The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1914-01-03
1Shall We Rathe Y


Health Culture, a magazine winch
must surely feel the need OF public
ity and scent an early means of get
ting it, raises the question of wheth-
err bathing is beneficial or hurtful,
and reaches the conclusion that il
can do no good and may do harm.
saws the Memphis Commercial APP
peal.
To quote:
Bathing is an acquired habit, UNI
necessary and even harmful. Cold
or hot water showers or sprays, and
any form of immersion, will be in
furious in the end.
MAN is an air animal, not a
water-heast.
An aged woman asked me It
it was good practice to chill the
human skin with cold water to
warm 1t? Cold bathing is recon-
mended as a body warmer, as is a
hot teddy of whisky, also cold
cocktail Of whisky. Man has ac
quired many conceits.
"a bathtub is an enemy in the
house. 1t is expensive and adds IT,
the toll of women. Bathing begets
false security against disease, weak
ems and Injuries the skin, extracts
bodily energy and magnetism, and
entails Oh society needless habit.
If there were no other argument
in behalf of the bath. than that ite
omission is anti-social that would be
sufficient to uphold its existence.
Behind nearly all of the conventions
there is reason. The Celebrations OF
conventions often leads to Stiffness
and causes the thoughtless to con-
denim custom without looking under
meath the surface for the hidden
principle. Bathing is as convention
al as observing the seventh. or any
other, commandment, Persons who
obviously, do not battle are ineligi.
BILE for the companionship OF persons
who do. Those who assert an anti
Tubing leaning are held in con.
tempt in accordance with their sue.
cess iii impressing the auditor with
their sincerity.
Being conventional bathing Is
elaborated. oftimcs, into absurdity.
We are told by some fanatics upon
the subject that 1t will cure pretty
nearly anything and that those WIN
battle rightly may safely throw phy-
sic to the dogs Some lay down a
rule for the frequency OF baths and
hold others to it, arguing that no.
body Is decently cleanly who does
not battle az often as they do. or as
often AS they say they do, which I,
sometimes a very different matter.
1t has been said, truly no doubt
that more lying is done about in.
comes and cold plunges tnan about
anything elese. and only the rarely
courageous will admit that they TAX,
fewer baths than the very convea
tional assert that they habituall,
take.
Behind the convention that W
must battle often, and its offshoot
the Injunction to battle early an,
make it cold bath, there is Jus
Us much sound reason as there is be
hind the conventions for the main
tenanee of moral order and cleanli
ness. Moreos6r the reason is niue
The Same. IS ftis5a*'e ~
There arc clever sophists who ca
argue lnirsuasively that there is n
earthly virtues as truth, chastity an
due regard for property right
should be held in high esteem. Lea1
ing aside all points customarily gon
over in ethical disputation for an
against the Seventh Commandment
and Others, 1T may be said that
code OF morals such as is provided i
the portions Of the Decalogue deal
ing with mans relations with hi
fellow beings is good working pla
Tor civilized society OF for less en-