The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1922-12-01
PUT AWAY "DUDS"
People Of Today Universally
Wearing Less Clothing.
Assertion Has Been Made That Health
Has improved Since Knee Lengths
Suppanted Red FIanneIs.

How far this nation has departed
from the ways Of its sainted fathers
The pious old New England custom
of sewing up the children from fall to
spring In red flannel underclothes
may still be followed in remote and
God-fearing rural districts, but In
larger centers OF population people
are wearing scandaIously little pro
lection against the blasts of winter
And they're wearing less every
year, That the moderns don't all psc
ish OF pneumonia is only anotAef
proof that our grandmothers didn't
know as much about hygiene as sA4y
thought they did. And everybody w4o
was ever stitched up for six men3&S
in red flannel will admit that the boys
and girls of today are happier as well
as cleaner than those of the past.
With the modern girl exposing Der
chest and knees to the billiards Hnh
the modern boy defying February
with loose. sleeveless and knee-lenE1h
lawn combinations. 1t is curious TO
realize that up to the last generation
It was considered necessary to wear
wool next to the skin, not only In
winter but also In summer.
Listen to Youman's Dictionary OF |
Everyday Wants." published In 1884. |
the New York Sun enjoins:
"Dress children warmly. wooden
fannels next their person during the
whole year. BY every consideration
protect the extremities well. 1t Is
ignorant barbarism that allows n child
TO have bare arms, legs and feet. even
In summer"
If the writer OF that censorious dec
aration is still alive. having failed to
expire from wearing wool next to his
hide. he must be terribly shocked at
he Ignorant barbarism" of 1922. with
rs shameless display Of arms and
egs-or "limhs' as he would prob
bly, call the latter.
Those were the days when people
lept with their windows shut be-
ause they thought the night air was
poisonous" Don't blame them too
luch, for the doctors gave 'em that
ope about the night air. Yes and
lives
1t was the doctors. too. who sprung
lat fuzzy one about wearing wDel
ext the skin summer and winter
nd then when the victims got fever
h the doctors would bleed EN-. A
,ar of cold, a fear of fresh air.
,ar of all nature was the keynote OF
ledical practice in those good old
avs OF our daddies. The irritnted
nd exhausted wool wearers used to
IL plentifully from pneumonia. then
n'Ied Inflammation Of the lungs.
When that happened the doctors
hook their heaks and said the victim
INST have sneaked out and breathed
,me poisonous night air. or that he
ust have left of his flannel night
~ or neglected TO take his blue nil
I'd black draft. or that he should
i've called the doctor sooner and
iereby parted earlier with his first
Iart OF blood.
A New York doctor of today was
lied to a pneumonia case while an
V blizzard was blowing. The pa
pn. was child. Her temperature
NJ very high The windows were
mt tight.
"Onen the windows top and bottom
wide as YOU can" said the doctor
the Mortified parents.
And despite protests and domestic !
the thing was done. Tn I
sncnse to the anxious forebodlngs I
the father the doctor said: {
"Why. II you threw that child into {
snowhank she would melt the snow. {
It II would do her more good than S
Irm." r
The child lived TO be fiapper with a
rdly more clothes on her in winter G
an in summer.