Evening star., 1914-06-07
T no season Of the year is the bath

a T no season Of the year Is the bath
~ ing custom abused as in summer.
The woman Who is perfectly ra-
tional about baths the rest of the year
plunges into dangerous excesses directly
warm weather sets in. Why she mag
ines she has greater endurance and can
take greater chances in summer than in
winter is something no physician or
beauty specialist has ever been able to
understand.
The busy mother of several children.
who does most of her own housework
and suffers greatly from heat, indulged
for many years in a most curious habit.
She would fill her bathtub with water
from the cold water tap and allow it to
stand for several hours, then, when the
midday and afternoon heat exhausted
her, as she expressed it, she would stop
in her work and take a quick dip. On hot
DAYS she thought nothing of bathing
three or four times. and when the habit
brought on rheumatism. neuralgia ana
various other aches and pains she de-
clared that she could not imagine what
was the matter with her!
x
Another brain worker coming home
from his Office each night exhausted
would lie in very hot bath for perhaps
half an hour, with a gas jet burning over
his head and a book in his hand, rest
ing" he called it Before the summer
was over he had typhoid fever, and his
doctor said the exaggerated. long-drawn
hot baths had weakened his system until
IT furnished easy lodgment for typhoid
germs.
Battle with reason in summer as we'll as
winter Do not drop your warm baths
and indulge only in cold plunges. You
will be the more comfortable for an oc-
casional hot bath. And remember that a
very cold BATH whether in the ocean. still
water or a tub, can bring on cramps ol
the stomach and serious intestinal trou-
bles If taken too soon after a hearty
meal
Another folly in which women. in par
ticular. indulge is depending upon sea
bathing, when at the shore. for cleansing
purposes. Sea or lake bathing is merely
a sport and the body should always be
cleansed in still or fresh water after a
dip Of this sort. The average mar
sponges off his body with the bucket OF
water left in each tiny bathhouse. after
his plunge. The average woman rubs on
the salt water and dresses without bath
ing because she says, fastidiously. that
, she does not like the looks of that nasty
bucket" Continued bathing in salt wa
ter rerelieved by the fresh sponge. is not
good for the skin.
In summer. a warm, not hot, bath al
night is most cooling an dthe bath in the
morning should be only quick sponge
with cool, not cold, water, The woman
who dresses in the middle of the after
noon or just before dinner and bathes
then should not bathe just before retir-
ing also. The quick morning sponge and
the moderate afternoon or evening BATH
are quite sufficient for each twentyfoul
hours.
For the summer vacationist who has nc
bathroom privileges, huge bowl. or, bet
ter still, an old-fashioned foot bathtub, is
essential. With the aid Of either of these
she can sponge In cool water in the morn
| ing and in warm at night. If her skir
| is sluggish. and she has a generally run
down feeling in hot weather, let her try
| the vinegar bath For this allow a pin
| of pure cider or wine vinegar to two gal
| Ions, which is about what is needed fol
| the average sponge bath Put this int
| the basin and stand in the tub. Use &
| large sponge and fill it sopping with thu