Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1886-11-05
Bathing, and Why we Should Battle

Among all the appliances for health
comfort to mankind, we may safely say
there is nothing so well known, SO useful,
and with all so comforting and vet so lit
tie practiced, so carelessIy and thought
lessIy neglected, as judicious bathing.
The skin of the human body, from head
to foot, is net work of human pores.
One cannot put finger any place with
out covering several hundred little open
ings, which ought always to be kept free
and clear of distractions. AS evidence
of the truth of this statement we need
only call to mind the great drops of
sweat so often seen gathering on ones
face and other parts of the body in warm
specially during time of over
exertion. These pores are the openings
into the minute tubes or channels which
lead through unseen meanderings into the
sanctum of life within.
The dust which comes into contact
with animals covered with, is mostly kept
and the Precipitation conducted away
from the pores by those hairs; hence
bathing is not so essential with them as
with mankind, whose bodies are practi-
cally denUded of such protection. The
glutinous mass of Precipitation, dust and
filth, which gathers on the surface of the
body naturally covers and clogs the pores
and often enters them and pOisons the
system. To remove that filth frequent
ADDITIONS and occasional dimensions in
water are exceedingly desirable, and US
ually indispensable to health and comfort
consequently every family should have
q convenient bath-and full bath, too
of some kind, not only for general neat
ness of person, so desirable 10 every indi-
vidual of taste and culture, but as a means
of preserving health, and in many cases
especially under the advice of q physi-
clan. as the safest, pleasantest, and one
of the most powerful and efficient means
of combating disease
Directed by good judgment and wise
counsel bath is a valuable auxiliary to
other remedies, and it can be used when
internal remedies can not. In the long
catalogue of diseases to which flesh Is
heir, scarcely one can be named in which
the treatment of a bath would be useless.
To those blessed with good health, a
bath, as a common sense appliance, gives
thrift to healthy functions, brightness
and delightful serenity, a clearne.s of
mind and buoyance of spirit. It Is GER
tainly a blessing to both the mind and
body.
For the mental worker, it is a nerve
tonic. A thorough immersion in water of
proper temperature will calm and give
strength and tone to his whole system
The indoor laborer who gets bat a scanty
supply of fresh air, needs bath to OBJ
tain those invigorating elements so com
mon in the open air.
The outdoor laborer-esp ecialiy the
farmer-who works with heroic energy
all day long, unavoidably gathers on the
entire surface of his body q complete
prison wall of dust and thickening, gum
my Precipitation; and when his days
work is done, he needs then more than
any other thing, not only a wash, but
luscious. full bath to fit him for a clean
bed and refreshing sleep
Finally, everyone needs bath at times,
and every human habitation should con-
tain something for complete immersion
in water, and, since convenient and eff
cient portable baths at comparatively low
figures are now extensively advertised for
sale, there is little use for any one to be
without this priceless benefit