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| Harrison doctor invented Bathitarium |
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| Question: Is there a record of any famous inventors having made Boone County their home? If so, what was their profession and what did they invent? |
 Answer: One inventor comes to mind - Dr. C. S. Hutchinson - although there have probably been several other well-known and not so well-known inventors.
Dr. Hutchinson (pictured left) came to Boone County about 1900 and set up an active practice in Harrison. He was a native of Iowa, a graduate of Ames High School and held a Bachelor of Science degree from Iowa State. He continued his studies in chemistry and pathology, and after six years of scientific study and being awarded various scholarships, he graduated with the degree of Doctor of Medicine and Surgery.
Dr. Hutchinson came to the area because of the climatic conditions, but was also attracted by the possibilities offered in the country. He served as examiner for about a dozen life insurance companies, all the while enjoying a large medical practice and writing articles for leading medical journals. |
| The Bathitarium was designed and built by Dr. C. S. Hutchinson. The weird contraption was said to be far ahead of any public baths, similar to those in Hot Springs, and even better than Turkish baths in the cities. It was a large cabinet made of galvanized iron and zinc, with double walls containing steam pipes connected with a special steam heater. The interior was handsomely decorated and contained a 6-foot porcelain bath tub; copper plated and fitted with hot and cold water pipes; a nickel plated shower bath with curtains; an electric rheostat; and a large amount of electric lights over a large mirror to produce the same effect as sunlight. |
| Dr. Hutchinson boasted that a person could get the same effects using the Bathitarium as one could from the sunshine in tropical climates and the medicinal qualities of great health resorts. But best of all, the Bathitarium could be taken apart and moved in an hour or two, and set up wherever water connections could be made. |
| You can read more about this invention in the Fall 1982 issue of the Boone County Historian. Edited at that time by Jimmy Miller, the issue has the full story of Dr. Hutchinson's Bathitarium. Back issues of all Historians are available at the Boone County Heritage Museum, located on the corner of South Cherry Street and Central Avenue. Beginning March 1, the museum will be open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Come spend a day at the museum and relive Boone County's vibrant past. |
| This column appears Fridays in the Harrison Daily Times. Mail questions to Boone County Heritage Museum, P. O. Box 1094, Harrison, AR 72601. Marilyn Smith can be contacted at bchm@windstream.net |
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