The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1907-10-30
A Hint in Regard to Bathing.


Mr.. A. I. Root, senior member OF
the publishing firm Of A. l. Root q
Co., writes each month something
about health in their magazine, Clean
ings In Bee Culture. One Of these,
under this head, we think that you will
find interesting and valuable. He says:
Some wears ago I told you of the
wonderful benefit I received while at
the cabin in the woods in taking fire.
quent shower baths out in the woods;
and I have wondered since then why
did not receive like benefit when [
take bath (once or twice a week be-
fore retiring) here at my home in
Medina think the secret of it is that,
while up in the woods, [ wore so little
clothing that it was no trouble at all to
strip off and take an open-air shower
bath back in the woods out of sight
when I felt like it; and the times I felt
like it we're particularly when [ was
covered with perspiration from work
ing in the potato field; and noticed,
also, that this perspiration often felt
sticky or glutinous, especially when it
was the the first severe exercise out
in the sun that I had had for the sea-
son. I had an instructive feeling at the
time that, unless this g1utinous sticky
matter that seemed to cover me from
head to foot were washed off immedi
ate1y it would not all come off, If I sat
down in the shade until my body and
light clothing became dry, and then
took the bath in the evening, even with
soap and water, no such exhilaration
of feeling followed as with the open
air shower bath at the time I was
covered with sticky sweat. Please
excuse me if [ am taking space to
make this matter plain, for I deem it
an extremely important thing. [ re-
member that, one afternoon, [ had
planned to go over to neighbor Hill
bert's, mile and a half through the
woods, when I had completed certain
piece Of work but by the time I got
through [ was so tired that it almost
seemed as if I could hardly drag one
foot after the other but after taking
a good wash in that shower bath, all
the WEAKNESS and used-up feeling were
gone. Not only had strength come
back, but exertion seemed so easy I
almost felt as if I could fly. I went
over to my neighbours and back again
(three miles, without feeling the least
bit Of fatigue. [ remarked at the time
that, if I had taken some drug or medi-
cine, | should have felt troubled about
it, because [ could not conceive how
such an amount of strength and energy
could come without any reaction after
wards My comments on the matter
were copied by Dr. Kellogg, of Battle
Creek, and he called attention to the
fact that, in his large medical book,
there is a statement that a shower
bath is one of the greatest stimu1ants
known, and at the same time, if taken
properly, no bad effects ever follow.
Now here comes something from the
Philadelphia Farm Journal which not
only indorses but explains the very
fact that I have been trying to get
before helpless humanity; and the great
point summed up is that the very best
time in the world to take a bath is
when you are covered with perspira
ton, and while it is streaming from
every pore. If you are where you can
not have access to soap, my opinion is
that it does not make very much differ
ence. The glutinous matter that ma
ture throws off will take the place of
soap.
The man who works all dav in the
not sun, with perspiration streaming
from every pore, will at night be cover
ed from head to foot with thin coat
ing OF effete matter, which, if not re-
moved, the absorbents will take RIGHT
pack again and carry back into the
body, clogging it's delicate machinery
and acting as old o11+7o+7,11 III dooo -