The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1870-12-27
Bathing.
ITS IMPoRTANCE-HOw OFTEN NECEssARY-THE
BEST METHOD.


Every square inch of the skin upon the human
body contains about $500 sudoriferous sweat
glands, making over 100000 of these glands upon
the entire skin. Allowing each gland to be one
fourth of inch in length, we have upon the entire
body no less than twenty-eght miles Of tubing, for
carrying on the drainage of the system. 1t is not
necessary that a person should work himself up to
the sweating point in order that the secretons should
escape from these glands, but it is all the time pass
ing off in the form of insensible perspiraton. From
one to three pints of fluid thus escapes from the skin
every day. A portion of the secretion from these
glands is absorbed by the clothing of the body, but
another portion collects and remains upon the skin
until removed in some manner This of necessity
nterferes with the healthy functions of the skim and
thereby inteleres with the functions of every other
organ for close is the sympathy between the differ
ent parts of the body, that where one organ suffers
all must suffer. The skin has also the power of alb
sorbing substances, that if impure secretons
allowed to remain uuon its surface, they may be
again taken into the system whore they serve to
poison the blood This IS, no doubt the origin OF
many diseases Those who practice frequent bath
ing seldom have the epidemics which often sweep
over land, such as cholera fever dysentcry, and
the like
more than person in thirty practices bathing
regularly often once week. and not more than
one in ten as often once MONTH and l have had
persons confess to me that they never bahed in all
their lives.
Persons who do not battle lose half the enjoyment
of living. A good bath is as invgorating as a meal
Take that weary and restless brain which has been
porting all day over a book a ledger, or a SERMON
and it can be lulled into quiet sleep by an evening
BATH much better than by opium, tobacco alcohol
Nothing is so good for snarng, peevish children
a good bath. | have seen them put in when they
fevered up with nervous excitement that the
water would almost SIS, and in five minutes they
would come out with faces bright and cheerful as
the sun after shower If a lady has husband
who feels Grabbed and fretful, and who is not soften
ed by smiles and kind words, would advise her to
get him to take a BATH and my word for it, he will
appear like new man. So too, if husband has
nervous, irritable wife, who storms the household
and flies into passion at the slightest provOcalion
he will find nothing effectual in tanning her dis
position as good soaking.
AS general rule, think two or three times
week is as often as a bath need be taken,
every day with benefit Those who battle every day
should not use soap, it removes too much of the
cuticle, and weakcns the system, but those who
battle but once week may use soap to advantage
A bath should not be taken Immediately after meal
nor when the body is greatly fatigued. The water
used should not be too cold especially if the person is
not accustomed to frequent bathing.
The benefit to be derived from bath, depends
very much upon the manner in which it is taken. A
bath may be taken in so careless and clumsy way
to prove positive injury. For instance a man
reads this article and says "Now, l am going to
battle every day, and l will commence tomorrow
morning. Accordingly he gets up in the morning,
and the first thing has to split some wood with
which to build the fire to warm the water Then,
where Is the water! Why IN the well, OF course.
And the tub? down cellar filled with apples and the
towels2 safely packed away in the bureau drawer
In the course of about half hour he gets his traps
together, and shiverng from head to foot, he de-
hberately goes to work and takes bath, and when
he gets through he feels about much nvigorated
as he would after fit of fever and ague. You need
not talk to that man any more about the benefits OF
bathing. He has tried it, and he knows it will kill
any man in two weeks.
But how should bath be taken? In the first
place. would say, a lazy man never should battle
as it will probably prove positive injury to him
for a bath, to be beneficial, must b. followed by
sufficient exercise TO produce reaction, and this
lazy man will not take. For ordinary purposes
consider the sponge bath the most suitable. The
shower bath is too much of shock to the system
especially for feeble persons. Many persons suppose
tal,a tUp minutes tn ali lou tal.