Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1908-02-08
The CHIEF FUNCTION
OF THE 0VERC0AT
Is to Keep Heat of the Body
in Rather Than Cold
Out.
From the Lancet


The season OF oyercoats is approach
ing and probably in no other depart
ment sartorial is there exhibited so
much indifference to hygienic consid-
erations. Fhe greatest fallacy of all,
perhaps IN regard TO the choice of an
overcoat is that the terms weight
and warmth" are synonymous. AS
a matter OF fact they are nearly always
diametrically opposed.
Heavy materials are often good con-
duCtors of heat and are calculated
therefore to allow the heat OF the body
to escape while light materially are bad
conductors and SO preserve the heat
and energies of the body. Moreover the
heavy oVerCoat is "A tax on the resources
OF the organism and destroys the econ
omy which good insulating cloth is
intended To secure. Further. heavy ma
terial encourages an uncleanly and un-
healthy state Of the body. chiefly by inn
prisoning exhalation of the skin.
That cloth Is best. therefore, which
gives the minimum of weight and the
maximum of warmth while being por-
Gus enough 10 admit of ventilation.
II is not generally realized in protect
ing the body from the dissipation OF
it's own heat. e.. from cold-clothing
really serves as an economiZer of fuel
that is food Could we accustom our
selves 10 wearing no clothing at all un-
der cold climatic conditions. we should
have to consume much more food than
We do in order 10 compensate for the
rapid loss OF heat which would happen
II the body were not wrapped I'm non
conducting materials. This point needs
to be borne I'm mind by those who ad-
vocate the banishment Of the over
coat
Il is, OF course possible TO dispense
with an Overcoat provided that the
lFtIa Ion 10 l MN
The oVercoat. however, offers the de-
cided advantage that 1t can be super
imposed over a comparatively light suit
of clothes and thus while preventing
the escape OF heat provides also an air
space between the ordinary clothes and
itself--an air space which is open to
ventilation.
There seems to be little doubt that a
we'll chosen overcoat surrounding a
warm but light suit of clothes is fc" the
reasons just given muCh more comfort
able than a heavy suit of ordinary
clothes.
There is another important point
about the qualities OF an oVercoat. and
that is In regard 10 the color OF the
black, dark gray. dark brown or dark
blue-is totally opposed TO scientific in
diCations. The Polar bear Is not pro-
vided with black fur; If he were he
would not be able to defy the cold with
that impunity which he does.
Light-colored material. as matter
OF fact. does not so easily give up it's
heat as does dark material and this
would appear to teach that our notions
as TO the suitability OF color garments
for winter wear are illogical. Fashion
and custom bind us hard and are sell
dom ON all fours with reasonable ideas
II he would follow the dictates Of
science and common sense, the pur-
chaser of winter clothing would choose
II he were able To do SO, garments OF
"A light rather than dark hue. And
why should everyone be clothed i'm "A
funeral type OF material just wien win
ter sets in. when every effort is neces-
Sary 10 compensate for the dreariness
ana darkness of it's days?