Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-02-10
DEADLY FASHIONS.
From Head to Foot Mems and Wo-
mems Dress is Unhygienic.

FROM the London MAIL.
What shall 1 wear to avoid smallpox"
is the pressing question of the hour.
Medical advice is short and to the point.
Wear smooth-faced outer clothing that
holds as little dust as possible, for it is in
floating dust that the danger of contagion
lies. For Undertaking wear flannel. 1t
promotes circulation in the skin and sur
face muscles, and prevents chius. AS a
chilled body is highly susceptible to con-
tagion, flannel Undertaking alone will pre-
serve the wearer from infection when he
would otherwise inevitably fall a victim.
The dress which the hospital authorities
in London compel persons visiting small
pox patients to wear consists of long
white holland overall, reaching from the
neck to the ankles and buttoning tightly
round the wrists and neck. The moment
this garment is discarded it Is disinfected.
Doctors themselves rely almost entirely
upon the protection afforded by antiseptics,
but though they say that no particular
dress Is an absolute safeguard, attention to
these simple hints is calculated to lessen
the risk.
The medical point OF view in regard to
prevailing fashions is, however, interesting
apart from smallpox, especially in connec-
ton with other diseases that are rife at
the present time of year. Dress ought to
be designed mainly for warmth, but as
matter of fact many men and all women
sacrifice everything to ornament.
To begin with the head. That member
Of our anatomy, having a warm natural
covering, and being exceptionally well sup
piled with blood, needs scarcely any arti-
fetal covering except in excessively hot or
bitterly cold weather. And as the scalp
perspires freely and requires continuous
renewal of air, any headgear worn should
be porous. But men cover 1t with hard,
impervious top hat, Weighing six ounces
or half pound. And this they wear in
broiling July as well as in freezing Janu-
airy. The evil results are numerous. The
hard and rigid brim necessarily congresses
the arteries and veins, hindering the flow
Of blood to the scalp, and. since there Is no
ventilation. the air inside becomes damp,
hot and impure. No scalp can continue
in a healthy state under these circum-
stances, and so most top-hatted heads are
more or less bald The proper head cover
ing in cold weather should be soft, not
rigid, and we'll ventilated. That is to say,
1t should have several inlets for fresh air
at the sides and fairly large outlet at the
top. In summer the straw hat of the Amer
lean type Is the only correct headwear from
a health point of view.
All collars are a hyg!enic abomination.
The neck Is always in motion and continu-
ally changing its shape. Hence 1t should
either be quite uncovered or have soft,
flexible covering, which would adapt itself
to requirements. Our stiff collars construct
the veins and prevent the used-up blood
from returning freely from the brain. They
chafe the skin and irritate the glands
which are so numerous in the neck. These
glands have very important function to
perform In removing waste products from
the brain. Consequently, when they are in
wishes to have a clear head should wear
the lowest Of collars.
In the region of the tie, again. we utterly
disregard health for appearance. Just