The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-05-14
WOODEN GARMENTS.
The Relation These Bear to Health and
Bodily Comfort.

has another important function, the
performance OF which is influenced by
dress. 1t is great excretory organ
that is to say. it is one of the structures
whose duty it is TO carry away waste
matter from the body.
The skin is composed of two layers
the outer. or scarf skin otherwise called
the cuticle or epidermis) and the inner
so-called true skin, cuts or dermis.
The outer layer varies much in thick
ness at different parts of the body. being
! thickest where there is most pressure.
as on the palms of the hands and the
soleS of the feet; it is dead material,
containing neither nerve tibres nor
blood vessels, and is in the form of
! layers of fine, flat cells or scales laid
one over another like tiles of a roof.
These scales are constantly being
given off from the surface as more or
less fine scurf. and as constantly being
formed in the deeper parts which are
contiguous to the dermi. or true skin.
The true skin is highly sensitive, being
supplied with countless nerve tibreS
and BINDINGS.
1t is also highly vascular, being sup
Piled by innumerable tiny blood vessels,
called capllareS, though they are far
finer than any hair, and it contains the
perspiratory glands, the setacery or fat
-Vcreting glands and the roots of the
hair.
! There are many ways of proving that
the SKINS continually removing matters
from the blood.
For instance, if man or even only
one of his limbs is carefully inclosed in
a gutta percha bag full of air it is found
that changes take place in the air SINH
lar to those which happen in respired
air. The air loses oxygen and gains
carbonic acid, and it also receives a
| quantity of watery vapOr, which con-
denses on the side of the bag and may
be drawn off if desired
| Ordinarily such moisture does not APP
| pear on the surface of the skin, but it is
/ given off, nevertheless, and is then
called insensib!e perspiration; but when
the external temperature is very high
or under certain circumstances of men
! tai emotion or violent bodily activity it
appears in the form of isolated drops
irrcgularly distributed on the skin, and
thus becomes sensible perspiration.
The quantity of sweat, or perspira-
ton, whether sensible or insensible.
varies immensely, according to condi-
tons of the external air. and to states
of the blood and nervous system.
A daily bath all over is one of the
most important preserverS of health,
and soap is necessary adjunct to the
bath, as without it the eXcretiOn of the
sebaceCus glands cannot be removed,
foE oil will not mix with water. but does
mix with, and is removed by soap.
The elimination of excessive fat and
water, together with the other waste
matters contained in perspiration, is a
function of the greatest Importance and
one which should be promoted, while
everything calculated to check it must
positively be avoided.
Here, then, it becomes apparent that
special care is required in the selection
of clothes, and here, again, wool pro-
videS for our necessities.
Wool allows that free Transportation
which is one of the vital conditions of
health, permitting the foul exhalatiOns
of the skin to pass freely away through
it and absorbing any excess of moisture.
Vegetable fibre, however. abSorbs
until it is wet, and then leaves much
unabsorbed moisture on the surface.
chilling it and checking the further
action of the glands. whereas flannel
will. even after Il violent perSpiration,
rest on a skin it has nearly dried ana be
only damp itself.
Thus, after violent exercise a cotton
or linen garment next the skin hangs
against it damp and clammy, and is Il
frequent source of colds; so that for
such violent exercise as cricket. boating
or tennis flannel next the skin has been
wisely adopted by the male sex.
SILK worn next the skin is warmer
and slightly more absorbent than vege-
table fibre; but that it does not allow
the noxious eXhalations to pass freely is
proved by the unpleasant smell it soon
acquires.
But, besides wearing wooden during
| athletic sports, must men wear wooden
vests, drawers and sockS-at any rate,
during the winter; yet our young girls,
who are infinitely more in need of every
advantage that clothes can offer. for the
most part are allowed, even in the cold
est weather, to wear cambria or cotton
undertaking. in spite of the fact that
most medical men are agreed that WOOL
en- r'lderclothing is necessary in this
climate.
Wooden should be worn not only in
winter, but in summer also, the only
difference being h the thickness of the
l. 4 H. 80 An
Wooden garments, If themselves kept
clean. preserve the skin in a clean and
healthy condition, keeping it warm in
winter and preventing chill in summer.
That irritation which sometimes fol-
| lows the unaccustomed wearing of
wooden next the skin is generally caused
by the material being of recent manu-
facture or coarse quality, and in all but
the rareSt cases it passes Oft within
few days. if the practice is preserved in
There is very prevalent idea tina.
wooden clothing is weakening. but this
is only Misrepresentation of the fact
! that it is weakening to allow the body
| TO be constantly overheated. Although
wooden is worn, the BODY need not be
overheated, even in summer. care being
taken that the quality and quantity OF
the clothes are suitable to the external
temperature.
Nature points to wool az the proper
clothing of man as of the lower ami
mails, and, as is only to be expected
under the circumstances, it fulills all
the conditions necessary for the preser-
walton of health. as far as dress is con-
cerned. 1t retains more warmth while
weighing less than any other material,
and it allows the skin to perform those