The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1863-03-25

A FIRST HATE MORNING bATH.-A
great deal is said about bathing, and
houses are generally preferred for having
baths fixed in them, supplied with hot
water and cold; but the simplest bath,
and one in which all may indulge with
out trouble or expense, is that of sponge
or towel bath and if repeated every
morning, summer and winter, is such a
renovater of the system that you will
have little occasion either for salt water
bathing or any other kind of bathing, and
may fairly promise your doctor long
holiday, so far as you are concerned.
Just do as we tell you in this article, and,
if you do not feel better, throw the blame
upon our advice.
Before going to bed, fill your wash
basin with water, say two thirds full !;
then put into it large soft sponge or
towel just which is handiest. Provide
something to stand on-either q piece of
old carpet or shallow tin-to keep the
floor from being wet; and also a couple
of coarse; good-slzed towels. Then all
being ready, Immediately upon rising in
the morning, having thrown off your
night dress, first wet your head, and then
take the sponge or towel full of water and
squeeze it upon your shoulders, the water
running down to your feet. The body
having thus got good wetting, you need
not, as some suggest, sponge the body any
further, but take the towels aud give
yourself good rubbing for about one or
two minutes, till the skin begins to react !;
then dress as quickly as possible, and, if
convenient and the weather suitable, take
short walk. Bathing and dressing
should not take you more than ten min.
utes. Practice will render less rubbing
sufficient, and the walk in time may be
dispensed with This is a bath that
everybody should take, and will be found
an infallible source of vigor and good
health, if properly done and followed up.
MYSTERY OF THE HUMAN HAND
Issuing from the wrist is that wonderful
organ the hand "In French book"
says Sir Charles Bell, 'intended to teach
young people philosophy, the pupil asks
Why the fingers are not of equal length.
The master makes the scholar grasp ball
of ivory, to show him that the points of
the fingers are then equal 1t would
have been better had be closed the fingers
upon the palm, and then have asked
whether or not they correspond. This
difference in the.length of the fingers
serves thousand purposes, as in holding
rod, a switch, a sword, a hammer, pen,
pencil, or engraving tool, in all of which
secure hold and freedom of action are
admirably combined" On the length,
strength, and perfectly free movements
of the thumbs depends, moreover, the
power of the human hand To the thumb,
indeed: has been given the special name
Polfex, from a Latin verb, meaning to be
able, strong, mighty, because of its
strength-a strength that is necessary to
the power of the hand, being equal to
that of all the fingers. Without the
feshy ball of the thumb the power of the
fingers would be of no avail, and accord
ingly the large ball formed by the mus
cies of the thumb is the special mark of
the human hand, and particularly that of
a clever workman. The loss of the thumb
almost amounts to she loss Of the hand.
a HUMAN BODY AND THE HOUR OF
DAY.-Seat yourself at table. Attach
apiece of metal (say shilling) to a thread.
Having placed your elbow on a table, hold
the thread between the thumb and fore
finger, and allow the shilling to hang in
the center of a glass tumbler, the pulse
will Immediately cause the shilling to vi.
brate like pendulum, and the vibrations
will increase until the shilling strikes the
side of the glass; and suppose the time of
the experiment be the hour OF seven, or
half past seven, the pendulum will strike
the glass seven times, and then lose its
and return to the ceuter ifI
you hold the thread sufIicient length of
time tho effect will be repeated but not
until a sufficient length Of time has
elapsed to convince you the experiment
IS complete. We need rot add that the
thread must be held with steady hand
otherwise the vibrating motion would be
connteraeted. At Whatever Lour Of the
day or night the experiment is made, the
will be the same.
gsg-A A Brooklvn doctor vouches for the
faets in the following: An anxious
father not long since discovered his "only
'on and herr" aged FIVE, engaged in pitch.
ng pennies with a number of ragged
lrchins. who had just initiated him in the
mysteries of the all-absorbfug game. He
gave the little eamesser a long lecture on
he sin of gambling, etc., and finished By
elltng him that if he ever caught him in
he naughty work of pitching pennies
gain. or gambling ip afav WavL he wopld