Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-12-06
WINTER'S DANGERS,
How to Dress During the Cold
Months.


Months.
The first thing that people naturally look to
ID winter Is the best means of keeping them
selves comfortably warm, and this warmth is
sought in ways that are prejudcial to health,
and that often result seriously. Very few per-
sons know how to dress properly, and yet it is
derstood. 1t Is as necessary to strength and
health as ventilation, sunshine. good food and
cleanliness DR.. Hamilton Osgood, in 'Winter
and Its Dangers" says: When a man freezes to
death it is because the blood at the surface of
the body, that is, in the skin, has become cold
at rate more rapid than the production OF heat
creasing depression of vitality. At first there is
pain in the parts exposed, then the skin loses
feeling, the muscles lose their energy the
breathing becomes less and less vigorous, the
mind grows sluggish, drOwSneSS overwhelmS
the unfortunate and he dies. Now what has
happened here? In strict sense the man did
not grow colder and colder, that is, he lost more
and more Of his bodily heat, until too little re-
manned to support life. The proper
value OF clothing, then, depends upon such wise
use OF 1t as will maintain the normal equilibri-
UNI between the inner and outer temperature
OF the body. This necessitates the most careful
attention to what we wear and how we wear
it.
There is popular theory that hardening will
mure one to any degree OF cOld-to the most
sudden change of temperature. Nothing could
be more fruitful of danger. OF course, now and
then, there is an individual who can adopt the
hardening process without apparent i'll effect
But the theory is pernicious. This is shown by
the condition OF both men and animals in coun-
tries where there Is prolonged exposure to cold.
The ESquimauX and LaplanderS are small in
stature, and the people of Terra del Fuego, who
go without clothing in coolest weather, are so
dWarfed and Stunted as to be merely hideouS
suggestions of human beings. Shetland ponies
and the sheep and cattle of bleak climates are
small in size, simply because cold prevents their
development. There are no words Strong enough
to characterize the folly OF those parents who
think it right to 'harden" their children by
forcing them to face the cold inSuflicieDtly Clad
by this MEANS" sharply says the writer
children are hardened out of the world. Some
thing may be said with greater sharpness of the
thoughtlessneSS OF unwise parents"
Clothing should be sufficient, should be loose
and should allow free and full working of all the
organs of the body, as well as affording small
space for the passage OF air. The corSets Of
women and the heavy skirts, which rely for
their support upon the hips are declared very
injurious. Apart from the evil wrought by the
corset in the summer months, it is especially
deleterious to health in winter, as it stops the
blood-pores OF the body and prevents a free flow
or blood TO certain organs, and diSturbS the cir
culation in the skin, thereby interfering with
the heart, and frequently involving the throat
and lungs The material of which winter cloth
ing, which comes next the body, should be
made, should be flannel of heavy wire-woven
goods. or sufficiently heavy silk undergarments
Wool Is warm and preserves heat Besides, it
Is a poor conductor, and Notwithstanding the
fact that person may keep himself warm in
cotton or linen, sudden exposure to cool air
quickly proves the superiority OF wool, for both
woollen and cotton allow a rapid radiation Of
heat.
'.Much and serious harm Is caused by the un-
wise practice of wearing summer clothing into
the autumn, and OF assuming light outer gar
ments and underwear as soon In spring as a
warm day appears The health in many cases
is undermined by neglecting dress of proper
warmth in early autumn. 1t is an error to sup
pose If thick clothing be worn in early Nove1n-
Der that 1t must be much warmer in January.
What will keep us comfortably warm in the
damp chillineSS Of November will answer per-
fectly well in the dry, clear cold of winter Dur
ing early spring and late fall months the very
moist air is good conductor OF heat, and in such
weather the body loses warmth very rapidly,
and becomes chilled If not sufficiently clad.
can not too seriously impress the fact that many
lung diseases are contracted during these I'M
certain seasons by improper dress. The winter
underclothing should be put on early and worn
late II the day is very warm, the change should
be made in the outside garments A lady should
carry an extra shawl; gentleman should by no
means leave his overcoat at home. If the tenn
perature suddenly fall, both then have clothing
wherewith to meet the change. Europeans
dress more warmly than we, and have less,
great physicians once said: FLANNEL should not
be put off until midsummer's day, and should be
MI 6av aft