The Republican journal., 1869-12-02
SUITABLE CLOTHING.

Clothes are useful for about four purposes For
iecancy'> sake TO secure and preserve right tenn
peraturc Of the body to admit air to the surface and
sweat from it. The FIRST we noticed in an article
7wo weeks ago; and consideration now Of some
ot the principles relating to the others ny assist
IN understanding the subject
RIGHT TEMPERATURES. And here il may be said
tat elastic anu conserving are the vital forces,
the animal body may endure with safety almost
any extremes If heat and cold-from entering
ovens, like the fire kings, where meat is baked to
im intensity Of elld where mercury and even spirit
freezes. And in our own climate we pass each
year with impunity, as the normal condition OF
things, from 80 below, to 100 in the shade above
zero. And the reason these extremes mlict so lit
tie injury Is because the changes are so gradual.
Did We pass in Il few minutes from the intense cold
" winter 10 the scorchng heats Of summer, few
would survive the shock Yet in this climate if
those extremes do not meet the same day, vari-
able is it, sudden the changes from heat 10 cold, ,
and vice versa, that the system, unless aricially
protected hy clothing, gels INJURY. sickness and
death Hence in such climates the true principle
OF clothing is those fabrics and fashions which best
guard against those sudden changes. Those fab
rc, are the non-eonductors Of hcat-Woolens; for
when the surroundings are colder than the body
the object is to keep the animal heat i'll and from
passing uway into the outer cold; and when the
external heat is greater than the animal heat TO
prevent IT, rassing INTO the body Both of these
are effected by non-eonductora Of heat,-lus the
saw dust in the walls Of an ire-house keeps it
warm in winter and cool in summer.
Vow, as We said last week on house banking. air
i- uue ut the very best non-conducors of heat The
saw dust is 0 account only As, from its porous
usss. ii retains a large amount of air. And cloth
ilg 10 insure this equablc temperature, should con-
-lst Of those spongy articles like wool to retain
large amount Of air also. On the contrary cotton
/, 81 good conductor Of heat i'll cold weather car
rying OFT the animal heat into the cold outer air; in
hot weather conveying the external heat into the
system where there Is too much already thus in
cold weather makil the body colder; in warm
weather, Warmer-while the non-conducting wool
dc Just the right thng-kecl the internal heat
in when wanted. and the external out when not re-
qurrd.
AIR 10 TIE SKIN The skin is Il breathing or
gan. Its millions Of pores are 50 many mouths to
take in the oxygen Of the air for precisely the Same
purposes the lungs do. When you have bathed and
opened all these mouths you feel exhilarateI like
going out in sharp morning; in both eases because
taxing in more yiyifying oxygen. Hence an essen
al rule in clothes is those materials " hch will ad
init air to all the surface. And D. Just stated wool
ems DO this admirably, while lotions are nearly i'm
perEious to the air.
To CONDUCT OFF PRESENTATION. The skin is
Also great outlet to an immense amount OF etete
matters whose retention would he. and often is, 4
fruitful cause of sickness and death. Every mo-
mcnt, whether you feel its presence OF not this
moisture is escaping. Hence an essential principle
IN garments. especially those ncNt the skin, is that
they should bc OF porous stuff, to absorb and tac
jtae the escape Of those sweat materials, For this
great object nothing i, better than WOODEN nothing
worse fhau cotton The fact that in the sweating
prpccSo ycu feel dry and comfortable in the former,
wet ana miserable IN the latter. shows that the one
carries OFT the perspirlton out OF the way, the
other keeps it there 10 breed discomfort and disease.
And net ony does The wool matcri.t absorb moist
utrc hy its porouSuess, but also by particular ai-
Unity It has for water which fact Gideon OF old 50
well knew that he performed he famous miracle,
a. SOME still call it. OF putting fleece Of wool on
the floor, where it absorbed much dcW that
early in the morning b. Wlngcd out Of the fleece
a bowlful of water
Alike then, in the vital offices OF muntnining an
equable Temperature Of the body. of admitting ar
10 the skin and perspirablc matters from it, ali rea-
son points to wooden fabrics as The stuff, especially
tar inner garments for personal clothing.
And we will say from somewhat extensive oh
seryation that large per cent. of all the diseases
that affect. and deaths that ends humanity, come
from violating these principles Of dress. Especial
ly rheumatisms, and their seqnence-heart diseases.
-intlammatory teyers. sore throatS and consump-
ton, nine times in ten, all come from that cause
IVb nh SDit tin
and winter,-thnner i'll the Former than the latter
would entirely prevent Many person, young
and old, have we known, down the larger part OF
the time with rheumatism, throat and lung atfec-
tions, whose ailments medicines could not cure,
r~arcely releye,-get and keep We'll under thor
oush course Of flannel treatment Old pc oplc and
infants delicate women and children above AL con-
sumptye and rheumatic people ought not for n
moment to depart from that treatment
Having designated the proper material for cloth
ing and assigned some reasons therefor, let Us de-
,cend to some particulars in the makeup.
70 begin with the tender things at the dawn of
life: Ifcyer human being was cruelty treuted it is
these helpless infants. All the woes which the
monster Lasrces in your Uncle Toms Cabins ill
ficted upon their slaves, were nothing to the con-
slant scraping and raSping, to say nothing now of
iNe DtHcT evils, OF tne tender SKINS Oh infants bN
the stiff-starched and hartl-ironed camhrcs and
inuslins OF baby apparel. We never see drawer
sometimes we do several of them for one person
of these costly and cold-hearted things-thoueh
they must be praised on the spot-without feeling
strong impulse to drop in a lighted match and
everywhere, professionally, as now and here, we
cry aloud and spare not, against this cruel wrong
Let infants from birth till they leave the lap, be
dressed only, all seasons OF the year, day and night
III soft warm flannel dresses, loose enough to give
Tree motion 10 its limbs; high in the neck; long
sleeves cose-ittng Mt the wrist to prevent sudden
slipping up and exposure of the arms. In cold
weather blanket besides of the same stuff HIM
dreds of infants have we wearing out their own
wreched iFes and the lives of parents and nurses,
because its irail being could not withstand the hard
ships of this starch and exposure to atmospheric
causes. Many also have we known where they
grew out of this sicky existence into sound health
and vigorous constitution, comfort to them
selves and TO all the household, where mothers had
The good judgment to exchange those deatll-dcal-
ing fashions of infantile dress for those that bring
comfort, health and life.
AS children grow, the shape but not the materials
OF the garments, will change. For all through life,
nom infancy to old age, both sexes and all condi-
In \.