Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-04-12
ovERcoATs AND HEALTH.
A Claim That 1t Is Better to Wear Heag.
Clothing Next to the Body.

A Claim That 1t Is Better to Wear Heavy
Clothing Next to the Body.
The teaching of modern science and of
ancient custom goes to show that heat pro-
duction within the body has much to do with
the tissue changes concerned in muscular
activity and with healthy digestion. 1t is
conserved by warm and moderate, wasted in
evaporation by excessive, clothing. Finally,
by simple nervous reaction, it is increased
after the contact of external cold. 1t follows
from these observations that, if we be so clad
with comfortable underclothing that surface
evaporation is not formed in excess and is
rapidly removed, one great cause of chill-sud-
den evaporation-is done away with. Outer
cold, then, provided it is not too severe, only
touches, as it were, the spring of the heat
making metabolsm, and, exciting an elastic
rebound in the chain of vaso-motor fbers,
awakens that oxidative action by which
every tissue is made to yield its share of heat
to the body. This bracing influence is lost
wholly or partly to those who are too heavily
clothed, and in its place we may have a dam
gerous excess of surface heat.
It is for this reason that we have before
protested, as we now do, against the indis-
criminate use of the thick and heavy over
coat. We would rather see men in fairly.ro-
bust condition, especially if. young, clad
warmly next the skin, and wearing either a
light top coat Or, none at all. There can be
no doubt that the habitual use of great coats
is indirectly accountable for the chills which
they are intended to prevent Were the
overcoat worn continuously, it might attain
its object. Its intermittent use, even when
ample undertaking is worn, affords no solid
guarantee of safety, but rather the reverse.
The man of sedentary habits has especial
need to remember this. He energies daily
from warm breakfast room clothed in his
ordinary winter garments, with probably
wooden underwear, and over all the heavy
ulster or top coat. After short walk he
finds that the sense of warmth he began with
is more than maintained. He arrives at his
office OF place of business, and off goes the
overcoat, though the air of the newly opened
room is as cold as that without, and draughty
in addition. During the day perhaps he
travels to and from adjacent business houses
wearing only his house clothing. The over
coat is laid aside till closing time reminds him
of the journey home. The frequent result is
that somehow, between the hours of his de-
parture and return, he is chilled. No doubt
he would run as great risk if, lightly clad,
he were to face the rigor of a winter day. In
this case, however, exercise and habit might
and there would, at all events, be less danger
of sudden cold acting upon freely perspir-
ing surface.
Wooden underclothing represents a state Of
healthy comfort intermediate between these
extremes, and more resistant to chill than
either In commencing its use, however, we
do not assert that the influence of age and
constitution is to be overlooked. Youth can
oppose power of resistance to depressing
agencies which does not reside in the worn
out nerve centers Of ripper age. Similarly,
that elastic reaction which characterizes the
nervous and sanguine types is not to be
looked for in the lax tissues of the Emphatic.
The weaker physique naturally calls for
fuller protection than the stronger, and any
rule requiring the disuse of the overcoat
should allow Of reasonable exceptions in
favor of the old and constitutionally feeble.
Unusual severity Of weather, especially if
associated with night air and the loss of
sleep which this implies, is another condition
which might well constitute an exception.
In such a case we are compelled to add some
form of overcoat to the ordinary amount Of
clothing. Some parts of the body-for ex-
ample the chest, throat and feet-are GER
tainly more susceptible to cold than others.
AS useful safeguard, cold Or tepid bathing
of such parts is in merited favor. The GUS
tom SO common with many persons, especially
women, of walking out in thin soled boots
often plays an important part in catching
cold. The progress of time and of rational
thought may be expected to bring in more
comfortable arrangement by clothing the
foot in wooden hosiery and stouter boot
Lancet