The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-04-10

BATlflNG IN ICE WATER.
from the Baltimore American /


Cleanliness is the next thing to Goodness we
Americans begin at length to believe this good old
maxim. Now a-days the gentleman who builds house
for himself to rent to others would as soon THINK OF
dispensing with parlor front door as with pain
See ut what cost pure water is supplied to oil our
great cities and how bathing houses for the public and
the poor begin to multiply The American mind is kcen
alive to the fact that clean skin. clear conscience
fresh air. plenty of agreeable work sound stomach
and full pocket constitute ALL or nearly all the essen
al elements OF happiness here below and 60 nr towards
securing happiness hereafter. $50 ~,
Perhaps do not carry matters so far as Mr. walker
the hygean humorist who after tlArongh course OF
bathing, declared that his skin 30 clean that no I'M
purity should stick to it. and maintained that 1t was an
absurdty to wash face body that was OF necessity
always clean Still we have all become more or less con-
verted to the doctrine of practical hydropathy at nome
trusting less TO water cures arranged Ia hos@ upon
the system of Presnttz than to the daily application Oh
water hot cold to the whole person, and under the
direction of no doctor but our common sense "
the hundreds and thousands Of Americans who accord
water all the virtues claimed for it, the majority incline
to water ,otra lin preference to water heated or az al
indicated II saso well understood that the use OF cold
water must be adapted to the strength Of the constitution
and IFS capacity to react upon the shock ocsoned p 10
application With this restriction 1t is generally hed
that cold water is beneficial alike to old and Young from
the newly born infant to 1.-The lean and slppercd paa
loon !" SIMS teeth, Sans eyes, sans everything
yeryrecenty entirely doctrine has been broach
ed and one Of much importance. An anonymous wi,'o
in the last number OF the DcmocraSc age cohsthoe ~
cold water IL good enough in its way but that the ecC
Of ice upon the debatcd system are peculiar anu
not only peculiar, but miraculous. Better still than cc
water is the ios a melted upon the naked person "nen
the system is strong enough TO bear It, He goes 80 al
10 say "that icc well used, would prove not eNac,y
the physical regeneration restoration OF the "o'
yet soouid come asry near 49, .,,,
The writer IL, beyond question, o man OF aoni'y
literary man. but scrihbler man OF the "oIu,
mighty hunter and fisherman, practical man WV ,
bases his conclusions not upon closet specuations, w
upon his personal long continued experience nv
tackled with pneumonia, sailivnted, broken down VI Gun
suton, subject TO hemorrhagcs from the lungs ages
ton totally deranged rheumatic and neuralgia he reu
vain the remedies prescribed by American physician,
The effects Of foreign travel the most rigid det ana t
most careful and systematic habits OF iife Inc nos
learned physicians OF London, Paris, Genoa Milan Fo'
ence Pisa and Rome could do him no good.
His first step towards restoration began with the uo
OF the sponge bath Of cold water immediately after g[
ting out OF bed After trying this for time With only
moderate degree Of benefit. he became s'convincea
close chemical analysis of ice, that II contane Wn
itself power OF impartng ply steal vitality possessed
nothing else Beginning with lump of ice the SIZE "
walnut IN a bowl OF water he increased the quanuy
until at longth he melted five six pounds OF ice sPO"
his body every morning. a.,
This little lump of ice had new effect somethlng va
cold water never produced, and the ultimate result W.
indeed marvellous. He gained sxty-hye pounds OF nu
restored not only to perfect health, but 70 s'a
vigorous energy physical strength, vital power unN"'