Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-08-08
New Ideas About Dress.
WHITE BEST FOR WINTER AND BLACK FOR
SUMNER.

WHITE BEsr FOR WINTER AND BLACK FOR
SUMNER.
In a recent article published I'm the New OR.
leans Medical and Suvgicat Journal DIR. Thomas
Herbert points out what he believes To be a Sc
rious popular fallacy concerning summer wear
ing apparel. I'VE have been taught, he SAYS
THAT white bodies reflected heat and dark ones
absorbed il. We saw for ourselves that snow
melted much faster under dark cloth than 1T
did under white fabric. The inference WAS
that we should wear white cloth i'm summer
because it absorbs less and reflects more and
dark cloth i'm winter for the opposite reasons
This is an error which has grown into "A PERM
cious habit. The temperature OF the body, as
taken take by i the thermometer, Is about 9sao.
allure 1o0o. probably more. Now the
general blood temperature is much ON
temperature, during the greater portion Of the
summer, with tendency TO be higher. even In
the repose of the body, and this tendency is
much increased by exercise. In the sum- how
ever, the Thermometer may register looo to
115o, and at the hottest period OF the day NAV
give 1929 or 1892 in the shade. Then the OUT
side heat may be greater than that OF the
human body in repose. But at other periods OF
the day the temperature is notably less, while
the same degree. In short, during the greater
portion of the day. even in the hottest sum-
organs at least is above the surrounding tenn
perature. These remarks do not apply TO the
! lew people who work in the sun, bat TO the
great proportion who labor in the shade Ex-
ercise may bring the blood 10 fever heat.
"Leaving aside any consideration OF our exile
rior apparel we will say that most of us, during
this exercise, wear white stufis next To the skim
Yet such garments will reflect heat from our
bodies more when the temperature outside is
greater than il is inside of them, and 10 our
bodies more when the excess of temperature Is
/ in the blood. In the vast majority OF cases.
therefore, we put on such garments preferably
in summer, when they generally serve re-
| tanners OF heat In outer clothing we make
/ another error in wearing fabrics which do
| not absorb moisture readily and tend To keep
| a stratum of air saturated with IL over the
| skin, thus preventing evaporation, and conse-
quenfly refrigeration. Besides, what retains
moisture retains heat, and what retains both
is, SD far doubly injurious This Is Just the way
white linen clothes operate. There men
who cannot be made 30 wear, in the heat
| of the sun, anything lighter ia weight or color
than dark-hued flannel shirt. Negroes black
| as Erebus split wood standing naked beneath
the copper sky. They do not complain. In
winter nature wears "A mantle of spotiess white.
White retains heat. w ho ever saw a black polar
bear But the human creature has on a gar
ment that is dark colored. and absoros heat
The atmosphere around him, which may be
below zero, VIII wrench the heat from his blood
and organs which may be above 1Uoo i'm tenn
perature. His vital furnace is set a~roariug
To supply the loss. Exhaustion of fuel occurs
and he is chilled to the core. Then fever sets
in and, by the same law Of equilibrium, the
overtaNed organs make tremendous effort tC
remedy the trouble by reaction"