The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1883-08-15
Hints on Bathing.


All are agreed that bathing is health
full practice; first, because it is cleanly,
and second, because it is a precauhon-
ary measure against risk to life by
drowning. We are fully prepared to
indorse the proposition that boys should
be allowed to bathe as often and as freely
as may be practicable. 1t is, however,
necessary to raise a protest against the
recklessness which too commonly at
tends the recourse to bathing as an ex-
ceptional, or at most a seasonable, eXer-
else by those who are, though eager,
perhaps not always physically fit to
bathe. There is, practically, less dan
ger in bathing all the year round than
doing so only at certain periods. When
to begin bathing, in what weather to
bathe, and under what conditions of the
bodily state to bathe, are questions of
considerable perplexity, and by no
means always easy to answer. The gen.
eral rules which should guide the judg-
ment are doubtless, in the main, physio-
logical-that is to say, they relate chiefly
to the functions of life and their healthy
performance. Obviously, it is not right
to dare the dangers of a ''chilf' either
when undressing or by immersion in
the cold water. Speaking generally,
pends, will take place in proportion to
the healthy circulation of the blood and
the natural heat of the body when the
bath is taken. If there be much mois-
ture on the surface, it is difficult to tell
what the actual temperature of the or
ganism really is. In mostcases n sweat
ing surface indicates some measure of
exhaustion already set in. In any case,
it is unwise to bathe when copious per-
spiration has continued for some hour
or more, unless the heat of the weather
be excessive, or the sweating has been
induced by loading with clothes rather
than by exertion. When much perspi-
ration has been induced by muscular ex-
ercise, it is unsafe to bathe, because the
body is so fatigued or exhausted that the
reaction-that is, the return of the mo-
mentarily displaced blood to the sur
face-can not be insured, and the effect
may be to congest the internal organs
and notably the nerve centres.
1t is from congestion of the nervous
center we get cramp, so often fatal in
bathing. The fact of the reaction"
does not, of course, constitute the whole
phenomena of bathing; but it is so inn
portant and comprehensive that we
may take this as the point on which
everything turns. Conditions under
which vigorous return of blood to the
surface can not be confidently counted
upon are not favorable to bathing. If,
| therefore, the weather be ''chilly," or
there be a cold wind so that the body
may be rapidly cooled at the surface
while undressing, it is not safe to bathe.
Under such conditions the further chill
of immersion in cold water will take
| nj ot ha ba
reaction consequent upon the chill of
exposure by undressing ought to occur,
and this second chill will not only
delay or altogether prevent the reaction,
but convert the bath from mere stimu-
liant to a depressant, ending in the alb
straction of large amount of animal
heat and congestion of the internal
organs and nerve centers. The actual
| temperature of the water does not
affect the question so much as its rela-
tive temperature as compared with that
of the surrounding air. Practically,
there ought to be a good deal of differ
ence between the two, the water being
much lower than the air. and the body
being-without great or long persisting
perspiration-much warmer than the
water, of course, but not so much warmer
than the atmosphere as to be chilled by
undressing. In snort, the aim must De
to avoid two chills; first, from the air,
and second, from the water, and to
| make sure that the body is in such
condition as to secure quick reaction
on emerging from the water, without
relying too much on the possible
friction by rubbing. Thinking these
| brief hints out, it will be obvious that
both weather and wind must be care
fully considered before bathing is COM
menced, and that the state of the or
ganism as regards fatigue and the force
of the circulation should also be con-
sidered, not merely as regards the gen.
eral habit, but the special condition
when a bath is to be taken. These
precautions are eminently needful in
the case of the young or weakly
London Lancet.