Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-06-24
Are You Really Cleanp

The advantages Of thorough personal
cleanliness are only appreciated by a
few, for most people are ignorant OF
what thorough personal cleanlir ess
means, and consider ablutions which
are confined to the face. neck and hands
all that is necessary. IT one were to
say to tho average man or woman,
" You are not clesu." it is very certain
the average man or woman would be
Mortified and feel insulted. tits fact,
nevertheless, that largely from igno
rance. and partly from prejudice. We 90
through life dirty" rarely, if ever,
cogniz4nt of the physical pleasure to be
derived from perfect cleanliness.
Now, it may be Hsked here. not in
opportunely. What is perfect clesnli.
ness 2" Briefly, let us describe it as
that condition which enables the body
to breathe with regularity sad ease
through the pores Of the skin. When.
ever tho body cannot 80 breathe. we
are not clean, and some internal dis
order, more or less severe, is the inevi.
table result. A great many people are
sick simply because they are dirty
Cleanliness. as it is generally under.
stood means that the surface of the
skin is free from dirt. This, however
ia not real cleanliness. To be really
clean, not only the surface of the skin,
but its pores must be free from dirt
furthermore, the blood Itself should be
free from impurities.
1t may be said with truth that dirt on
the surface of the skin is not nearly so
deleterious as dirt in the pores. This
statement is proved by tie fact tina,
worknen engaged in labor where
proper Precipitation is induced are
rarely unhealthy, simply because
though dirty in the ordinary sense o.
the term, the pores OF the skin are kept
constantly washed and clean.
or this fact most of us are ignorant
Our ancestors in olden times we're moi
so ignorant, and knowing full we'll thai
hot and cold water washed the skin
but not its pores. in order to keeE
themselves perfectly clean, used the
hot air bath.
Interesting remains of the hot all
bath exist in Assyrias Egypt and Mo
rocco, and in the district of Lebanon
where the habits OF the people have
always been the same within the mem
ory of man. We have abundant evi
dences that this kind of bath fourished
centuries ago, throughout Europe
particularly in France and England
The North American Indians have &
rude form Of hot air bath, so also ha6
| the ancient Mexicans.
We are indebted to the Turks for the
preservation of the bath as it was ir
vogue in ancient times, hence the name
Turkish bath. The Turks adopted i
from their conquered enemies. the
Greeks, and made no modification in itl
practice. During the middle ages
when bigoted aud rabid ecclesissticisn
ruled Europe. and when "dirt" be
came religious duty, this bath disap
peared from use, and public attention
was not again drawn to it till abou
fifty years ago, when David UfQuhsrt
an enthusiastic and scholarly English
man, who hal resided many years il
Constantinople as q member Of tn,
Euglish embassy, became convinced o
the immense benefit it's adoption nigh
be to his own oountrymen, and wrote
book upon the subject. Twenty year
later. DR.. Richard Barter. o hydropathi
physician. located at st. Anne's, il
Ireland. took up Urquhart's ideas
went to work and constructed the frs
Turkish bath in Great Britain. From
that time the movement spread all owe
Europe. and more lately all over thi
country. II Food and Heslth.