Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1886-11-13
Undertaking.

sion i'm New York city, recently wrote
the following valuable suggestions up-
on the wearing Of Undertaking.
There are few features concerning
health that are more completely mis-
understood by the average man or
woman than the subject of undercloth-
ing. In the first place | may say that
in our climate some kind Of under
clothing should be worn by man, wom-
an and child all the year round-sum-
mer and winter-though, of course, i.
should vary in character with the sea-
sons. There are doubtless many who
ir nothing of the sort winter or
Simmer. and who have thus far es-
capped ali i'll consequences, or at least
think they have. In AL probability,
however, they are deceiving themselves.
They may not yet have suffered any
serious Inconvenience from that neg
lect to cloihe themselves properly, but
they are quite certainly. even though
the process goes on slowly. weakening
their resisting powers. and are hence
rendering themselves less capable of
bearing up against the attacks which
morbid influences are constantly max
ing. Every year finds them more apt
to suffer from slight ailments, each
one of which debilitates the system:
advancing age makes them more sus-
ceptible, and at last pneumonia. pleur-
isv, ~dyscntery or many other serious
diseases strikes them down.
1--WE changes III our climate are 50 sud
and severe rs 80 require all the Vi
tai strength Of the organism to combat
them, and if the body be not properly
protected the danger is greatly increas-
ed. Even with all the care that can be
exercised the barriers are often broken
down.
There is IA widely prevalent idea that
silk is the best substance from which
to make undcrclothing, and | have
known many poor girls to stint them
selves the naccssaricS of life in order to
ave enough. money TO purchase silk
undergarments. But silk is not the
best material with which to make I'M
d~erclothcs, so far rs concerns their
health-preserving qualities. whatever
may be It's advantages SO far rs beauty
and immediate comfort are concerned.
The chief object of Undertaking is
the retention of the natural heat of the
body in such q way that low tempera-
ture and sudden changes will not affect
the surface. Several years ago | per
formed some experiments which went
10 show without a doubt that silk is be-
low wool in its power to prevent the
loss Of heat from the body. and very
little superior to cotton. Indeed, moth
ing is in this respect preferable to wool
and of this material all undertaking
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 de-
sirable, for it is not such Il ready alb
sorbcr of the perSpiration rs is wool,
and hence allows the body To be kept
in a state not very remote from that
known as parboiled. Wool, however,
taking up as il does the moisture from
the body, exposes it TO the action OF the
atmosphere, ii is evaporated. and, the
process being "A cooling one, keeps the
skin from becoming overheated.
Rabbit skins, cushions Of various
kinds and the so-called ''protectors
worn over the chest are unhealthy, as
they prevent the escape of the eXcre-
tons from the skin, and hence facili-
tate the collection of dirt rs well as
impeding the proper exercise of n OF
the most important functions of the
body. | have frequently seen persons,
men and women, divest themselves of a
half dozen layers Of skins and pads be-
fore | could get at the naked chest to
examine it with the Stethoscope. The
odor was disgusting. and the effect up
on the organs they were supposed to
protect certainly deleterious. No under
clothing should ever be SO thick rs to
prevent the passage of the cutaneous
eXcrctions and the atmospheric air.
The skin requires ventilation rs well as
do the lungs. Chamois skin under
garments, ''pcrtoratcd or u%nperforat-
ed are denominations.
A notion exists that red is a particu-
larry advantageous color to give to the
undershirts and drawers worn in very
cold weather. There is no foundation
in inIt for such an idea. 1t has been
saWhat the dyestuff 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 was true, and | am strongly in
clined to question the correctness of the
statement. it would be no reason for
using red-colored undergarments in
preference to brown or white. 1t is
not irritation of the skin that is wanted
when we put on underclothing, but
protection from cold and sudden vicis-
STUDIES of temperature. When it is
necessary to %irritate the skin it is bet
ter to make use OF IA mustard plaster or
"A blister, and not to divert the clothing
from It's proper objects. Undercloth-
ing should be made of white material.
Theoretically, black would be prefera-
BILE for winter use, as it is a better non-
conductor of heat and a better alb
sOrber of moisture than any other