Hannibal journal. (Hannibal, Mo.) 1852-1853, 1852-06-03
Science Of Color in Dress.

Unfortunately for our health and comfort, the
teachings Of science are too often disregarded, il
they interfere with our habits. Science, when
not practically applied looses its value; It wants
hxedness, stability. It's application is its en-
bodiment; without It, 1t is mere fgment Of the
brain. Its business is to inform the mind, and
remove erroneous impressions and its high
est aim is usefulness. The popular belief with
respect to dress, that black dress is warmer,
both in Winter and Summer, than white one,
is erroneous. The truth is, that, the material
being the same, black dress is cool in Winter
and warm in Summer--while white one is
warm in Winter ard cool in Summer; that is to
say, the one is cool when we require warmth, and
warm when we require to be cooled; while the
other is warm when we are cool, and cool when
we are warm, and thus answers the purpose Of
dress, which Is, to protect the body from the in
fuence of the weather.
Science teaches that dark colors absorb heat,
and part with it much more rapidly than light
ones; black and white being the two extremes.
How strange that this knowledge has not been
applied to dress If the bowls Of two spoons,
the one polished, and the other smeared with
SCOT, be held near fire, it will be found that the
blackened one becomes hot much sooner than
the other; and If now they be both made hot by
holding them against the bars of the CRATE, and
then removed from the fire and suspended in the
air, it will be seen that the blackened one will
get cool much sooner than the other. 1t is true
that the difference in this case is chiefly due tC
the polish on one Of the spoons, but it is not al
together due to it. Again: if hot water b.
poured into two vessels, the one white and the
other black, the water in the latter will cool be-
fore the other. So, likewise, If two persons
-. hI.nIr orI 4lo oSb 80 x.hsfo al
other conditions being the same-were to e
from the cold external air into q heated room
the one in black would feel the heat sooner thai
the other, and on leaving the room would b
more likely to take cold than the other. 1t is
therefore, evident that light-colored dress
! more conducive 10 health and comfort than
dark one, since it prevents the external heat o
, cold from too suddenly reaching the body, an
} prevents the body from too suddenly partin
with its heat; and thus that it keeps it in NOR
) equable temperature.
3 We may now understand the reason why AM
mails in the polar regions are white--thei
b whiteness preserves the heat Of their bodie
t much better than any other color. So likewis'
c the earth, in consequence OF the whiteness (
e snow, is prevented from parting with its hea
j 1t is not so much by snow protecting the earl
from the external cold, that it does such valu
;, bile service, as by its preventing the radiation
s the internal heat. This whiteness of snow, al
s of polar animals, must not be looked upon as Il
: result Of blind chance; it strikingly exemplif
: the wisdom and goodness Of the C-cAtor.
The above observations are peculiarly appl
e cable to the case of men engaging in Arctic el
h peditions. do not know what dress they us
p ally wear, but it is quite clear that whi
woollen one would be the most appropriate; al
if it had a gloss upon it, it would be SO mu
the better. This they might have learned frC
!. observing the animals in those regions.