The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-06-05
Clothing in its Relation to Healfh.


APPROXIMATELY, the human body
when clothed resembles steam jacketed
pipe; the clothing forms the outer COW
sring, between which and the body there
IS layer of steam and heat, which are
constantly ascending. The place where
This current of hot air and steam passes
out into the atmosphere is the narrow
ring between the neck and the shirt col
lar. This opening plays, therefore, an
important part in the maintenance of
The temperature of the human body. If
It IS enlarged, the heat and steam escape
more quickly and the skin is soon cooled;
4, on the contrary, it is wholly or partly
closed by being closely buttoned or by a
muller, then the loss of heat is stopped,
and the temperature of the skin raised.
Thus there is nothing more iniudicious
than the constant wearing of muller,
Or the thick neckerchief of our fore
fathers, because it impedes the evapo-
ration of the matter which ought to
pass out of the skin; though for the
same reason it is of great value in cases
of cold.
While the dampness of the atmos-
phere affects the evaporation through
the lungs as well as the skin, clothing
by night as by day regulates that of the
latter. All covering which impedes this
evaporation acts iniuriously. Though
no material is quite faultless in this re-
spect, there is still great difference in
their structure. The less they are inn
pervious the more they are to be avoid
ed. India rubber stands at the bottom
| of the list, for it does not admit of the
! passages of any water; leather comes
next; less Objectionable, but still repel-
liant, Is linen, as an instance of which
we may mention the blue linen blouses
worn by the Belgians and Dutch over
their other garments as kind of water
proof. Cotton has a great advantage
over the foregoing, as it is to certain
extent porous; but the best of all perco-
lators is wooden material. A flannel
shirt is more healthy than cotton one
a wooden blanket at night than a linen
! sheet.
The action of the skin depends also
upon the circulation of the blood under
its surface, and the latter is promoted
by outward friction. A material which
induces the latter is therefore also more
healthy, and rougher Undertaking,
such as wooden or coarse cotton, is pre-
ferable to the enervating finer linen or
silk.
Another point to be observed is the
keeping of the skin warm, beeause
warmth keeps the pores open, while
cold contracts and closes them; and
here again wooden clothing stands first.
Thus it is proved that in point of
porousness, friction and warmth, wool
en- clothing is to be preferred to all
others.
But not only the material of the cloth
ing is of Importance, but also its cut. In
warm climates, where clothing is more
a luxury than a necessity, the loosest
garments are the best; but in those lati-
tudes where a certain amount of warmth
has to be obtained by clothing, the gar
ments must be worn more closely-fit-
ting. We have before likened the hui
man body to a steam-iacketed pipe,
where this steam is constantly in an as
cendant motion; the faster this circula-
ton takes place, the more is the skin
cooled; it follows, therefore, that the
most regular and constant evaporation
is maintained by fitting garments.
Canada (Ont.) Weekly Globe.