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Show Doubt Cast On Value of Sun-Bathing 1 BY CLAKK StjL'IKE (American VV ire Correspondent) American. seem to be headed toward a period of sun worship. For many the day already 'has arrived. More and more people particularly parti-cularly those living in cities are exposing their bodies to the rays of the summer sun. The prime motive mo-tive of many is to acquire a bronze coat of tan. Fewer of them are following the practice for the sake of health alone. jf, Some of those $ , t who profess to be -il genuine health- i;- 5s seekers have ' w v gone so far as to ffl Ji. " jkH become nudists, fc K vW- rO Importance of SJ. 't'!"ii But aie not t't rr those who prac- 1 fl i1 tice nudism and 1 Syi i' J w'10 ac1uil'e ex" tan really defeating the: purpose ? Dr. Alexis uarrei qi.eaL.uiis luc amount of real benefit derived by those who have takrn up sunbathing, sun-bathing, exposing their bodies to the sun's rays. ihe average person underestimates underesti-mates the value of his skin to his general well-being. However, it is the skin that serves as a fortified forti-fied frontier against abnormal temperatures, gases, water and microbes. The body communicates with the things of the cosmic universe uni-verse thru the skin, in which are vast quantities of small receptor organs. On the constitution of the sense organs, and on their degree of sensitiveness is dependent the aspect as-pect of the universe. Those things which have no action on the nerve-ends nerve-ends at the surface of the skin do not register with us. Dr. Carrel points out that for this reason a person does not perceive cosmic rays, altho they pass thru his body. Mttlds Brain "As a rule the senses are the gateway thru which the physical and psychological universe penetrates pene-trates our organism," he writes in his interesting book, "Man. the Unknown." "Thus, the quality of an individual partly depends on that of his surface. For the brain is molded by the continual messages mess-ages it receives from the outer world." In his opinion, the skin accomplishes accom-plishes the miracle of being a barrier at once closed and open, for while it protects the physical body, it does not guard the nervous ner-vous system from a person's mental men-tal surroundings. Much of the protection which the skin gives to the outer surface sur-face is afforded the inner surfaces sur-faces by the mucous membrane. However, respiratory mucuso is much more delicate than skin, Dr. Carrel observes. "It is defenseless against strong irritants," he says. "Its fragility may cause entire populations to be exterminated by toxic gases in the great wars of the future." |