The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-07-31
CLOTHING VIEWED
BY SCIENCES EYE
What We Should Wear from a Sanitary
Standpoint.
VEGETABLE FIBRE IS NO GOOD
The Proper Kind of Clothing Is NJ ade
ofAnimaI Fibre, or in Other Words,
Is Wooien--Even the Bedclothes
Should BE of WooI-- I--Reasons Why.

Writing in the New Review L. r. s.
| Tomalin says: The question whether
animal or vegetable fibre is more suit
able for covering the body can only be
answered by considering the physiolo-
gical effect of such fibres upon the
| body and it's functions. One of the
| most important of these functions is
that performed by the skin in perspir-
| ing or throwing off from the body,
| through its pores, by the medium of
| a watery vapor, refuse matters, which,
ii retained in the body, would be high
ly injurious This function is as vital
| ly important. and it's proper perform
ance at all times is as conducive to
health as the normal discharge by the
| Kidneys and other eXcretory organs of
their functions. Now, if the skin re-
celves chill it's functional activity is
greatly interfered with or altogether
J tnc surface blood vessels to the internal
| organs, where congestion and inflam-
| nation may be set up. In short,
| chilled skin cannot sweat, cannot even
| eXhale-or only to a quite inadequate
degree--and the injurious refuse mat
ter which should have been thrown off
is retained in the body.
ing the skin not with vegetable fibre,
which will rapidly conduct the heat
from it, but with animal fibre, which
on the human body is a slow heat con-
ductor. The former covering involves
the risk of cooling too quickly, of los
| ing not only the superfiuous heat (due
to violent exercise or other cause), but
also the degree of heat which is neces-
sary to enable the skin to perform its
exhaling function properly. Again, one
| of the things not generally considered
| Is that evil odors have an injurious
| effect upon the skins action, tending to
drive away the blood from the surface
vessels. An impure atmosphere is not
only unwholesome when inhaled by the
lungs, but also when the body is sur
| rounded by its own emanat tions. Dead
| vegetable fibre (Such as linen and cot
tom is koprophagous-i. e., 1T greedily
takes up the malodorous emanatiCns of
the body, although it cannot, as the
living plant would do, assimilate them
This the merest tyro in experiment can
test by noting the odor of cotton waist
coat Innings and trouser pockets after
q few weeks Cor a few daysD wear
and comparing with the odor of woolen
materials under similar conditions. An
other sense-that of touch-will show
the superiority of animal fibre as cloth
ing material. Put the hand on wool
and you will feel attracted; put it on
linen or cotton and you feel repelled.
The hygroscopical difference between
wool and linen or cotton is important
Vegetable fibre really takes UP mois-
ture like sponge, while the horny ma
ture of wool offers much greater re-
sistance to saturation with wet. II we
remember that all these advantageous
Attitudes of animal fibre slow heal
conductivity. non-absorption of ev
odors, n-saturation with wet) were
necessary to the survival of the ami
NAL on which the wool or hair grew
while the conditions of plant life diffel
so widely from those of animal life, we
shall recognize how much more suit
able must be animal than vegetable
fibre as clothing material for the hu
man animal. The instinct which leads
cricketers and other athletes to dress
in woolens, for the purpose of violep
exercise is strong evidence of the &c
eral recognition that such covering 1!
suitable for a perspiring skin and fol
the development of utmost energy anC
vigor.
The secret of healthy clothing 1
porous wool throughout. All wool
porous wool, and as few layers of i
AS practicable, to allow the freest ven
to the skins eXhaled vapor-that is tn
: safe system, and it is no fad, but sim
pie, plain common sense. Before quit
, ting the subject of health in connec
tion with the body's covering. tn
! nightwear and bedclothng should b.
{ mentioned. The important eXhalin;
, function of the skin of course, con
tinues uninterruptedly through tn
hours of rest, when the brain no longe
acts as the body's sentinel, and tn
, sleeper is peculiarly exposed to un
: | wholesome influences, ii such there be
Cotton and linen are at least as objec
p tionable at night as during the day
: and the ordinary bedding-even of well
to-do people is a storehouse of tn
! bodys emanations. The comfort an
: the invigorating sleep to be game
q by sleeping with an open window, 4
q wooden night clothing and betwee
: wooden coverings, with no cotton coun
4 terpane or quilt, are unimagined b
: those who have not tried it, In tn
|. hottest days of summer, light, poI
v Gus wooden covering is much coolel
a more comfortable, and far safer tina
a linen sheet