The Osceola times., 1880-05-08
HEALTH AND DRESS.
A Lecture or an Important subject by a
Yer, Eminent Physician.
London Queen

Yer, Eminent Physician.
London Queen.
Pr. 3. ". Richardson delivered q Ice
ture. az the London Institution, Finsbury
circuit, upon the subject of dress in rela-
ton 10 health. At the outset DR.. Rich
ardson repudiated any intention to de-
precate good fashion or good change of
fashion in dress. He thought, with Mrs
Hawels, that il was the bOunden duty Of
every woman 10 look D. handsome - she
could, aud 10 maintain her beauty as
long as possible. for nothing was more
beautiful than reauty m old age. Fash
Ions, as q rule, were dictated 10y vain and
ignorant persons who sci nature al def
ance, AS though they were were nature
and she an IDIOT, What was wanted IN
reform Of dress was good fashion fl
both sexes, and for everyday liir some
uniform costume that should tend to
bind more closely together the various
classes Of the community.
With reganl 10 the mechanical adapta-
iion Of dress to the body, the most seri-
ous error was tightness (which pressure
was brought To bear upon any particular
part, such as the neck, feet and limbs.
The corset was opposed to all that was
healthful and AL that was beautiful,
keeping rs il did the heart and the ad-
joining organs under SUPPRESSION. No
subjection to which women were liable
could lie greater than that which they
voluntarily inflicted on themselves by
wearing those articles. which deadened
their mental capability as well as their
vital energy Wals,ban.s. garters and
tight shoes, or shoes with pointed toes,
were also very prejudicial to health.
Belts interfe-rd with respiration, and
moreover, among working men who wore
belts it was the rule rather than the ex-
cep,ion for hernia 10 supervene. while
bad boots were responsible for mis-
shaped feet among ninc-tcnths Of the
English community. Women's dresses
should be loose and should be supported
from the shoulders, as was usually the
case with male attire. Indeed, faulty a.
IT was in an artistic pOin OF view, mans
dress had greatly improved in these lat
ter days, and was, in relation TO health.
perfection as compared with that of wO-
men.
He suggested that the dress of women
ought To be-although Of lighter mate
rials-the same as that Of the opposite
sex, with the exception of the exterior
robe or gown, which should play the
same part a. the outer coat of man. In
regards to hats, the gypsy" bonnet was
very becoming for women, while the
chlmney-pot hat worn by men was light
and healthy and far superior To some
descriptions cf felt hats, which were in
a hyeienic point of view bad ana hide
Gus 10 look at. The best and most simple
OF all was the fine old Swiss cap, some
times called the Leonardo da Ninci.
one Of these, limp black velvet cap
with flaps, was exhibited by DR.. Rich
ardsOn, who stated that he himself wore
one as graduate Of a Scotch university
where the original one was supposed TO
have been made from knox's breeches.
Ii was especially necessary TO adapt
ones clothing 10 the season Of the year,
as it has been proved by the late Mr.
Miner that the body undergoes two
pounds waste in the autumn. Water
proof clothing was injurious to the sys-
tenn. as were also in another way the
ani!inc and other dyes now prevalent.
/ he best color for dress in warm or cold
weather was white, which might be
modified to light grey as less liable 10
get dirty, while black was the worst. 1t
vas satisfactory to think that mourning
was slowly falling into disuse, for, after
''suttee," it was almost the saddest OF
mIseries inflicted by society on the al
ready miserable.
Dr. Richardson concluded by point.
ING out the necessity for Gle anliness in
all wearing appeared, and by commenting
on the utter iReftici,ncy OF the laundry
system in London and in other large
towns.