The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1876-01-26
BATHs AND BATHTN0.
nj On. W. W. HALL.


warm water were known to be valuable agen
cics in the promotion Of health and in tn.
cure of disease, and so have the medical pro
fession regard them for centuries but the us,
Of them have not been put forward promi
nently because Of their dangerous character
on account Of the ignorance, carelessness and
want of experience in their application on thu
part of the masses. This has been 20 appar
ent of late years that the most able hydro
pathists, among whom may be named Trail
and jackson, have repeatedly taken occasion
in their respective periodicals. to reprehend
indscriminate applications. It is for this that
SO many " cold water cures " in different part,
of the country have failed to be self-support
ing with all their advantages of pure water,
mountain air, and magnificent scenery. Like
any other powerful remedial agent for the
cure Of disease, even cold water must be used
with Judgment, as 4 result Of close observa.
ton, long practice, and intelligent applica-
tiont
Thefe can be no uniform rule generally ap-
plicable for cold bathing, because almost
every individual must be rule for himself in
view of his age, his temperament his consti-
tuition, his habits of life, the state of his
health, and the character of any aiment
which he may have. have seen cold water
applied to an apparently dying missionary on
the banks Of the distant Mississippi over
forty years ago. Intelligence was gone, the
teeth set, the eyes glazed, the pulse almost
imperceptible in fifteen minutes he sat and
conversed intelligently with the friends a.
round him.
On the other hand, medical authority give
cases where persons not much sick have died
in an hour from the application of cold water.
Last summer New York banker went home
from Wall street, after a day of unusual ex-
element, weary, depressed, tired and over
heated. He thought cool bath would re-
fresh him he died that night. The papers
stated that the immediate cause Of the fatal
attack of illness of Vice President Wilson,
whom nation truly mourns, was a bath. If
man of his age, intelligence, and judgment,
erred fatally in the matter of taking BATH
it will require long time for the masses TO
be educated up to the point of safe bathing
either cold or hot
gentleman at the Astor House took a
cold, was advised to take Turkish bath, did
SO, returned to his lodgings, was taken ill the
same night at the end of four weeks and at
the expense of several hundred dollars, it was
thought he might be taken to 5 carriage at
had gone out of his bath facing cold, raw,
northeast wind became thoroughly chiiled
hence the result. One would suppose that his
own intelligence, and more notably SO that of
the bath-keepers, ought to have told him
better. The intelligent reader may recall in
stances coming under his own observation of
all result from both cold and warm bathing.
1t is for reasons like these that educated
medical men all over the world are not for
ward in recommending baths and bathing as
remedy for sickness except in the COM
parativey few cases where a wise application
can be certainly calculated upon.
The subject cannot be discussed in single
mitted to the consideration of the intelligent
reader.
warm bath once week and a hand-air
bath night and morning are of universal ap-
plication, and would, if generally used, do
less injury and more promote health than
daily cold or warm water bathing, as now
generally understood and practised.
The warm bath above, in . fine time of
year, means good washing of the whole
body once week with soap and warm water,
with the aid of the naked hand alone or
sponge in room measuring seventy degrees
of Fahrenheit, and the water quite as warm,
or warmer.
The hand-ai bath means rubbing the hands
vigorously all over the surface of the body as
far as can be reached, all garments but stock
ings laid aside mouth shut, and with such
activity as will keep off the slightest feeling
of chillincss keep it up five minutes and
dress quickly. The effect of this is to expose
the whole surface to the air, to ventllate it,
to remove from the skin any scales or other
solid particles which might obstruct its pores,
leaving it in that soft and slightly oily condi-
tion which gives the mobility characteristic Of
the health skin of an infant. II all the natural
oil of the skin is washed from the body night
ana morning, IL IL 70 Luat oAtent ieit u~fsl
and dry, which is precisely the opposite Of
the healthy skin.
Anatomists tell us that the skin of the
human body is really series of scales, AS in
the fish. II the "slime " on the fish is re
moved the scales will not slide over eacf
other as they do, and the fish would die, be.
cause that is a secretion designed, not only tc
repel water, but to facilitate the motion OF
one scale over another. II does not seem an
unreasonable conclusion that it would be q,
great violence to nature to remove her lu.
bricating material from the skin Of man al
from the scales OF the FISH. The fact is
patiently rubbing oil into dry skin will eur.
fever, it will cure a cold on the chest OF an in
FAINT, and other maladies besides. Oil is al
valuable a remedy to day as in Old Tesla
ment times; 1t was used externally; TIN
modern teachings of certain class Of mind
are that it should be washed OF as soon as i
presents itself from Natures laboratory Thi
cannot be wise, safe, or healthful, although
to many 1t may seem Every reasonable"
=. A. Ia Il,