The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-03-10
OvERCOArS AND HEALTH.
4 Claim That II IL Better 10 Wear HEAVY
Clothing Next tn the body.

The teaching % modern science and Il
ancient custom goes 70 chow that heat pro-
duction within the body hrs much TO do With
the tissue changes concerned In muscular
activity and With healthy digestion IL u
conserved by warm aud Moderate wasted in
evaporation by excessive, clothing Finally.
bg simple nervous reaction. it Is increased
after the contact Of external cold. Ii follows
from these observations that II we be- 50 clad
Hith comfortable unierciothing that surface
evaporation Is not formed In excess pnd Is
rapidly removed. one great cause Of chill--sn,.
den evaporation is done away with Outer
cold then, provided IL Is not too severe. only
! touches. as It were. the spring Of the heat
making mctabollsm. aud. exciting an elastic
rebound IN the chain of va-p-nofOr hhers
nwakens that o.iiative action by which
every tissue Is made 10 yield rs share Of beat
20 the body THIS brucing influence is losl
wholly or partly 20 those who ere too heavily
clothed and 10 its place We may have a dan
gcrOus excess Of surface heat
IL Is for this reason that we have before
protested, as we now DO against the inds
crimlnate use Of the thick and heavy over
coat We would rather see men In fairly 70
bust condition, especially If young, clad
warmly nest the skin, and wearing either q
light top coat or none al nll There can be
no doubt that the habiiuai Use Of great coat,
IS indirectly accountable Tor the cEills which
they arc intended lo prevent Were the
oVorcoat worn continuously. 10 might attain
rs object II, intermittent Use. even when
ample Undertaking ], worn affords no solid
guarantee Of safety. but rather the reverse.
The man Of seleaiary habits has especial
need 10 remember this. He cmerges daily
from q 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. lie arrives at bis
Office Or place Of business and of goes the
overcoat. though the air 81 the newly opened
room is a. cold rs that without, and draughty
in addition During the dag perhaps he
travels 10 aud from adjacent business houses
wearing only his house clothing The over
coat IS lail aside til closing time reminds him
II tue journey home The frequent result j.
hat somehow between the hours of has de-
parture and return, be Is chill.d No doubt
be would run o. Great risk ii, lightly clad
he were to face the rigor Of a winter day. In
this case, however, exercise and habit might
90 much TO develop the power # endurance
and there would, az all events be- les danger
Of sudden cold acting upon freely porspir
ing surface.
Wooden Undertaking represents a state OF
healthy comfort intermediate between these /
extremes and more resistant 20 chill than
either In commanding rs use however, we
10 not assert that the influence OF ago and /
constitution is 70 b. overlooked Youth can /.
oppose power OF resistance 20 depressing .
agencies which dos not reside In the worn
ont nerve centcrs OF ripper age Similarly, .
that elastic reaction which characterizcs the /
nervous and sanguine types is not o. b. /
looked for IN the lax tissues ~ the Emphatic
Tho weaker physique naturally calls for
fuller protection than the stronger and any
rule requiring the di.u-e Of the overcoat
.h0uld allow of reasonable exceptions 10
favor Of the old and consti,ut0ually feeble
Unusual severity Of weather. especially II
associated with night air and the loss ol
sleep which this implies is another condition
which might Wcl constitute an exception.
In such % case We arc compelled Go add some
orm of overroa; to tAo ordinary amount Oi
.lrhinc. Some part ~ the boiy-ior cx
ample the chest. throat and icet-are Ger
ainly more susceptible 90 cold Cham others
A., useful safeguard. cold or tepll bathing
II such parts is in ntiil-d favor The cu,-
On aocommon with many persons, especially
women. OF walking out m thin -olcd boots
,ften plays an important part in catching
old Tho prugrcss OF time and of rational
bought may be expected % bring in more
arrangement by clothing the
oct in wooden hosiery and u stouter boot
apprf