Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1851-08-07
Influence of Clothing om the
Skin.

cry one that clothing in itself has no proper
ty OF bestowing heat, but is chiefly useful in
preventing the dispersion of the temperature
of the body, and in some instances in defen-
ding it form that of the atmosphere. This
power of preserving heat is due to the same
principle, whatever from the raiment may
assume, whether the natural covering of
birds and animals, or whether the most beau
tiful and elegant tissues of human manufac-
ture. In every case it is the power which
the coverings possess of OBTAINING in their
meshes atmospheric air, that is the cause of
their warmth.
We have an exempliication of this princ-
pie in the lightness of all articles of warm
clothing, as compared with water; the buoy
ancy, for example, of fleece of wool or the
/ lightness of feather. In the eider-duck or
the sea-bird. it is the accumulation of warm
air within. their downy covering that defends
them alike from the temperature of the water,
and from its contact. The furs from the pier
cling regions of the north, which we prize so
highly as articles of dress, are, to the animals
they invest, SO many distinct atmospheres of
warm air, and the same principle is carried
out in the clothing of men. Our garments
retain a stratum of air kept constantly warm
by its contact with the body, and as the ex-
ternal temperature diminishes, we increase
the number of layers by which the person is
enveloped. Every one is practically aware
that loose dress is much warmer than one
that fits close-that loose glove is warmer
than a tight one, and that loose boot or shoe,
in the same manner, bestows greater warmth
than one of smaller dimensions. The explain
alton is obvious-the loose dress encloses a
thin stratum of air, which the tight dress is
incapable of doing, and all that is required is
that the dress should be closed at the upper
part to prevent the dispersion of the warm
air and the ventilating current which would
be established from below. The male sum-
mer dress in this climate consists of three
layers, which necessarily include two strata
of atmosperic air; that of females contains
more; and in the winter season we increase
the number to four, FIVE or six. As the pur-
pose of additional layers of dress is to main
tain a series of strata of warm air within our
clothes, we should in going from warm room
into the cold, put on our defensive covering
some little time previously, in order that the
strata of air which we carry with US may be
sufficiently warmed by the heat of the room,
and may not be in need of borrowing from our
own bodies Otherwise we must walk brisk
ly in order to supply heat not only to keep
up the warmth of the strata of atmosphere
nearest ourselves, but also to furnish those
which we have artiicially made by our addi-
tional coverings. When we have been for
some time in the air, if we could examine the
temperature or climate between the several
layers of our dress, we should find the ther-
mometer gradually falling as it was convey
ed from the inner to the outer spaces.
These observations on dress have reference
to the number of layers of which the overing
is composed, but they are equally applicable
to the texture of the garment itself The
materials employed by man in the manufac-
ture of his attire, are all of them bad conduc-
tors Of heat-that is to say, they have little
tendency to conduct or remove the heat from
the body, but on the contrary, are disposed to
retain what they receive; hence they are
speedily warmed, and, once warmed, preserve
their temperature for a heightened period,
and convey the sensation of warmth to the
hand. They are also bad conductors of cleo
tricity, and on this account become sources
of safety in a thunderstorm.
They are all derived from the organic world,
some from the vegetable and some from the
animal kingdom-for instance, hemp and flax
are the fbres of particular plants, while cot
ton is the covering of the seed of a plant
Silk, wool, hair, feathers and leather, are ami
NAL productions; of the materials, the first five
are chiefly employed as articles of clothing,
and in order to be fitted for their purpose, are
spun into threads. and then woven INTO us
sue of various degrees Of fineness and close
ness. Iii evident that this tissue will have
the effect of retaining a quantity OF air pro-
portioned to the side of the meshes; hence,
besides the strata of atmosphere imprisoned
between the different articles of clothing, each
article is in itself the depository OF, an atmos-
phere of its own.
Thick textures are warmer than thin ones
made of the same material, because the body
of air retained in its meshes is greater, as we
see illustrated in blankets and wooden gar
nents. lass
To the inhabitants of cold climates, feath- |
ers are source Of peculiar comfort, but from
their bulk are not easily convertible into body
garments.
Linen is bad conductor and bad radiator. I
On this account it is that. despite IFS excel |
lence in other particulars, it feels cold when