The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1885-12-24
Manitomof pilot.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER "a, 1886
UNDERCLOTHING.
It's Hygienic Uses and Hints on the
terial to Use.

terial to Use.
In the first place l may say that in our
climate some kind of undertaking
should be worn by man, woman and
child all the year round, summer as well
as winter, although, of course, it should
vary in character with the season. There
are doubtless many who wear nothing of
the sort. winter and summer, and who
have thus far escaped all i'll consequence,
or at least think they have. In all prob
ability, however, they are deceiving
themselves They may not yet have
suffered serious inconvenience from their
neglect to properly clothe themselves,
but they are quite certainly, even though
the process 60 on slowly, weakening
their resisting powers, and are hence
rendering themselves less capable of
bearing up against the attacks which
| morbid influences are constantly making.
Every year finds them more apt to suffer
| from slight ailments, each one of which
debilitates the system; advancing age
| makes them more susceptible, and at last
pneumonia, pleurisy, dysentery or some
| other serious disease strikes them down.
The changes in our climate are so sud-
den and severe as to require all the vital
| strength of the organism to combat
protected the danger is increased.
Even with all the care that can be ex-
ercised the barriers are often broken
down.
There are many men and women with
in my personal knowledge who can not
| even for a single day omit their custom
airy wooden shirts or drawers without
contracting cough or becoming subject
to rheumatic or neuralgia pains. One Of
these is a gentleman holding high
| office under the Government of the
| United States. He dislikes the sensation
| of wool next the skin, and has repeatedly
tried to harden himself to the point of
| being able to dispense with the thick
| flannel shirt that his wife insists upon
his wearing. AS often, however, as he
has made the attempt he has as often
been obliged after few hours absti-
nence to return to the disagreeable gar
ment, for gentle reminder comes to
him in the form of slight stitch in his
side while he is shifting the fresh morn
ing air on his way to his office. By the
| time that he has gone few blocks,
whether upon foot or in his carriage, it
| is most painful for him to breathe, and
the suffering goes on increasing until he
| is forced to- 90 home and put on the pro-
tecting shirt, very much to his wife,
delight at the fultillment of her predic-
tons.
Silk is not the best material with which
to make underclothes so far as concerns
their health-preserving qualities, what
ever may be its advantages so far as
beauty and immediate comfort is con-
cerned The chief object of undercloth-
ing is the retention of the natural heat
of the body in such a way that low
temperatures and sudden changes will
not affect the surface. Several years
ago performed some experiments which
went to show beyond any doubt that
! silk is below wool in its power to pre-
vent the loss of heat from the body, and
very little superior to cotton. Indeed,
nothing is in this respect preferable to
wool, and of this material all under
clothing meant for winter use should be
made. In summer a mixture of wool
| and cotton, called merinO, may be worn
but even in very hot weather silk is not
desirable, for it is not such ready alb
sorber of the perspiratioh as wool, and
allows the body to be kept in state not
remote from that known as parboiled.
Wool, however, taking up. as it does,
the moisture from the body, exposes it
to the atmosphere, it is evaporated, and
the process being a cooling one, keeps
the skin from becoming overheated.
No Undertaking should eyer be so
thick as to prevent free passage of the
cutaneous excretions and the atmospheric
air, The skin requires ventilation as
well as do the lungs. Chamois skin
undergarments, perforated Or upper
forated, are denominations.
A notion exists that red is a partic;l-
larry advantageous color to give to the
| understands and drawers Worn in very
cold weather. There is no foundation
in fact for such an idea. 1t has been
said that the dye stuff used for the pur-
pose of producing the color in question
is more irritating to the skin than the
other substances employed, but even if
this were true-and l am strongly in
clined to question the correctness of the
statement-it would be nc reason for
using red-colored undergarments in pre-
ference to brown or white. 1t is not
irritation of the skin that is wanted
when we put on undertaking, but pro-
lection from cold and yieissi.t.des of
| temperature. When it is necessary to
irritate the skin it is better to make use
of a mustard plaster or blister and not TO
divert the clothing from its proper
objects. Undertaking should be made
of white material. Theoretically, black
would be preferable for winter use as it
| is a better non-conductor of heat and q
better absorber of moisture than any
other color. other things being equal;
but it would probably be difficult to get
people to clothe themselves III clothing
of this color or to find the necessary
articles in the shops.
1t is the fashion now to have all the
underclOthing made of the knit material
called "stockinet," but l am quite sure
that flannel shirts and drawers, such as
our ancestors used, are preferable for
winter use, and mixture OF wool and
cotton for summer. The chief objection
to stockinet is that the garments made
of it fit too close 10 the skin to be COM
Portable or to fulfill all the objects to be
obtained from underclothing. When
however, the garments are made out d
piece-goods, and expressly for the per-
son who is to wear them, they can not
be so formed as to embrace the body rs
tightly as though they were made OF
lndia-rpbber. Strata of air, therefore
are formed at various points. and these
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