Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-12-08
WGNTER HsHiTh.

"
Importance OF Bathing aud Die, IA tho
Preservation OF Health.
From the Newark Advertiser.
Now that tho rigors Of Northern winter
impend 1t behooves every prudent person TO
look well to personal habits The irighiful
harvest of death rcaped In many OF our
towns and cities during the winter season, as
physicians toll us, Is largely tho result OF
usreiossness and ignorance In the manage
ment OF the body. The deadly pneumonia
aud the fatal typhoid are children OF the
cold. In summer we have plenty of fresh
air, and may have plenty of bathing Both OF
those active promoters OF sound health dlsap
pear from the acquaintance ot many persons
M soon as winter comes. The bath, In somo
form or another, II absolutely essential To
health. And yet many people arc either
irregular, ntful with their bathing habit In
winter, or they dip iuto II NJ sparingly that
1t may be said OF them that they never bathe.
IL II any wonder, then, that ~ many people
take cold" To use u loose phrase man
who suddenly loses some portion of his
bodily heat IL said To " take cold" sud
den chill rom an open door, a CTovtco In AN
ill.clused window, or from n plunge into the
outer atmosphere hy one who IL dressed for
indoors only, causes the subject to lose some
1f his normal heat This sudden chill may
lower the Vitality of the victim To point be-
low safe recovery. How shall the body be
ifSt prepared 10 resist tnls sudden Attagk 7
Frequent cold, or tepid, bathing will do the
business Tho CuAneous nerves of the
cold'water bather acquire power to resist the
external influences oi tho atmosphere by
habit and training. Perfectly healthy per
sons, by gradually acCustOming themselves
TO the use of cold water applied TO the skin,
or taken a plunge bath, have finally been
able to immorso themselves In tho open sea,
IN freezing weather, without i'll effects The
horror with which luxurious persons regard
cold water bathing Ia due tn tho fact that
their experiments in this direction have been
undertaken, II at all, ignorsntly. Tho shock
OF cold bath To one unused to the habit IL
heleterious. The beginner must advance
from warm To cold bathing by slow degrees.
and when he has 50 accustomed hims elf tO
water at low temperature that he Is un.
chilled 10y an Icy plunge ho II uiPieclad
against that insidiOus attack Of wintry
atmosphere which brings pneumonia, phthi.
sis, and other Ills in its train.
Hot baths are also useful In their way,
especially to those who have very little out.
door exercise. The hot hath assists the funC-
tons of the sK in, impodod by an enervaiiug
habit and life of ease and luxury. or course
all bathing, especially In winter, 10y persons
ot impaired health, should be undertaken
only under the advice of the ph ysiCian. But
tn persons In normal condition oi health,
the hot bath, whether In a tub or In the dry,
or ysporiHed, heat of public bathing estAb-
lishmenL is considered highly useful by all
competent medical authority. And oven
here II will be noted by the eNperimenter
that tho unaCcustomed skin shriuks from tho
sudden heat Just a. IL does from the sudd
cold. The cutaneous nerves are affected in
precisely the same way by the application of
violent degrees OF heat (while IN state of
unpreparation) a. when freezing liquid IL ap-
Piled. The muscles contract, tho nerves |
shudder and the entire organ iIttiun responds |
Ia the shock just ~ Il docs in the other case.
But the result OF u hot bath, taken under |
proper conditions, IL to repair tho waste pro- |
duced by over-eNeTtlon, mental or physical. |
The accumulation of waste IL removed, the
blood vessels heated, and the system rono-
waited by this simple process 1t has been
said that half an hour In a warm bath may be
an useful as nights sieep " hen the latter is
unsttaInable.
Diet, next to bathing, Is au important mat.
ter in the care OF the body. NegetArans fly |
in tho face OF nature when they advise ahst.- |
nenco from animal food vi the year. When
tho fire In the furnace is low, We must throw
ON more coal. Fat is the carbon demanded
by the human furnace Everybody knows |
that in the Arctic regions mon may live on
fat of the grOssest sort. And, a. the EsJui
tnsu eats tallow candle with RELISH, 81 the in
habitant OF the temperate zone may b8 excused |
II, ~ winter comes on, he bankers after solid |
foods and fatty dishea With due regard to |
tts unsophstcated weak esses, the natural |
appetite OF man may los trusted ~ guide in
these matters Not more certainly than a |
young mans fancy in the spring lightly |
turns on thoughts OF love, does his healthy |
appetite crave n wholly different bill of fare |
in cold and wintry weather than that which |
pleased him In the heats OF summer But |
the danger Is that the winter diet shall be |
30 ample that the digestion may be impaired, |
the machinery break down, and tho system |
become so cIoRged IA to bo Incapable of |
healthiul motion. ENCesses in eating and |
drinking are among the ills OF winter. |
These prepare the reVeller and bon vivant |
for the incursions OF dyspepsia aud other kin
dred disorders that harass mankind
Fashion decrees stained glass and narrow |
windows that exclude the light and fash
IONS children must needs pay tor this fool |
ishness with impaired vision, weakened |
lungs, and unwhOlesOme compilations. The |
atmosphere OF a modern dimly lighted |
house, heated with a furnace IN tho cellar, |
and laden with tlOating PARTICLES from an- |
Cient rugs, could not be less healthiul, unless |
noxiOus sewer gas were added to these very
common features 1t IL needless 10 enlarge |
upon the necessity of good ventilation. |
Those who have it not, at this late day,
Will die in their Grass Ignorance. But 1t |
should be reiterated that the man whose fur |
niture carpets, or dTaperios cost 30 much |
that their exposure to the full light OF the |
sun ia To be avoided is living like fool. lie |
is denying himself one of Gods best gifts TO
msn-tho blessed light of the sun tor the |
sake OF ieasting his eyes on the gorgeous
dyes OF the loom Sunshine, in all ages, has |
stood for life and health. No man shuts 1t
out OF his habitatiOn with impunity. The
suns rays destroys germs OF disease purify |
the atmosphere, and restore to diseased and |
enteebled nerves life and vigor. The alb |
sence OF this agency, especially from sleeping
and living rooms, Is little less than a calamity.
In winter we should welcome the sun into |
the house. The winter habits that encourage
frequent cold bathing, seasonable diet,
properly adjusted clothing, and plenty of ex-
ercse, with plenty of sunshine, are reason
aDly saip