Bath chair

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A bath chair — or Bath chair — is a wheeled vehicle with a folding hood, which can be used open or closed, and a glass front, mounted on three or four wheels and drawn or pushed by hand. It is so named after its similarity in appearance to an old fashioned bath. If required, the chair can be drawn by a donkey or small pony, whence it is then mounted on four wheels, with the usual turning arrangement. James Heath, of Bath, who flourished rather before the middle of the 18th century, was the inventor.

Later versions were a type of a wheelchair (as illustrated) which is pushed by an attendant, rather than pulled by an animal — in the 19th century they were often seen at spa resorts — such as Buxton. Some versions incorporated a steering device for the use of the invalid.

[edit] References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.