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Show Are Baths Necessary to Health? Some time ago a professor in the northwest startled the community by stating that we bathe too much, that bathing is not only unnecessary, but that it is the cause of more illness, particularly pulmonary troubles, than any other agency of our daily lives. The professor may be correct. There is nothing at hand to prove that he is. He advocated taking no baths at all, but keeping the body clean by a frequent fre-quent change of clothing. Like all extremists ex-tremists his shout echoed for a short space of time and then died out in the distance. In the discussion of the hygienic worth of baths an authority says that too much bathing and rubbing, particularly partic-ularly with soaps that are strongly alkaline, al-kaline, are to be avoided. . The skin is cohered with scales that are constantly dropping off as they mature, each to uncover a bright, new and clean one. The skin is not an absorbent membrane mem-brane and since the old scales are constantly con-stantly dropping off frequent bathing is not a physiological need, but merely mere-ly an expedient to satisfy a personal regard for cleanliness. The same authority au-thority says that these scales should not be soaked off or brushed off in a wholesale way. The oil in the skin is a protection against the changes of weather, and is also a necessity in its functional integrity. Persistent rubbing rub-bing and long bathing is therefore not calculated to be of much physical benefit. Within the past few years great great strides have been made in the cleanliness of the human race, and scientific investigation has discovered that it is far better to prevent disease than to cure it. Baths have been found a capable and effective means for the preservation of health and the prevention preven-tion of disease, if they are taken sensibly sensi-bly and with care. The kind of baths referred to now are those taken in or-uTnary or-uTnary water, not such as are taken at springs for their medicinal and mineral value. On the other hand, careless bathing and subsequent exposure has unquestionably led the way to a great many cases of consumption and pneumonia. pneu-monia. There is no need denying the luxury of a bath. There is nothing tones up the general system more or puts all the nerves and pores of he body in finer working order. And personal cleanliness cleanli-ness cannot be advocated too strongly; the old proverb declares that it is next to godliness. The claim that the body can be kept clean by a "frequent change of clothing is not quite true; since all clothing worn by man or woman is porous, and some dust and dirt is bound to settle on the body. It is an accepted fact that those whose employments soli their clothes and bodies most are the very ones who bathe most infrequently. Medical authorities claim that there can be found no special disease which has its origin in a chronic lack- of cleansing the skin. Admitting that people who do not acquaint ac-quaint their persons with soap and water wa-ter do get old does not prove that baths are unhealthy. Some people get old whoannot read, yet only the fool will agree that illiteracy is necessary to longevity. Baths were unknown to some of. our forefathers and were con-jdered con-jdered unnecessary. But the Roman patrician considered his morning bath not only a luxury but an absolute necessity. ne-cessity. Frequently it was the. only way to relieve him of the effects of a night's debauchery. There is no need to claim for baths that they are indispensable; indis-pensable; but that they are invigorating, invigorat-ing, healthy and advisable experience has proven. They are of aid to physicians, physi-cians, and many employ bathing as the pole means to counteract fever, instead in-stead Ol applying internal medicines. The opposition to bathing is to be found, not in the baths themselves, but in the careless manner in which they are taken. Just to cite an example which is very apropos in this hot weather. A man will return from his office thoroughly fatigued and "sticky" with perspiration. His entire body is heated. He jumps into a bathtub in which the temperature of the water is considerably lower than the normal temperature of the human system. What Is the result? It may be a serious seri-ous one. The reaction will act on the heart and if that organ is weak there may be a serious affection. At all events the shock is hurtful to the system. sys-tem. The manner in which a man in such a condition should proceed is to divest himself gradually, cool off slowly slow-ly and then, after having sprinkled his body with water, merge it into the water. wa-ter. Plunge bathing is always depressing depress-ing to human energies and should be avoided by the debilitated. Father Kneipp. in his famous system of water wa-ter cure, recommends these plunges even in the coldest weather, but medical medi-cal authorities differ sharply with him and claim that such a procedure would be suicide to many constitutions. The question of cold or hot baths is a debatable one. Warm water cleans the body from the grease of perspiration, perspira-tion, but opens all the pores and induces in-duces colds, if the utmost precaution is neglected. The Japanese employ hot baths almost exclusively, and travelers say that their luvury is indescribable. If a person has taken a warm bath and rubbed his skin to a glow it is best to rinse in cool water so as to close up most of the pores again before exposing expos-ing the body to a change of air. The sensible, method to pursue is to take a warm bath about once a week for the purpose of cleaning the body, and to take cold baths for the purpose of refreshing re-freshing the system. Some make it a practice to take a dip each morning. That is not necessary. A sponge bath will answer the same purpose. The healthiest kind of a bath is swimming. The exercise which accompanies accom-panies this sport keeps all the muscles active and prevents colds, provided the body is kept in the water and not exposed ex-posed too much to the wind. It is also the most enervating form of bathing. Seashore bathing has also the advantage, advan-tage, not only because of the salt water, but also on account of the exercise required re-quired in resisting the waves. As a rule the so-called medicated waters wa-ters are not to be recommended. Clean, fresh water is the best, and if a happy medium is preserved in the matter of time spent in bathing, only the best results to the general health of the individual in-dividual will follow. The one great precaution is to beware of sudden change of temperature after a bath. There lies the cause of so many colds, which frequently lead to more serious troubles. |