=Influence of Dress on Health.=--While this aspect of the subject of
dress receives far less consideration than it deserves, its importance
is to be measured only by the importance of human life and by the value
that attaches to a state of perfect health. Like fresh air, pure water,
and bright sunshine, health is only appreciated when it is gone. The
behests of fashion often make sad inroads upon it, but the seductive
siren lures us on until we can no longer follow. With scanty strength
we then worship at the shrine of Hygeia, but this queenly goddess
governs with stern rule, and is often unresponsive to our petitions.
=Temperature.=--There is a constant interchange between bodies or
substances of different temperatures when they are in touch one with
the other. The warmer give off heat which is absorbed by the colder,
and in this way they tend toward equalization. The normal heat of the
average human body is 98.4 degrees, Fahrenheit. When it is exposed
to a temperature lower than this, it must be protected by clothing
to retard radiation of the body-heat, and thus prevent not only the
chilling of the surface but also more serious disorders of the internal
organs. In very hot countries, clothing is worn as a protection against
heat. The head, especially, needs protection from the sun’s rays.
=Warmth.=--From the standpoint of health, no other property of dress is
so important as that of warmth. While certain garments are described
as being warm and others as being cool, it is a well-known fact that
articles of clothing possess neither warmth nor coolness in themselves.
By reason of certain chemical processes constantly going on within
the body, there is produced a degree of natural heat, commonly called
animal heat.
The body in health seldom varies more than one or two degrees from the
normal standard. Conditions of climate, season, exercise, age, or sex
have but slight influence upon the average temperature of the body. By
conduction, radiation, and evaporation, any excess of heat is quickly
reduced. More than seventy per cent of the whole amount of animal heat
lost passes through the skin.
Evaporation from the skin is very rapid, and may lead to too sudden
cooling of the body. A person who, after exercise that has produced
free perspiration, stands in a current of cool air, is apt to take
cold. The dryer the atmosphere, the more rapid is the cooling process.
The most uncomfortable and oppressive atmospheric condition is that in
which the air is heavily laden with moisture and the temperature high.
Evaporation from the body is then slow, and the sensation of heat is
oppressive.
It is a mistaken notion that clothing keeps the cold out. Its purpose
is to keep the heat in, or, in other words, to prevent the rapid
radiation of heat. We speak of warm clothing and of cool clothing. That
clothing is warm which retards the giving off of heat from the body.
The Indian wraps a blanket about his body to keep it warm; we wrap a
blanket around a piece of ice to keep it from melting.
Any clothing that prevents the rapid escape of heat from the body is
said to be a bad conductor, and is called warm. Woolen textures rank
first among dress materials as poor conductors, and are therefore best
adapted for winter clothing. Silk and cotton come next. Linen is a good
conductor of heat; that is, it carries off the heat from the surface of
the body very rapidly, and produces a sensation of coolness; therefore,
all dress materials made from flax are said to be cool.
=Materials.=--The principal materials used for clothing are wool,
cotton, linen, and silk. These differ greatly in weight, texture,
warmth, porosity, power to absorb moisture, and in other less important
qualities.
In a climate so changeable as that which prevails in most parts of
the United States, the body, and especially the trunk, should be
protected at all seasons from sudden chill by the use of under garments
containing wool. Even in the warmest weather it will be found that a
light woolen fabric absorbs the perspiration, and is more agreeable
to the skin than cotton. The wearing of a flannel band, eight to ten
inches in width, buttoned around the waist next to the skin, will prove
an excellent protection to the kidneys and the abdominal region. Silk
is light and soft, and as it retards the giving out of heat from the
body, is worn for under garments, especially by those to whom wool is
irritating or otherwise unpleasant. Rubber cloth is useful for rain
coats, but as it prevents evaporation of the perspiration, it increases
the liability to chill, and renders the wearer uncomfortable except in
cold weather.
=Animal Heat.=--The bird is warmer than the air in which it moves;
the fish possesses a higher temperature than the water. As before
remarked, chemical changes are constantly going on in the system which
give rise to this result. Even plant life is subject to this law. A
delicate thermometer placed among a cluster of geraniums about to burst
into flower will show a temperature a degree or two higher than the
surrounding air.
=Warm-Blooded Animals.=--Those animals possessing well-developed
lungs and large breathing capacity are usually active in movement,
and are classed among the warm-blooded animals. They comprise birds,
quadrupeds, and man. The animals possessing small lung development are
for the most part inactive, and are cold to the touch, indicating a low
temperature. Such are the frog, toad, lizard, snake, and tortoise.
These facts show the connection between respiration and animal heat,
the temperature being in proportion to the amount of oxygen consumed.
Birds have the largest lung development in proportion to size, are most
active in movement, and indicate the largest amount of animal heat.
=Adaptation to Climatic Conditions.=--The Polar bear suffers from the
heat of the Temperate zone, and would not survive a week in the Torrid.
The African lion would fare no better were he suddenly transported
to the Frigid zone. Man alone, of all the animal creation, is able
to adapt himself to the extremes of heat and cold. By changing his
clothing, shelter, and food, he is able to create for himself an
artificial climate wherever he may choose to reside. No Arctic winter
has been found too cold for a Peary, Nansen, or Greely to withstand,
and no African plain or jungle too hot for a Livingstone or Stanley to
explore.
=Evaporation.=--The temperature of the body is regulated by means of
perspiration. Heat induces perspiration, and its evaporation lowers
the temperature of the body. Cold retards perspiration, and the heat
is retained within. The principle of evaporation is illustrated in
the manufacture of artificial ice. Men who labor in glass works, iron
and steel foundries, and in the engine rooms of large steam vessels
are exposed to great heat, yet enjoy as good health as those who are
engaged in other occupations. Persons have been known to remain several
minutes in an atmosphere heated above the boiling point, without
materially increasing the temperature of their own bodies.
Perspiration goes on continually, night and day. This fact emphasizes
the importance of a complete change of clothing upon retiring at night,
so that the clothing worn during the day may be thoroughly aired. In
like manner, the clothing worn at night, together with the sheets,
blankets, and pillows, should be aired, and, if possible, exposed to
the sun for a time, before the bed is made up.
=Color of Clothing.=--The color of our dress is not wholly a matter of
pleasure to the eye. In general, it is known that white is cool and
black is warm. Scientific experiment has shown that cloth of the same
material, when exposed to the rays of the sun, absorbs heat in the
following proportions: white, 100 heat units; light yellow, 102; dark
yellow, 140; light green, 155; Turkey red, 165; dark green, 168; light
blue, 198; dark blue, 206; black, 208. When not exposed to the sun, the
color has little or no influence upon the absorption of heat.
The color of underclothing has practically but little influence upon
the amount of heat radiated from the body, but the color of the outer
dress has much to do with regard to the amount of heat absorbed from
the sun’s rays.
=Absorption of Moisture.=--The property of absorbing moisture is of
much importance in the hygiene of clothing. The best material for
clothing to be worn next to the skin is that which, while retaining the
natural heat, or giving it off very slowly, absorbs the moisture from
the body, and diffuses it through its meshes. The skin is thus relieved
of the cooling effect of this evaporation, which might prove harmful.
=Porosity.=--The ventilating property of clothing, or the ease with
which air passes through its meshes, is called porosity. The most
porous of dress fabrics is flannel, which is, at the same time, the
warmest. Its porosity, as compared with that of linen, is as 100 to 58.
=Impermeability to Water.=--As a protection against rain, the simple
mackintosh, or the mackintosh cloth, is the best. The latter is more
pleasing to the eye, but the outer wool covering absorbs enough
moisture to add somewhat to the weight of the garment, which is a
slight disadvantage.
All waterproofs present this serious evil, that while they exclude
the outer moisture, they prevent the escape of the natural moisture
from the surface of the body. This, however, is, generally speaking,
a lesser evil than to expose the body to storm and cold, with the
risk of serious illness. It is not unusual to add to the waterproof
the further protection of an umbrella. In such case, the discomfort
of excessive perspiration may be relieved by occasionally loosening a
button or two about the neck and chest.
=Underclothing.=--Taking all things into consideration, wool is,
without doubt, the best material for garments worn next to the skin. In
cold weather it maintains the natural heat of the body. In warm weather
it quickly absorbs the free perspiration, giving off the moisture
through its meshes, and thus preventing the too rapid evaporation
from the surface of the body, which tends to produce chill and other
resulting disorders. It also serves to protect the body from the hot
rays of the sun, and from the heat of boilers and furnaces. No other
substance so effectually modifies the evil effects of sudden and rapid
changes of temperature. In the extreme cold of the polar regions and
in the oppressive heat of the tropics, it is alike satisfactory.
The thickness of the texture and the closeness of the weave must be
determined by the climate and the season.
=Disadvantages of Woolen Undergarments.=--With all their advantages,
woolen undergarments are not wholly free from disadvantages. The most
common criticisms are that they are heavy, less cleanly than linen, and
they sometimes produce irritation. For an equal weight, wool is the
warmest of all dress materials. For summer wear, only that which is
thin, light, and loose in web is usually chosen. Light flannel suits
have become very fashionable for summer outing, both for men and women.
Woolen undergarments rapidly absorb the excretions from the skin. The
water soon evaporates, but the more solid portions are held in the
fibers of the garment. Woolen underwear should be washed as frequently
as that of cotton, linen, or silk. Unfortunately for the health of the
individual, it does not show dirt so quickly as the other materials,
and, by the lower classes, is often washed less frequently than it
should be.
The therapeutic value of flannel depends in no small degree upon its
power to stimulate the skin. It is this that makes it popular with the
old, and with those whose circulation is sluggish. For the delicate,
the scrofulous, and the rheumatic, flannel undergarments are especially
desirable.
Another objection might be urged to the use of woolen underwear, in
that it so often shrinks and becomes hard when washed. It is possible,
however, to have flannels and other woolen goods come from the wash
as soft and light as when they went in. Care should be taken not to
subject them to sudden and extreme changes of temperature while washing
and drying.
=Effects of Tight-Fitting Underwear.=--A woolen shirt or undervest,
quite loose, will be much warmer than a like garment of the same
material, close-fitting. In the loose garment, there is a constant
stratum of air between the body and the clothing. This air has almost
the same effect as an additional garment. It acts as a non-conducting
medium between the surface of the body and the external atmosphere.
Material loosely woven is warmer than the same material closely woven.
Clothing worn in successive layers is warmer than the same quantity of
material woven in a single layer. Two shirts worn, the one over the
other, will afford more warmth than the same quantity of wool or cotton
or silk woven into one garment.
Underwear should be light and porous, and permeable to air. Very fine
materials densely woven are not so healthful as those that are more
open.
=Night Attire.=--Night is the time for rest, not only from mental toil
and physical labor, but also rest for the functions of the body, so far
as possible. To this end, it has been recommended that the evening meal
be eaten long enough before retiring to enable the digestive apparatus
to have completed its work.
For many persons, cotton and linen are found to be more restful, for
night wear, than garments made of wool. Even when woolen underclothing
is worn with comfort and satisfaction during the day, there is, to some
persons, a pricking sensation, a slight surface irritation, in the use
of woolen night wear which is destructive of rest. The activities of
the skin, as well as the other bodily functions, require a measure of
repose.
The old, the delicate, and the very young may use a light woolen
night-dress outside that of linen or cotton. If comfort demands the use
of wool next to the skin, it should be light in weight, finely woven,
and with a smooth surface.
Cleanliness and health alike demand that no part of the clothing worn
during the day should be worn while sleeping. The garments worn in
the day should be thoroughly aired and dried during the night, and
the moisture absorbed by the night clothing should be allowed to
evaporate, and the garments ventilated during the day. In cold climates
and in cases of sickness, weakness, or of delicate constitution,
the dress of the night as well as of the day must be adapted to the
requirements of the case.
=Hats.=--In the advancement from barbarism to civilization, the
head was the last part of the body to be covered. Nature originally
furnished, in the form of a thick mat of hair, all the covering that
was necessary for the head. Baldness was then unknown. While the
demands of modern society must be complied with, and hats must be worn,
the nearer we can approach to Nature’s plan the better.
A hat should be light, loose, and well ventilated. A heavy hat presses
with undue weight upon the scalp. A tight-fitting hat interferes with
the free circulation of the blood. A hat that is close in its texture,
prevents the escape of the heated air within, and not only produces
a sense of oppression but is believed to be the most fertile cause
of baldness. Silk hats for men are especially objectionable on this
ground. All close hats should be supplied with efficient means of
ventilation. The head, like any other part of the body, perspires, and
if the hat is removed in a cooler atmosphere or in a current of wind,
a cold in the head is apt to follow.
The chief cause of baldness is pressure of the hat, which constricts
the blood vessels and so interferes with the nutrition of the hair
bulbs. It is probable, also, that the shutting off of air and light by
the hat promotes baldness. An unhealthy condition of the scalp results,
the sign of which is an excess of dandruff.
Baldness is almost unknown among savages, who wear no hats, and is
comparatively rare with men in the tropics where very light hats are
worn. Laborers are less prone to baldness than business or professional
men. They generally wear soft hats or caps, which are often pushed to
the back of the head, so that the scalp gets plenty of light and air.
There is no good reason why, if properly treated, the hair should not
last as long as the man. Wear a soft, loose, well-ventilated hat, and
wear it as little as possible, and never keep it on in the office or
house.
In hot weather and in tropical climates hats should be of a light
color, with a considerable crown and ample brim. In the United States,
the ordinary straw hats, if not too closely made, answer every
requirement. For the intense heat of Africa or India, more elaborate
head-gear is found necessary. The ill effects of special exposure to
the sun’s heat may be reduced by wearing, in the crown of the hat, a
thin sponge, or even a handful of grass or leaves, or other light,
porous substance.
From the standpoint of health, but little criticism can be made against
the head-gear of women. Nature has provided them with a splendid
covering of hair for warmth and protection. The woman’s hat, or bonnet,
is largely an object of adornment. Fashion, at times, dictates an
unequal distribution of its weight, or an over-burden of ornament, or
a lack of protection to the eyes, but, for the most part, it is light,
loose, and admits of free ventilation. Veils are more or less injurious
to the eyes, and if worn so as to cover the nose and mouth, prevent the
free escape of the exhalations from the lungs. The dyes used in veils
have, in some instances, been productive of face eruptions and other
disorders.
=The Neck.=--The improper clothing of the neck is responsible for much
ill-health. The high collars for men, the tight-fitting high collars
and neck bands for women, the scarfs, handkerchiefs, and other neck
apparel in winter produce an excess of heat. Cold air is inhaled, and
the result is some form of sore throat.
Fashion makes greater demands upon the powers of endurance, or
resistance, of women than of men. To go warmly clad through the day,
and then to put on a ball or party dress, exposing the neck and
shoulders to repeated currents of cold air, requires a degree of
vitality that many do not possess, and the physician’s and undertaker’s
labors are increased by the victims of fashion.
The neck should be comfortably clad, and kept at the normal temperature
as nearly as possible. It is the sudden change from an over-heated neck
and chest to that of the opposite extreme that causes the trouble. The
boy who, with scarf tightly wrapped about his neck, fights his mimic
battle with snowballs until the perspiration flows from every pore, and
then throws aside jacket and scarf while he rests, and the girl who, in
furs and tippet, skates until she becomes thoroughly heated, and takes
off her wraps while she stops to breathe, have many imitators among the
older boys and girls in the world.
As to the proper amount of covering for the neck, much depends upon
habit, and not a little upon individual requirement. The important
point is to preserve uniformity, and to guard against sudden changes.
The sailor with neck freely exposed is fully as exempt from colds as
is the soldier whose neck is more warmly clad. If they should suddenly
exchange their manner of dress, the result would be disastrous to both.
The important blood-vessels that supply the face, head, and brain, and
the jugular veins which return the blood to the heart, all pass through
the neck. The clothing about the neck should therefore be loose, so as
to allow the freest passage of the food, breath, and blood, and the
fullest movement of the head.
=Male Attire.=--While appearance demands that the outer clothing
should be neat-fitting, comfort and health require that it should be
sufficiently loose to admit of the freest movements of the body. It
should be as light as possible to insure proper protection from the
cold. Weight does not always count for warmth. Many persons prefer
light flannels as outer garments for warm weather.
The trousers should be supported from the shoulders by suspenders.
Belts involve more or less constriction of the abdomen, and are
injurious. Men suffer greater disadvantage from their use than women.
The practice of wearing a belt during the summer months is especially
objectionable.
=Female Attire.=--Healthful and proper clothing implies, (1), the
protection of the body against extremes of heat and cold, and the
maintaining of an equable temperature in every part; (2), the absence
of all superfluous material and needless weight; and (3), the
non-interference with the normal functions of the body.
Mrs. Woolson, a writer on Dress and Health, says: The limbs have not
half the amount of covering which is put upon the trunk of the body.
Many garments have no sleeves, or sleeves that terminate a few inches
below the shoulders. As to the legs, the clothing which should increase
in direct ratio to the distance from the body to the feet, diminishes
in the same ratio. Thin drawers, thinner stockings, and wind-blown
skirts which keep up constant currents of air supply little warmth to
the limbs beneath. The feet, half-clad and pinched in tight shoes, are
chilled in consequence.
The trunk of the body has as many zones of temperature as the planet it
inhabits. Its frigid zone is above, on the shoulders and chest; for,
although the dress-body extends from the neck to the waist, most, if
not all, of the garments worn beneath it are low-necked. The temperate
zone lies between the shoulders and the belt, for that region receives
the additional covering of undervest, corset, and chemise. The torrid
zone begins with the belt and bands, and extends to the limbs below;
for all the upper garments are continued below the belt, and all the
lower garments come up as far as the belt, so that the clothing over
the whole hip region must be at least double what it is over any other
section. But it is more than double; it is quadruple, for the tops of
all these lower garments have a superfluous fullness of material which
is brought into the binding by gathers and plaits.
It will be observed from the above that the three rules laid down for
a perfect dress are all violated. First, the unequal preservation of
heat; second, the excessive weight, largely supported by the waist;
and, third, the constriction of the waist and pressure upon the abdomen
caused by the gathering of so many garments at this point.
=The Petticoat.=--Petticoats are objectionable in several ways. They
seriously impede movement. They involve an unnecessary expenditure of
muscular force by hampering the action of the lower limbs. They stir
up and accumulate the dirt of the streets, or drag through mud and
slush, often occasioning wet ankles and engendering disease. Thick
woolen drawers reaching to the feet, or, better still, the one-piece
underwear which covers the entire body except the head, hands, and
feet, would furnish more warmth and distribute it more equally than the
“many petticoat” plan, and save the weight and secure freer movement by
enabling the wearer to dispense with one or more of these objectionable
garments. This would add greatly to the comfort of the wearer, reduce
the weight of the nether garments, prevent in large measure the undue
heat of the abdominal region, and would not materially change the
appearance of the outer dress.
=Tight Lacing.=--It is said that Hippocrates earnestly reproached the
ladies of his time for too tightly compressing their ribs, and thus
interfering with their breathing powers. Fashion and Health must be
sworn enemies, for they have not come much nearer together since. We
smile at the Chinese lady who cramps her foot until it is neither fit
to look upon nor to walk upon. Yet, the tortures she endures are no
greater than those voluntarily assumed by many American women at the
behest of the same tyrant, Fashion.
The unnatural constriction about the waist and abdomen involves every
vital function. It compresses the lower part of the lungs, diminishes
their capacity, and thus interrupts the proper oxidizing of the blood.
It cramps the heart, and often results in fainting and swooning, to
say nothing of the more permanent results of impeded heart action. It
forces out of shape and place the liver and stomach, restricts the
flow of the bile and other stomachic juices, and seriously interferes
with the important function of digestion. It restricts the action of
the intestines, producing constipation, with all its attendant evils.
It presses upon the blood vessels leading to the bowels and the lower
extremities, diminishes the circulation, produces cold feet, and
often causes varicose veins. And, worst of all, those delicate organs
peculiar to women are so crushed by the unnatural pressure, and so
obstructed in their normal action, that the function of motherhood is
most seriously impaired, the poor deformed woman becomes the victim
of untold suffering, and the wretchedness entailed upon the race is
widespread and far reaching.
=A Deformity.=--The devotee of feminine fashion will doubtless resent
the intimation that she is deformed, or is likely to become so. A
missing finger or hand, a shortened arm or leg, an inverted foot
or curved spine--these are set down as deformities. In short, any
wide departure from the normal human structure must be classed as a
deformity.
The bony framework of the thoracic cavity in its natural shape is an
irregular cone, whose apex is at the neck, and whose widest part,
or base, is formed by the spread of the lower ribs. By constantly
compressing the waist, the flexible lower ribs yield to the pressure,
and after a time become fixed in this unnatural position, and that
which was the base of the cone becomes the apex, and the widest part is
now near the top. From the standpoint of anatomy, the latter condition
can be nothing less than a deformity.
=Are Corsets Ever Necessary?=--For any unnatural or unhealthy
conditions, the physician or specialist alone must prescribe. There is
no reason why the bones and muscles of a woman, as well as a man’s,
should not support the upper part of the body without artificial aid.
As remarked in another chapter, the body acquires habits. After wearing
corsets or stays for a time, their absence will doubtless suggest a
lack of support, for the muscles have become weakened from a lack of
use.
The skirts and other garments should be supported from the shoulders,
and not from the waist. To this end, an under jacket, close-fitting,
but in no sense compressing the body, loose in texture so as to be
permeable to the air, with straps over the shoulders, should be
worn. To this, by means of buttons, all the lower garments should be
attached. No steel or other stiff supports should be tolerated. With
this system in general use for a generation, the amount of suffering
saved would be incalculable, and the advantage to the race would be
beyond compute.
=The Feet.=--In so far as the health is affected by the dress, next
to the evils of tight lacing come the evils of tight shoes. The feet
being remote from the heart, the circulation of the blood at this point
is not as free as in other parts of the body. This in itself tends to
beget cold feet, and at once suggests the advantage of warm stockings
and stout shoes in order to keep out the cold and wet, and to induce a
freer current of warmth-producing blood.
The small foot is almost as much an object of worship as the small
waist. The temptation to cramp it by tight and ill-fitting shoes is
great, and is not wholly confined to the weaker sex. Large shoes may
be ill-fitting and injurious, as well as small ones, often rubbing the
skin and producing blisters and sores.
The shoes should be close-fitting but not tight, thus allowing free
circulation of air as well as of blood, and also the freest action of
the bones and muscles. Like other parts of the dress, the shoes must
be adapted to the season. In cold and wet weather the soles should be
thick so as to keep out the dampness. The maxim, “Keep the feet warm
and the head cool,” is none the less good because it is old.
=Rubbers.=--Tight-fitting rubbers impede circulation, and, on this
score, are objectionable. But the disadvantages of wet or damp feet
are far greater. Through the winter and spring months the streets and
pavements are rarely free from dampness, and light rubbers or sandals
should be worn. Persons who are exceptionally susceptible to colds need
to be doubly careful to keep the feet dry and warm.
=Stockings.=--The stockings, too, should be stout and warm. For
most persons, wool is the best material. If the rough surface is
uncomfortable to the skin, those of a smoother surface may be tried.
A thin silk stocking with a woolen one of moderate thickness outside
will make no more bulk than a single heavy woolen stocking, and will be
found equally warm.
Some persons when about to undergo extreme exposure to cold wrap the
feet with a thickness or two of tissue paper, either under or outside
of the stocking. Being impervious to the air, paper is not to be
recommended for general use.
The physical annoyances and discomforts growing out of ill-clad feet
are such as to demand that great care be given to this part of the
dress. Corns, bunions, and in-growing nails are so common that it is a
rare thing to find a person who is free from these afflictions.
=Heels.=--Heels of moderate height are desirable. High heels throw
the foot into the front of the shoe, cramp the toes, and destroy the
natural action of the foot. The French heel, so coveted by many ladies,
is an abomination. It is not only too high, but, being placed under the
arch of the foot, defeats Nature’s purpose in the construction of the
arch. Children under twelve years should not wear heels.
=Wide Soles.=--The width of the sole should always be greater than
the width of the foot. With the foot clad in a close-fitting, stout
stocking, stand upon a cardboard or piece of stiff paper, bearing the
weight of the body upon this foot. With a pencil held in a vertical
position, have some one draw the outline of the foot upon the paper.
When purchasing a pair of shoes, apply this outline to the soles, and
see to it that they are larger at every point than the outline. This
will go far toward securing comfort.
Infants require to be warmly clad. The heat-producing powers of the
organism are feeble. Clothing should be of a kind and of sufficient
quantity to prevent the undue waste of natural heat. Children are often
clad too thinly, and exposed to cold before they are strong enough
to bear it. The “hardening” process to which some foolish mothers
resort is accountable for no small amount of infant mortality. The
other extreme is equally reprehensible. Aim to maintain an equable
temperature of the room as well as of the body; avoid sudden changes,
and keep the child out of draughts. Clothing of fine soft wool, as a
rule, is the best.
=Evenly Distributed.=--The body of the child usually is too warmly
clad, while the arms and neck are often insufficiently covered. The
long skirts of infants are objectionable because they keep the legs too
warm and hamper them in their movements, so essential to their growth
and development.
=Weight.=--The weight of the clothing of all persons, of whatever age,
should be as light as is compatible with comfortable warmth, but it is
a matter of double importance to infants and young children.
=Constriction.=--Many young mothers have done their infant children
incalculable injury by tightly pinning about their tender bodies
the swathing band and the upper parts of the skirts. The heart and
lungs, stomach and liver, as well as the rest of the body, need room
for growth. Instances are recorded of infants having died from being
deprived of sufficient room to breathe properly. Here again, the
opposite extreme must be avoided. Socks that come well up on the legs
should be provided. The dress should not be so loose about the neck
as to admit cold draughts of air to the chest or spine. As with older
persons, the petticoats and nether garments should be suspended from
the shoulders as soon as the child is old enough to walk. The increase
in the average life of the American is largely due to the better care
of the children.