The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1895-11-01
DANGERS IN FLANNLLS.

| A physician who has given much
! thought to the hygiene of clothing has
come to the conclusion that many deathss
| are caused by heavy wooden giaQercloth-
ing.
1t can be proved that flannels, are often
| the cause of severe colds. To have a
cold is to be in diseased condition, and
| that means a loss of vitality and short
| ening of life. 1t may even mean sudden
death.
One can easily demonstrate in ones own
person on a small scale the i'll effects of
excessive fiannels. Bind your hand in
thick wooden bandages and leave it in
| that condition for night. In the morn
ing you will find it damp and flabby, the
pores all open. 1t is in the most suscep
tible condition for catching cold. If the
whole body were brought to the same state
| the result of exposure of cold air would
inevitably be disastrous.
That the whole body is often brought
to nearly similar condition is certain.
The majority of people during the winter
| encase themselves in heavy, tight woolen
or flannel garments. These provoke per
spiration and do not absorb it. The result
is that the wearer's skin is hot, damp and
| highly susceptible to the infiammatory eff
fects of Guild. A slightly lowered temper
ature can hardly fail to bring on cold.
Heavy woolen underclothing is able to
| do all the more harm because it has the
weight of ancient domestic tradition
Few people dara to be wiser than their
grandmothers Wooden undertaking,
| according to modern experience, should
| be as light as is consistent with comfort
There are many persons who go through
| the winter healthily in cotton underwear,
and these are probably the most fortunate
class of the population But the warmth
preserving qualities of wool are not to be
ignored.
One of its great properties is that it is a
| bad conductor of heat. The heat of the
| body, therefore, is not given out by it.
| 1t also does not absorb perspiration free
w. This is quality of doubtful value.
While it is agreeable not to have your un-
| derclothing glued to your skin, it is inju-
| rious to carry a deposit of moisture which
may become cold and do harm in all parts
of the body.
The object therefore, should be to wear
| undertaking which does not cause ex-
cessive perspiration. 1t should be light
and loose. Wool is apparently the best
| material for the majority of people.
The subject of colds receive too little
| attention. Mang people are resigned to
the perpetual possession of them. They
| should be regarded as disease, dangerous,
| offensive and unclean. Patent medicine
| advertisements print eloquent descriptions
of their final effects.
These remarks are applicable to those
who have neglected themselves too long,
and are fit subjects for the hospital or pro
longed medical treatment. A wise atten-
ton to clothing and the general health is
more valuable than all remedies and treat
| ment.
| Colds are probably the chief cause of
| illness and disease among human beings.
| They give little trouble to animals, who
wear no clothing.
| Arguing from these facts, some enthu-
sasts would say that the less clothing
you wear and the more you expose your
self the healthier you will be.
Neither warm clothing nor artificial
heat will satisfactorily replace the natu-
raj heat of the body. To preserve this
should be the first aim of all who wish to
avoid colds Good food, fresh air and ex-
ercise are obviously the principal means.