Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-26
BATHINGAIDTOHEALTH
HABITS OF ENGLISH, RUSSIAN
AND AMERICAN WOMEN.
Diet Has Much to Do With the Con-
dition Of the Skin-Need
of Exercise.
From the Philadelphia Times.

From the Philadelphia Times.
The English woman takes a bath In cold
water! But 1t is not hike the Russian bath.
where the Russian beauty plunges headlong
into the sea and out again. three times.
swiftly. winter and summer. The English
woman simply takes her cold dip, while the
Russian ohills her body.
The Russian woman begins in childhood.
She is dipped at the age or two into the
icy waters of the river, and from that time
on. until her DEATH or until she is too old
ano feeble to leave thu house, she takes this
oeadly plunge daily. To her It is not dead
iy. but decidedly invigoratng.
Tie English woman draws a happy line.
Size bathes daily in water that is cold. She
does not copy her American cousin, who
turns on the hot water faucet and waits
until the tub is filled with steaming water
On the contrary, she uses the cold water
and she fills the tub half fun and then
rluEges in. In and out she dips until she
has taken her constitutional and she
energies wonderfully refreshed.
The American girl the other hand.
takes her bath in very hot water, quite
hot as can be borne, and she remains in it
unit, she Is thoroughly heated through Of
ten II is long process, and the bath leaves
her very tired. Indeed ii is this feeling of
WEAKNESS which makes the bath so much
6isiiked by many American girls.
The English girl takes her plunge fresh
from the faucet. and even in the winter she
has not hot water to temper this bath. Ere
quently she adds just enough ice to IL in
the summer time TO make it little cooler
and more refreshing.
The matter of the cold plunge daily is sub
ject to much debate. But If the woman who
wants to experiment will draw the water
over night and let it stand until morning
She Will find that Ii is much more agreeable.
1t will be just about the right warmth
namely. the climate of the room. This will
not shock the system.
Hygiene of the Skin.
The English girl declares that her wonder
fui skin Is due to the vigorous rubbing after
the bath, rubbing severe that it acts
almost as a massage. and she will tell you
how she has been cured of rheumatism and
many minor Ill in that manner. She will
describe the roughness of the towels and
will tell you that the American woman
makes her skin soft and her body tender by
taking hot baths
Again, the English girl will advise you to
get the air. She herself is a crank upon the
subject Of open air. She does not huddle
down into a stage when she goes out.
does she take shelter in open car She
walks and, winter summer, you can see
her plodding along. Seldom does she carry
an umbrella, for her tweed suit is built for
rain and her servceable stiff felt hat with
its prim feather, is designed for wetting.
The result Is apparent in wonderful
rednesS of cheek. The English skin is per-
fectly marvellous. 1t is clear, bright, al
most red In color, while its smoothness is
so pronounced that you can see 1t across
the room. One notices the velvety texture
or the English skin at glance.
Yet. while the English girl tells you that
her beauty is due to her cold water bathing
and her exercise, she will add that IL is
also due to the fact that she eats the right
kind of food. The English miss eats bread
and butter, the latter of the best kind and
the former made in a thoroughly hygienic
manner.
A,,E Itch ~ to-
stage will consume half dozen thick
slices for her luncheon and will take with
them a lot of marmaade made of good
oranges, and she will drink either good
milk or water without ice in it,
She has meat only once day and her
breakfast Is mostly porridge OF some kind,
hominy oatmeal, mush or some sort OF
breakfast food She does not taste the
great variety of food set before children
of this country.
Even the grown-ups do not eat much
more, except on state occasions. An Eng
lish woman takes her bread and butter and
tea for lunch. with possibly slice of roast
beef And for dinner she has a weIl-cooked
meat pie, or Yorkshire pudding. some
thing equally nourshng. She would not
think of dining nightly on the clam con-
coctions. on the fish courses. or on the
wonderful rich game or the variety of veg
etables and the marvellous pastries which
are the pride of the average American
household.
The Diet and the Skin.
Diet has great deal TO do with COM
plexion. But, in order to eat plain. hearty
food one must be strong and well. InvaIids,
cranks and dyspeptics are hard to please.
The healthy woman eats anything that is
palatable and washes 1t down with a relish.
To become strong In stomach one must
have exercise. and here is where the Eng
fish girl excels An English teacher OF
gymnastics, visiting this country, asked:
~ w hen do YOU take eyprClSe1'
I'VE never exercise" was the reply.
But where are your parks, your gym
nasiums. your river banks, your boulevards
and your outing spots?'
I'VE have none" said the woman sadly,
"or If We have we never use them We
are too busy half the day and too tired the
other half"