Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-07-11
A Chat With the Family.
by AGRICOLA.

Clothing is important to protect the
body from heat and cold. Different
qualities of clothing are suited to diff
ferent seasons and climates, and are
chiefly connected with the relations of
fabrics to heat and moisture. In cold
weather the object ID to prevent the
loss of heat from the body, by conduc-
ton and evaporation; in warm weather
the object is to promote this evapora-
ton, Hence we must wear non-con-
ductors and slow absorbers in winter,
and free conductors and ready absorb.
ers in the summer. These objections
must be secured, and with this in view
the fabrics must be selected. As far
as consistent clothing should be light,
durable and readily cleansed. Linen
fabric is good conductor, and hence
favors the escape of animal heat. It
also readily absorbs moisture from the
surface of the body and gives it off
again to the external air by evapora-
ton. This process produces rapid
cooling in hot weather. But linen
should never be worn next to the skin,
under any circumstances, as it has no
power to prevent sudden chills. Cotton
linen, and hence warmer. It does not
80 readily absorb moisture, and, there
fore, is safer for undergarments. Cot
ton ranks next to linen as o fabric for
summer wear. 1t is much better alb
sorber of moisture and conductor of
heatthan either silk or wool.
Wooleffabrics are coarse and porous,
OBTAINING within their meshes large
amount of air. Hence they are slow
conductors of heat. Woolens also
possess great capacity for moisture,
though they receive and discharge it
very slowly. This is valuable quality
in articles of clothing. Wooden is
much better protection against cold
than either linen or cotton, and much
warmer when wet. Its great power to
absorb moisture is highly important
property, as it regulates evaporation
from the surface Of the body and pre-
vents too great loss of animal heat. As
an equalizer of temperature and pro-
tector of the surface against sudden
chills, wooden fabrics are superior to
all others, and should be constantly
worn next the skin.
The color of clothing is important
only in relation to solar heat Black
cloth absorbs the heat of the sun, while
white cloth reflects it. But with the
heat of the stove color makes no differ
ence. The absorbing power of the gar
ment in the sunlight decreases as the
shade grows brighter, and in this order,
black, blue, green, yellow, white. The
darker colored materials absorb more
moisture than the light colored, the
black absorbing nearly Us much again
as the white.
After all, more depends upon the
manner of dressing than the materials
used. The poorest material, properly
worn, is better than the best improp-
erly put on. As have said, clothing
should be light. Weight does not i'm.
ply warmth, and often it becomes
source of great discomfort. Several
layers of light, Ioose-ftting garments
are safer than few layers of heavy
clothing. 1t is the imprisoned air more
than the material which secures warmth,
and hence the number of layers more
than the thickness OF one layer.
Again, loose clothing is warmer than
that which fits the body closely. Be-
sides, the tight-6tting obstructs the
circulation, restricts the natural mo-
tons and healthy action of the parts
affected. A tight fitting hood or night
dress obstructs the flow of blood to and
from the brain; compression of the
chest and abdomen is still more danger
Gus, as here are located the vital or
gans. This function of the body, es-
pecially, demands the utmost freedom
of movement. Yet, under the intlu
ence of fashion, it is the almost univer-
sal practice among young women to
bind down those parts, often to half
their usual dimensions. Deformi,y is
one, but not the worst result. The cir
culation is restricted, respiration is di-
rectly interfered with, the lungs and
heart are compressed, and the stomach
and liver forced out of place. The
direct results are necessarily disease
and premature death. This manner of
dressing is nothing less than suicide.
Thiuk of this, mothers and daughters.
Green Mountain Freeman.