The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1861-06-15
Philosophy of bathing.
The following is from DR.. Mayo &,
Smith on the subject, and is worthy Of

The following is from Dr. Mayo &,
Smith on the subject, and is worthy Of
consideration.
There are in the human body 2,700,-
600 glands and 7,OO0,OOO pores, from 1000
to 3,OOO to the square inch, and one eight
OF Inch in depth, making twsnty-eight
miles of human drainage
Five eighths of all that is eaten passes
OFT through these pores, and but one per
cent Of all prespirable matter consists Of
solid substances. The change in the
muscle tissues, and bones occurs in from
one to two years, and in the entire body
In from six to seven years If this old
matter be retained it Causes diseace-it is
a real virus
Some diseases are relieved almost in
stantly by opening the pores Diarrhea
is frequently cured, matter from the mo-
Gus membrane is expelled through the
| skin; tobacco, opium, mercury have been
| thus exnded. Whatever through the
skin the body can expel it can absorb
Hold the end of your finger in spirits of
turpentine; it's absorbed; goes through
| the system, aud may be detected by its
odor Constant handling of arsenic has
produced death BY absorption.
| The doctor relates an account of a gen.
tleman in the Barbados who was in the
| habit OF daily ihtoxication, and had con-
structed tub wit pillow to accommo-
| date his head and when in this state was
| placed therein, and the tub was filled with
! cold water, in which he reposed for two
or three hours, and would then arise re-
! freshed and invigorated When his wife
or family required him, they would wake
him up by taking out the plug and allow
| the water to escape, when he would pleas
antly complain of the loss of his bed
| clothes
Perspiration is Eliminated from all parts
of the body, and the excretions, cutans
tousiy forced, may from some parts of the
! surface be reaGmitted to the circulation
and IT poisonous or injurious, whenever
the blood visits it; must carry disease
Nature keeps her sibe of the interior clear
and soft, and demands an unobstructeo
exterior, and exudes to the surface the
refuse matter tor removal by bathing auG
evaporation. dry, light powder, mixeo
with sweat and oil from the glands, and
dust, clogs up the pores As all parts o
the cuticle has pores, as well as the face
and arms, all the body should be bathed
ut least one third as many times as those
! are.
On board slaye ship the small yox sud
denly broke out. Medical aid was power
lets Every morning the dead in grea,
numbers were thrown overheard In the
midst of terror and anguish, the negroe,
ciied out, Let Us do as We do in our owr
country with the sick Permission bein:
given, they gently lowered their sick com
panious into the sea, letting them reInar
fer minutes, and then raised them, anc
placed them in the sunlight on deck unit
dried, and repeated the process severG
times, when the disearse left them, an,
they were cured
Al Charleston. s. C.. during the recent
epidemic, among several Northern me
chanics who had gone thither in conpan,
but one escaped the prevailing fever, an,
he alone bathed frequently, and neye
slept az n .-ht III any OF the clothes worr
by day. The others cast off only thei
outer garments, slept in their perspira;iol
and disd
Cold water IS used and prescribed n1ucl
mere than formerly, though many woulc
think a physician not worth sending fo
who should prescribe SO simple remed
Abernethys advice TO one OF his wealthy
patients was, Let your servant bring yo
three or four psil.ful of water and put
into wash tub; take off your clothes, &c
into it. and from head tG foot rub ycursei
with II, and you II recover This advc,
Of yours seems very much like telling m
to wash myself, said the patient. Well
said Abernethy, it is open to that objet
ton
f Dr.. Currie used fresh water generall,
and by lous and careful experience h
, found that bathing prevented or cure
/ most diseases.