The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1907-06-15
Copyright by J. b. Bowles.)

aarper's Bazaar, formerly held a promi-
nent position on the staff of a New York
newspaper. She is the author Of num-
Der of popular books including Tales of
| the Cloister' and May +Iverson, Her
Book She was born in Milwaukee)
In reading from month to month
the great mass of material on the
subject of women which appears in
the various periodicals the writer of
this paper has been struck by one ex-
|traordinary fact. The topic of health
most important to women and of
vital interest to them-is rarely
touched upon. WOmen's achieve
ments In every line of art and indus
try are admiringly set forth. Elk
perts advise them along the lines
of their professions and ambitions,
but rarely does a great doctor lift his
voice in the friendly warning so many
of them need. @
Every one knows that the ideal
physical life is the life lived out of
doors in the sunshine and fresh air
But women who work need a compro-
mise between this ideal system and
| the dull routine into which they so
readily fall. Every woman needs to
know, not What is the best hygienic
system for me to follow?" but, What
lis the best system to which l can
in the way of indoor confinement and
sedentary occupations? How can l
get myself and keep myself in such
condition that nerves and body are
more than equal to the strain must
Iput upon them?' For women should
have more than the power to endure
grimly. They should have the robust
health, the cool and steady nerves
that give zest to mere physical ex-
Iistence.
To begin, then, with the morning
bath--the function with which every
woman should begin her day as reg
ularly as she leaves her bed. More
nonsense has been written about the
bath than about any other hygienic
topic. Women have been advised to
take ice-cold baths, cold sprays, hot
plunges and cold packs. Again, some
doctors have protested against the
bath habit, urging women to confine
themselves to one bath a week and
thus avoid the drain on the vitality
which a daily bath entails. In an
swer to all this hear the words of one
Of the greatest physicians in Ger.
lmany when distinguished American
woman consulted him:
To coi1 hof oil ~ I,
! Of her nervous breakdown had been
modestly related, you do not battle
enough. Do not be indignant; the fail
ing is a national one. The Americans
talk a great deal about their baths,
but they do not take them daily. Ev.
cry human being who is up and about
should get into a bathtub once day
and stay there ten minutes Take
your bath in the morning, immediate
lily after rising. Have the temperature
0f the water SO degrees exactly
neither more s,nor less. This is the
normal temperature of the blood.
See that the temperature of the room
Is the same. Never get into a cold
bath on rising. Cold baths have
killed thousands. Lie in your bath
Of SO degrees; get down into the tub (;
immense. the body thoroughly; the
warm water on the surface of the
body has an excellent effect on the
mucous membrane throughout. Then
little by little, lower the temperature
and finish your bath with a cold rub
bling down, if you wish. The blood
] called to the surface Of the body by
1.-THE warm water is then ready for the
shock. It is not ready for that when
you first awake"