The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-03-08
HINTS ON HEALTH.
RACES. About clothing and Shoe

Facts A bout Clothing and Shoes.
Next in Importance to thoroughly
clean skin is the preservation Of that or.
gun from the injurious action Of sudden
changes Of temperature. Of oil terrcs-
trial animals man Is the NEST sCantilY
supplied with natural protection. Tic
necessity for arliflcially maintaining the
animal temperature is thus forcibly put
by DR.. Evory Kennedy:
"Strange as it mHy appear, clothes are
used equally in cold climates to retain the
natural heat and in warm climates 10 iso.
late the body from thesurrounding highly
elevated atmosphere and burningirays Ol
the tropical sum-" -. IgI
Between the layers Of clothes there arc
strata>o air kept at eouablg temperature,
which but slowly conduct alterations in it
from within or without; and as they arc
confined by the dress they do not freely
allow. of the admission OF colder air. II
is for this reason that, in going from a
warm room into tho cold, we should put
on our extra clothing some time previous
", so as to heatthls protective stratum Of
air, which is actually d nOn.conductor.
Linen, which is SO great favOritc In
temperate climates, is an Objectionable
material for dress on account Of its high
conducting and radiating powers, in con.
sequence Of which 1t feels cold and does
not freely distribute heat, 1t Is also ut.
traCtiye Of moisture, which 1t retains, and
thus keeps a damp instead Of o dry me-,
dium around the skin. T1ta,
In warm climates cotton Or thin wool.
lens are entirely substituted for linnen
garments, and the only objection to them
Is their rOugher surface, which OCCASION
ally irEitates sensitive, skins, NOtwith.
standing this objection, which habit will
overcome, there Is no other medium 50
fitted for variable climate as this. since
it preserves tho warmth Of tlet body dur.
ing great cold, and prevents the 'conduc.
ton of intense heat
When linen is put on q perspiring skin
the moisture passes through 1t, and, Gvapo'
rating, still produces cold. Flannel, on
the contrary, absorbs the moisture and
gives out heat. Its non.conducting pow
or Is clearly useful on the cold winters
dhy. The wearing Of flannel, shirts, or
those Of merino, which contains about
One.third of cotton, during winter or
summer, is so usual in Eng gland us to real.
ize Boerhaave's maxim, that winter
clothing should be taken of at the end
OF midsummePs day only to put It on the
following morning. WoOllens, however,
should be more frequently washed, as
they absorb so much pesptration.
Since the more general adoption Of
flannel undertaking the number OF
deaths by bronchial COmplaintsis very
much lesSened. John Hunters receipt
ior rearing healthy children was plenty
of milk, plenty Of sleep, and plenty Of
flannel" 1t has been stated on reliable
authority that wOollen clothing is pre-
venive' Of malaria. Flannel drawers
reaching high on the abdomen, and q
long flannel shirt so that two layers may
cover that region, arc regarded as q great
safeguard against cholera.
The color Of dress Is important. This
was demonstrated by Benjamin Franklin.
He placed pieces Of various colored cloths
on the surface Of snow, and found in q
given time that the snow under the black
was most melted, that under the white the
least. From this can be Judged the prop
er shades for winter and summer wear.
Waterproof clothing; made, for instance
Of India rubber, should be avoided as
checking perspirahon. Thisis illustrated
by Breschet's experiment He shaved
rabbits and coated them with imperme-
able yarnish, and found that they persisted
In an hour or two Of cold and sufOcdtiOn.
Competent authorities have suggested
that the reason govt so often attacks the
feet Is that their natural cutaneous action
Is impeded by the boot or shoe now in use,
stating also that among the Romans these
parts were less olten affected, as the san
dAls only partly covered them. Such a
covering OF the foot though not permits
sihle BY the fashion Of the day, Is un-
.1ouhtGdly the most natural, as 1t viii
allow a treep PRECIPITATION for the foot, and
render frequent washing neediul.
The Countess de Eoailles has lately
written an able apology for Bare Fee"
in which she contends that II the wretch.
ed boots the poorer children wear were
cast away, the feet and ankles would be.
come stronger, would be kept cleaner, and
there would be muchlesS liability to colds
and to illness among girls.
DIR. John Brown, the well known
author, remarks that ut is amazing the
misery people Of civilization endure in
and from their shoes, Nobody isever, as
they should be, comfortable at once in
them; they hope in the long run, and after
much agony, and when they are nearly
done, tomake them fiji, especially If they
can get them once well wet. Frederick
the Great kept'an aid.de-camp to wear his
shoes till he could put them on, but hC
sometimes wore them too long, and got q
kicking for his pains. ftfs
The sqnare.tOed boot and those with
theinner edge traight not curved inwards,
Hre the most natural, as they allow the
expansion Of the toes-a matter seldom
allowed for by bootmakers, especially as
they measure the foot when lifted from the
ground, Great comfort is often obtained
BY having last carefully shaped for one.
self. 1t is said that the Duke Of yelling.
ton, being questioned as to tho most q,
sentiAl requisite for a soldiers clothing
replied, "a good pair Of shoes" Whal
tnext9 "a spare pair Of Shoes" and ever
thirdly, "a spare pair Of sOles" Mos
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