Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-03-27
A Lecture ON an Important subject
by a Very Eminent Physician
london Queen. ]

lLCuOOQ queen.
Dr. B. w. Richardson delivered lecture on
Monday evening at the London Institution
Finsbury- circus, upon the subject OF dress I'm
relation to health. At the outset DR.. Richard
fashion or good change OF fashion In dress. He
thought, with Mrs. Hawets, that it was the
bounden duty OF every woman to look as hand
some as she could, and to maintain her beauty
as long as possible, for nothing was more beau
tiful than beauty In old age. Fashions, as rule
were dictated by vain and ignorant persons who
set nature az defiance. as though they were
the reform OF dress was good fashion for both
sexes, andfor everyday life some uniform cos
tune that should tend to bind more closely to-
gether the various classes OF the community
With regard to the mechanical adaptation Of
dress to the body, the most serious error was
ughtness by which pressure was brought to bear
upon any particular part, such as the neck feet
and limbs. The corset was opposed to ali that
was healthful and all that was beautiful, keep
ing as 1t did the heart and the adjoining Or
which women were liable could be greater
IMAM That which they voluntarily inflicted on
themselves by wearing those articles, which
deadened their mental capability as well as
their vital energy. Wristbands carriers and
tight shoes or shoes with pointed toes. were also
very preJudicial to health. Belts interfered
ing men who wore belts it was the rule rather
that the exception for hernia to supervene
while bad boots were responsible for m1Sshapen
feet among nine-tenths OF the English COM
munity. Women dresses should be loose and
should be supported from the shoulders, as was
usually the case with male attire. Indeed
faulty as II was In an artistic point OF view,
mans dress had greatly improved In these
latter days, and was In relation to health per-
lection as compared with that OF women. He
suggested that the dress OF the women ought
to be-although OF lighter materials-the
same as that OF the opposite sex, with the
exception OF the exterior robe or gown,
coat Of man. In regard to hats the "gypsy"
bonnet was very becoming for women, while the
chimney pot hat worn by men was light and
healthy and far superior to some deScriptiO rs of
felt hats which were In hygienic point OF view
bad and h1deous to look at. The best and most
simple of all was the fine old Swiss cap, some
times called the Leonardo da Vinci One OF these.
limp black velvet cap with flaps, was exhibited
BY DR.. Richardson, who stated that he himself
wore one as graduate OF Scotch university,
where the original one was supposed to
II was especially necessary to adapt ones
clothing to the season Of the year, as 1t
had been proved by the late Mr. Miner that the
pOoy un0ergoes two pounds waste In the autumn
ana Two pounds increase In the spring. Water
PrOoI ciotnlnR was injurious to the system, as
were also In another way the aniline and other
0yes now prevalent The best color for dress In
", warm on coio weather was white, which might
pc modned 70 light gray as less liable to get
dirty, while black was the worst. It WAS ans.
factory 10 think that mourning was slowly fan.
tng Into dtsuSe, for after stSutfee IL wac sImoat
the Sadd06t OF mfser1es infiictei nv society IN
the already miserable Dr. Richardson conclud-
ed by pointing out the necessity for Cleanliness
In all wearing apparel and by Commenting on
the utter inef1ctency OF the LAUNDRY system fn
LONDON and other larg Ena