The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-08-13
MEXICAN IDEAS OF THE BATH.

| they remained until he fell at the first bat
tie of Manassas, year or two later.
MEXICAN IDEAS OF THE BATH.
Some Good and Some Bad, and Some
accordingly Primitive.
Although thls section is blessed with an
Astounding number of beautiful streams
and rivers, bathing therein is extremely I'M
| popular, the inhabit1nts declaring that
river bathing is sure TO produce calenturas
| fever and ague), especially if one walks at
all in the sun-a performance hardly to be
| avoided unless one condemns oneself to a
| prison-like seclusIon. During a considerable
| stay III Misantla the writer accustomed to a
| cold bath every morning, used to rise at
| dawn, ride the mile or so to a particularly
fine bathing place at the river, take a go-
rious plunge tramp about all day in the
tropical sun in quest of butterflies, coleop-
terra, and "sich like" specimens of natural
| history, and toward evening again wend to
| the river, entering the water hot and debili-
| tated, yet never shake of calenturas ap-
peared One rides past the little ranches or
villages in that section and secs the people
painting like Lizards from the heat, inert,
languid, AID useless. Before their
| doors runs abundance of clear, cool water,
and yet they swelter in their hot and dirty
misery. In the state Of Morelos. particu-
larly in the Cuernavaca and Cacahuamilpa
| districts, baths, whether COO! or otherwise.
are said to produce calenturas if taken in
the evening, while In the morn
| ing they may be INDUCED in with
impunity. In the same way all over the
republic there are queer ideas as to the
| pernicious effects of bathing at certain times
or under certain conditions. Few things
call the attedtion Of Mexicans more strong
| ly than the eagerness with which Anglo
Saxons seek the bath on coming off a jour
10 hAra flr
of the road and other dscomfortS attendant
on travel for some days at least after de-
| barking firmly convinced that the other
| course would result i'll a bad cold, at least.
| To battle, having cold, would be to sign
| the death warrant; and one often sees peo-
Pile under these conditions who have not so
| much as touched the tips of their fingers to
water for fortnight. This is a particular
| ly awkward stumbling block for those who
| desire the practice OF cleanliness by their
servants. In chihuahua, for instance, it Is
almost impossible to induce the servant
class to keep themselves tidy TO the degree
of their presence near one being endurable.
| In other cities also the writer remembers to
| have suffered species of martyrjom from
the proximity of the people serving at table
yet their masters seemed to perceive moth
ing unpleasant Notwithstanding they were
people of the highest rank and themselves
of exquisite personal habits.
In many sections Mexican ladies suffer
severely from auemia, and they mourn
over their sallow compilations. There can
be no doubt that these dscomforts are due
chiefly to tue utter absence of open air ex-
ercse and to inefficient bathing.
at has been so cold lately" said the
daughter Of a leading family in capital
city; 1--WE always like to wash our faces with
a wet towel Of a morning, but we have not
been able to use a drop of wa,er for ten
days past!"
| Their interlocutor, a weak and confirmed
invalid, took daily oath, even when the
water was icy, and went about freely with
out wraps in the weather of which they
complained SO bitterly.
20, is it true" demanded some scandal
lied young women from Boston, that at
Aguas Calientes one can see the people bath
ing by the roadside without any clothes on ~
And the party interrogated was fain to adj
NIT tnat in the ditch running parallel with
the horse-car line that leads to the excellent
hot springs bath at that city, the lower or
ders, being unable or unwilling to pay the
triiing fee at the baths, do batne at ease in
the lightesU of apparel--men, women, and
children all together-wlth the simplicity
of the Sandwich Islanders. And they may
even be seen, having no towels to dry them
selves withal, sitting on the bank while the
sun performs that office, the bare, brown
backs glistening in the light, while timely
And the scene is even more animated and the
landscape more thronged on Saturdays,
when the masters give their servants half
holiday to- clean no in" Nor is this sight
peculiar to Aguas Calentes. And it must
be said that the view inspires one observa-
tion--namely; that brown skin bare is less
| startling and shocking to modeSty than q
white one under cue same conditions.
In the City of Mexico the inhabitants of
the better orders as a general rule batho
freely, and they laugh to scorn the provin-
cial prejudices ON tuis point, seeing in fire.
quent baths one of the best preventives of
rheumatism, typhoid pneumonia, and other
ills that fie n is Eere heir to, owing TO the
: dampness ard bad drainage. II have a
bad cold coming on; must go and take a
shower bath, " Is a rtmara often heard here.
One is always recommended TO walk for ex-
ercise after bathing in tais city, as one is
apt to be chilled If one cutters Immediately
the houses, which are, rs n rule, rather
damp and gloomy II am going to take a
bath; will 1t please you to accompany mep
il speech with the Mex,c ans, who have
the habit of inviting one 10 partake Of what
ever they indulge in at the moment, be it
coffee, drink, dinner, ride drive, or
what not, including bath, as aforesaid.
About the whole business of bathing they are
SO naive as to maze one understand the ditch
side business before mentioned. Mexican
men Of good standing, lawyers, merchants,
ETC., may be met going to the baths guiltless
of linen, tho coat put on directly over the
undershirt, sometimes with handkerchief
or scarf about the neck, at others showing
the bare throat, and II they chance to meet
ladies Of their acquaintance they soc no rea-
son why that garb is not as appro-
pirate for conversation as any other The
LADIES, on the other hand promenade homo
through the most crowded streets with their
hair streaming as often as not with q towel
hanging down the back beneath it, and no
one is ashamed to carry his bathing toggeries,
wet anu frankly confessed, in u shawlstrap,
or great Turkish BATH towel or robe on
the arm or shoulder, and this is about tho