The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-09-17
can WE Battle TOO MUCH.

coma Doctors Say We Cannot, and
some Say We Are Washing TO Death.
From the Washington Star.
c,,nerersons battle a great deal too much.
This may seem odd to a great many to
-. nevertheless 1t is fact.
IRE are a great many persons VINO think
...+a Great deal of benefit can be derived
~ constant bathing. They take hot
i i.,bs cold baths. Russian and Turkish and
"a foreign baths. shower baths, and
oi+oratner TOO many baths. Doctors dlSa-
7,,ery materially as to the effects of
eis mon the system. Some of
,.,,, advocate cold baths every morning;
rs saw that these baths are injurious.
eH-,a saw that hot baths should be taken
5;.b the water at a temperature IF about
~. 0tbers say it should be below the nor
ii heat of the BODY, which is go, and
.-isce the water at 900. They all manage
oTree though. on one question, and that
is that everybody should consult thelr own
nbvsician as to the best and most beneficial
Ri5d of bath for the patient to take. While
+bav were talking on this subject of bath
inc they all of them had an eye to business.
pr6minent physician, talking of bath
;nC- and its effects on the constitution and
system, said recently:
'The science of bathing and use CT water
in this country is, | think in its infancy.
Tbare are only few places in this city
where a study is made of the proper appli-
cation of water, and outside the city there
are very few places indeed. We have not
+ba means here they have abroad, where
thew have their sulphur spring baths, their
snas and sauitariums. believe that there
is great deal in the use of water when
il is properly applied. And in one
or two places in this city they are
Just beginning to properly apply
it for various complaints. They
have their sprays and douches, hot and
cold. shower baths. plunge baths, mud
baths and many others. Some people take
n cold bath every morning all the year
around. | don't think it does any harm
that is, if the person is healthy. Some
won't feel any better for it and some after
taking cold bath will feel exhausted and
tired. Those who have a sensitive organi-
eaton can't stand the cold. think, though,
one who has fair constitution or is of a
strong constitution can derive a great deal
of benefit from a cold bath taken every
morning.
METHODS OF BATHING.
They should begin, though, to take these
baths in the summer when the weather is
hot. and then when the weather is COOL and
in winter time they will be better able to
stand the sudden cold. In the winter time
some people think the shock to the system
obtained by plunging into cold water would
be Injurious This would not he so if the
bath was taken in a warm room and if there
are proper appliances to warm the bather
afterward. There is a club of men in Lon
don who make it a rule that every one of
their members must battle in the Serpentine
in Hyde park every morning all the
year round. They go into the water in the
open air in the middle of the winter, and
frequently have to break the ice before
they can take their plunge, and then when
tey come out they tell everybody that
they feel much better for their cold bath.
This IS simply ridiculous idea, and there
are only a very few who could stand this
sudden shock. The benefits derived from
cold baths consist of stimulation to
the skin caused by the cold
appl cation and by vigorous rubbing,
which the skin should receive with a
coarse towel afterward. Cold water ap-
pied to the skin acts as nerve tonic, and a
cold douche or plunge for weak people when
properly regulated is good. AS a tonic cold
water is superior to tepid water But for
purposes Of cleanliness warm water is the
best. There are certain diseases for which
bathing in hot water is especially beneficial.
For hot bath the temperature should be
below So and should only be higher when
so prescribed by physician. A hot bath
dangerous. Turkish and Russian baths are
not much good for sick people. They don't
hurt we'll people when prescribed, and for
such they are luxury. Invalids, though,
should beware of them.n
ARE WE WASHING TO DEATH?
A well-known woman physician said: 81
am not an advocate of bathing every day.
| think there are lots of people who are Just
washing themselves to death, ard 1 don't
believe in such heroic treatment. Many
people can't endure bath every day and a
person must nave very strong constitu-
ton i'll order to be able TO do so. | think it
particularly unwlse to attempt to take a
cold bath every morning all the year round.
IL cases where l have known this to be
done | have usually found that in
nine cases out of ten after taxing the cold
bath the bather feels languid and tired
lhls ought to be sufficient proof that it is
Injurious to them. The sytem of punging
into cold water is not good at any time.
The shock OBJ aine1 from SO doing Is very
injurious and greatly affects the nervous
system. Cold water is not a natural
cement for man or a woman to be in.
And | can't see what benefit they can deri We
from lndulging so freely in cold plunge
baths. The method OF sea-bathing over on
this side is | think, wrong one. A
great many persons go into The water
curly III q morning, Will stay Ln5re until
noon, and frequently return to the water
again III the afternoon, and will stay until
almost shutdown. | wonder they don't get
washed away altogether. By stayingin the
water 50 long they undo al the good that
might be done by taking short bath.
Twenty minutes to half an hour in the sea
IS all the time that should be spent.
II possible, the bather should go into
the sea head first, or, at any rate, should
wet his or her head before wading into
the water. The effect of walking in the
water will cause the blood to flow TO the
head, which very often will give the bather
severe headache. | think bathing in tepid
water Is much more beneficial than bathing
IN cold water. 1t should be about the tenn
perature of the body, or from 800 to 96e
turkish baths and Russian baths are injur-
lous to some and beneficial to others. ANY
one suffering from heart complaint should
no take Turkish baths, and really nobody
should indulge in these baths unless SO ad-
ViSed by their physician"
HE FAvoRS TFPID BATHS.
A doctor who has given particular at
IGNITION to vital statistics said: 40 strong
man cold Lath taken every morning
might not seem to hurt him, but don't
mink that they are particularly beneficial
III The summer time ey are all very well
ana are very refreshing, but in the winter
ufne think the shock TO the system is too
severe and should be avoided. A tepid bath
Is much more beneficial in winter time
IMAM cold one. The temperature of the