Azov, sea bathing is famous in Berdyansk and Yeysk, on the Caspian Sea - in Krasnovodsk (Ufra).-- 24

SEA SANITARY AFFAIRS

The season for sea bathing in Sestroretsk is June-August, on southern resorts it is longer (June-October).

M. Multanovsky. Sea bathing for children. In childhood, sea bathing has completely exceptional significance in the sense of general strengthening of the organism. Sea bathing for children exists in Odessa, Yevpatoriya, Anapa and Kobuleti, but in them it is necessary to carry out a series of sanitary measures (sanitary supervision of all children at the resort, children's infectious disease hospital, delivery of fresh milk). Sea bathing is especially indicated for those diseases which are very widespread among the child population (rickets, tuberculosis, anemia).