Year: 1867

A reader inquiries of US to what extent
flannel should be worn I? In order to an
swer this question properly We must con-
slider the Office which clothing really per-
forms. Though we speak of some kinds
Of clothing as being warm. they do not
communicate heat to the body, bnt mere.
ly serves to prevent its escape. The heat
is all generated in the body itself; and
what we call warm clothes are articles
that are good non conductors, so called =
that is. articles that do not let heat pass
through them so readily as some others
do. Fur is one of the best of these, and
probably almost entirely from the air
which is mingled with or confined be
tween its fbres, confined air being one Of
the most efficient of non conductors Wool
en- articles come next, and among the best
of these is flannel.


If the heat of the body wer, entirely.
prevented from escaping it would, by ac-
cumulation, reach a much higher degree
than it does, for it is all the time being
generated. 1t is by constant escape
that it is maintained. under great vari-
ations of external temperature, quite uni
formly at about 99 degrees. Now the
colder the atmosphere the greater will be
this escf pc, and therefore the more it be
restrained by non conducting articles Of
cl,thing. The clothing should therefor,
be varied to correspond to the variations
of temperature-a rule recognized by the
Chinese. as they speak, in their estimate
of the weather, of its being one jacket cold,
two jackets cold, &c. This rule cadnot
be fully carried out, but we shoule ap-
proximate to it as we'll as we can Tenn
porary changes in the weather should be
met by changes in the outer garments;
and changes Of season, for the most part,
by changes in the under clothing a


Some wear the same clothing the year
round, with the exception Of over-coats in
the winter. This we deem to be great
mistake, The System, under this plan,
becomes debilitated by unnecessary suf-
fering from heat in hot weather, and it
cannot be as well protected from cold in
the wintry months as it would be if there
were proper regulation of the clothing.
Some wear flannel through the whole year,
maintaining that they need it in warm
weather to guard them against changes Of
temperature. We will suppose that they
are right in the main, as some of them
undoubtedly are; but certainly much
thinner flannel is required to guard
against the summer changes than against
the severer ones of winter and its long
spells of extreme cold. In fact, if wool
en- under clothing must be worn through.
out the year, it would be well to have
three grades-tho thinnest for midsum,


mer, the next grade for fall and spring


and the thickes' for winter.


There is great diversity in practice in


regard to coverings for the feet. Somt


wear woolen stockings the year round


other cotton, and others Still cotton il


summer and woolen in winter. Some


can not wear wooden at all because i
makes the feet uncomfortably warm il
the mild weather of winter and thus rem
ders them more susceptible Of the infu


ence of cold when the weather is severe,
1t should always be remembered tina


the object Of clothing should be to sccur


comfortable warmth, and if it fail to d.
this injury is inflicted upon the health


A great mistake, it is proper to remarl
! here, is often committed in not adapting
n the clothing to temporary varying condi
tions Thus often the same amount O


clothing is worn in the warmed church o
: lectnre-room as when the individual zoe


out into the chill air. Then, too. th
It same overcoat is often worn in the eS
): treme cold weather as in that which j
mildcr Another mistake often made
failing to protect ones self against th


cold more effectually when riding tina
d When walking, forgetting the fact thD


there is not as much heat generated whe
r the body is at rest as when it is in a,
ton. haliiE on biU
I, Another very common, erroneous pra,
u ticc it will not be amiss to notice laere-
&c .ae wearing Of fur close around the necl
IT If it be worn at all it shonld be so q
,r ranged that lts r.Slty r,,.".,mlty TO the neck ca


lbe regulated according to the degree


cold. AS usually managed it is by
n means an uncommon way of taking co
- from the too great warmth that it occ


sions in mild weather.


In justice to that noble animal t
cd horse, we can not forbear to mention
he mistaken kindness which we often
H. shown to him in the management OF
~ clothing. lie is driven about in q q


day with blanket under the harness.


it be needed at all while he is iu mott
q it should be outside of the harness, "
ith an arrangement for the. reins similar
that which we have in the lndiarub


coverings. Such blanket can be k