=Why We Bathe.=--The first object of bathing is cleanliness. The
importance of this object is so widely recognized as to have passed
into a proverb, “Cleanliness is next to godliness.” A second object of
the bath is to stimulate the functions of the skin. A large amount of
waste matter is thrown off through the pores, and unless removed by
frequent bathing, soon becomes clogged, and sickness ensues. A third
object is the pleasurable exhilaration which attends a plunge into the
swimming pool, stream, or surf. The street urchin, with no ungovernable
desire for cleanliness, and with little thought of the importance of
keeping his cuticle in good working condition, plunges into the nearest
stream long before the summer days have tempered the water to such a
degree as to beguile his older brother.
=The Skin.=--In order that the advantages of bathing may be fully
understood, it is necessary that we have some knowledge of the nature
and structure of the outer covering of the body. This garment is soft,
pliable, close-fitting, and quite thin, yet sufficiently strong to
resist the ordinary contact with surrounding objects.
The skin is composed of two layers, the outer, called the epidermis, or
cuticle, and the inner, called the cutis, or true skin. The two layers
are closely united. When, from a burn or other cause, a blister is
formed, a watery fluid separates the cuticle from the true skin.
The cuticle is very thin, and is composed of minute flat cells,
arranged layer upon layer. These, as they are worn out, fall from the
body in the form of fine scales. When the cuticle in the palms of the
hands or other parts of the body is subjected to severe pressure, or
friction, it becomes thick and hard, and better adapted to manual labor.
The cutis, or true skin, is firm, elastic, and very sensitive. Its
surface is covered with minute elevations called _papillæ_. These
contain the blood vessels which supply the waste of the skin, and also
the nerves which are largely concerned in the sense of touch.
=Its uses.=--The skin, which seems like a very simple membrane in
structure, is, in reality, a very complex and elaborate organ. With
its numerous blood-vessels, lymphatic vessels, and nerves; its millions
of _papillæ_ and pores and sweat ducts; its innumerable hair-follicles
with their sebaceous glands and muscles; its odoriferous glands and
special pigment-bearing cells, it is well equipped to perform the
various duties assigned it.
First, it serves to protect the softer parts of the body which lie
underneath it. Secondly, it regulates the temperature of the body
by preventing, on the one hand, the too rapid radiation of natural
heat, and, on the other hand, by reducing the temperature through the
process of perspiration. Thirdly, through its millions of pores, it is
constantly throwing off the useless materials found in the excretions
of the perspiration and the sebaceous glands.
In order that the skin may perform its functions properly, it must be
perfectly clean, the pores must be kept open, and the sweat glands
free to throw off all the effete matter and prevent its accumulation
within the system. While soap and water are necessary and helpful, free
perspiration induced by vigorous bodily exercise or artificial heat
will also enable the glands to cast off the more solid substances which
accumulate at the bottom.
An eminent French physician has discovered that the annoying odors
from the skin which characterize certain persons have their seat in
the bottom of the sweat sack, and can be successfully removed by free
perspiration followed by a bath.
In addition to the general benefits to the health, of systematic,
vigorous exercise and the bath, they will give freshness of color to
the skin, prevent the coming of wrinkles, and give to the face a beauty
such as no paint or powder can approximate. If ladies with sallow
complexions and shrunken countenances would substitute exercise and
bathing for facial massage, the benefits of which last only so long as
its use is continued, the results would be much more satisfactory.
Many of the common diseases of the skin which destroy the beauty of the
complexion are believed to be due to certain microbes. If the skin were
kept, by exercise and bathing, in a thoroughly healthy condition, these
microbes would find no lodgment, or, gaining a temporary foothold,
would readily yield to judicious hygienic treatment.
=The Hair and Nails.=--These, properly considered, are appendages of
the skin. The hair follicles are hollow receptacles, from the bottom
of which the hair grows. Alongside each hair follicle are two glands,
called the sebaceous glands, which provide the hair with a natural
oil or grease, and prevent excessive dryness. This sebaceous matter
tends to keep the skin flexible, and serves to protect both skin and
hair from the acridity arising from perspiration. The hair serves as
a protection, shielding the brain from extremes of heat and cold, and
moderating the force of blows upon the head.
The nails not only serve as a protection to the ends of the fingers,
but also enable us to grasp more firmly, and to pick up small objects.
Well-kept nails contribute much to the beauty of the hand. They are not
only an indication of cleanliness but also a mark of refinement.
=The Perspiratory Glands.=--The skin is provided with numerous
sweat-glands which consist of very small tubes with globe-like coils at
their deeper extremity. It is estimated that there are 2,800 of these
glands to the square inch of the surface of the body.
These glands or pores of the skin are, day and night, constantly
excreting a watery fluid. Ordinarily this evaporates as rapidly as it
is formed, and the process is called insensible perspiration. Under the
influence of heat or exercise the flow is more abundant, and appears
upon the surface of the body in the form of minute, colorless drops.
This is known as sensible perspiration.
This excretion consists of about ninety-eight parts of water and two
parts of solid matter. The quantity of perspiration varies with the
temperature, the occupation of the individual, and other circumstances.
In an adult, the daily amount is about thirty ounces, or more than nine
grains a minute.
=Benefit of Perspiration.=--Besides freeing the blood of a large amount
of water, with the effete matter it contains, perspiration serves to
reduce the temperature of the body. This function is most active in hot
weather, and the cooling process is proportionally increased, thereby
contributing to the comfort of the individual. A partial or temporary
check of this excretion is usually attended with headache, fever, and
other unpleasant symptoms, and its total interruption is fatal. For
the purposes of experiment, rabbits and other small animals have been
covered with a coating of varnish, and death invariably ensued in from
six to twelve hours.
=Importance of Bathing.=--As the watery portion of the perspiration
evaporates, the solid matter is left on the surface of the skin, and
soon clogs the mouths of the pores. The scales of the worn-out cuticle
also accumulate, and further impede the action of the skin. These
impurities must be removed, not only from motives of cleanliness but
also from considerations of health.
=General Effects of the Bath.=--Bathing, in every form, increases
the activity of the internal machinery. It increases the rate
of respiration, the activity of the heart, the rapidity of the
circulation, the combustion in the tissues, and the perspiration
through the skin. This increased activity causes a degree of
exhaustion, and makes demand upon the vital forces. The reaction that
follows more than restores the depleted vitality, and the bath serves
as a tonic to the system.
=A Satisfactory Experiment.=--A prominent Philadelphia merchant gives
the following as a result of his experience: “For a number of years I
was troubled with indigestion, and a feeling of general depression. My
muscles were soft and flabby, and I was easily fatigued. I was seldom
free from colds and their many discomforts. Although there were several
gymnasiums near my place of business, I felt that I could not take the
time for practice. My condition gradually grew worse, and the drugs
and medicines I took did me no good. In sheer desperation, I concluded
to see what a little exercise and bathing would do. I chose the early
morning and the late evening, as interfering least with business. Upon
rising in the morning, and with slight encumbrance of clothing, I
devote fifteen minutes to such simple body movements as give exercise
to the muscles of the arms, legs, upper and lower trunk, and expand the
chest. Then I stand in the bath tub, and with a large sponge filled
with cold water, I quickly drench the head, neck, chest, and every
part of the body, and, after drying with a soft towel, I give myself a
vigorous rubbing with a coarse towel, which produces a delightful glow
that lasts for several hours. At night, just before retiring, I again
devote ten or fifteen minutes to exercise, and enjoy sound refreshing
sleep.
“Since I began this plan of exercise and bathing, some five years ago,
my digestion has been excellent, and I enjoy my meals, and seldom ask
myself whether it is safe for me to eat this or that, as I used to do.
I accomplish much more labor, with less fatigue than formerly, and
with none of the old-time languor and depression. My mind is clear and
alert, and to my cold sponge bath I ascribe the fact that I rarely have
a cold.”
=Temperature of the Body.=--By a wonderful provision of nature, the
temperature of the surface of the body is preserved at about 98.4
degrees Fahrenheit, whether the individual resides in the arctic
regions or within the limits of the torrid zone. The range of the
internal heat of the body is not very great. A deviation of seven
degrees from the normal is dangerous. If the temperature of the body
rises to 109 degrees or falls to 76, death is almost sure to follow.
=Temperature and Kinds of Baths.=--From the standpoint of temperature,
baths may be classed as hot, warm, tepid, cool, and cold. A hot bath
has a temperature ranging from 98 degrees to 112 degrees Fahrenheit; a
warm bath from 92 degrees to 98 degrees; a tepid, from 85 degrees to
92 degrees; a cool bath from 60 degrees to 75 degrees; and a cold bath
from 60 degrees down to the freezing point of water.
Tepid, warm, and hot baths are employed, not only for cleansing
the body, but to diminish blood pressure and to reduce nervous
excitability. The hot bath is used in restoring warmth to the body in
certain cases of shock, and to remove the effects of exposure to a low
temperature.
When the water is of about the same temperature as the body, the
effects are neither stimulating nor depressing. In some forms of
sleeplessness, a tepid bath taken just before retiring has been found
to be effective. In such cases, the body should be covered by the
water for ten or fifteen minutes, and quietly dried with a soft towel,
without vigorous rubbing or friction.
=Hot Bath.=--The cold bath stimulates, the hot bath facilitates
function. Both hot and cold baths increase the combustion going on
within the body. The immediate effect of a cold bath is to chill the
surface of the body. This sensation is promptly conveyed by the nerves
of the skin, through the spinal cord, to the brain. Respiration and
circulation are at once increased, and the temperature of the interior
of the body is raised.
The effect of a hot bath is to raise the temperature of the surface
of the body and the temperature of the blood. As in the case of a
cold bath, the respiration and pulse are quickened, and the escape of
carbonic acid from the lungs is increased.
Warm baths can be borne for a longer time than cold baths, but if
the temperature be very high they deplete the system rapidly, and
faintness is apt to occur. The warm or hot bath leaves the skin in a
very delicate condition, susceptible to chill from exposure followed by
internal congestion. The bather should dress quickly after a warm or
hot bath, and spend a half hour or more in a warm room so as to allow
the body to assume its normal temperature, or he may go from the bath
to bed, and cover up well.
=Popular Error.=--The belief is current that it is extremely dangerous
to enter a cold bath when the body is heated or perspiring. The bracing
effects of the bath are most manifest if taken while the individual
is warm. The clothing should be removed quickly, the plunge or douche
boldly taken, and immediately followed by a vigorous rubbing with a
coarse towel.
Some years ago, an eminent physician, desiring to test the effects of
the cold bath when the body is warm, made a series of observations
upon himself. The following is his statement: “Every afternoon a free
perspiration was produced by a brisk walk in the sun. As soon as
the clothing could be cast off, and while the body was still freely
perspiring, a plunge was taken into a fresh water bath of about 60
degrees Fahrenheit. No ill result followed. On the contrary, the
sensation which immediately followed the bath, and which continued for
six or eight hours afterward, was exceedingly pleasant. The health
remained perfect, and the weight decidedly increased during the two
months the practice was continued. There is probably no danger to a
healthy person in this practice, but it is considered advisable to
immerse the head first, to avoid increasing the blood pressure in
the brain too greatly, which might result if the body were gradually
immersed from the feet upward.”
The douche consists of a stream of water, hot or cold, which is made to
strike the body with force. Its value consists partly in the impact of
the water, and partly upon its temperature. It is an exhaustive method
of treatment, and must be used with caution.
The Scottish Douche consists in the use of alternating streams of hot
and cold water, which produces a powerfully stimulating action. Hot and
cold affusion are mild forms of the douche.
The Shower Bath differs from the douche in the division of the streams
of water, causing it to strike the body with less force. This method,
too, should be used with caution, especially by persons who are not
robust.
The Needle Bath is a form of fine shower bath. The bather stands within
a coil of pipes perforated with very small holes through which the
finely divided streams of water impinge upon every part of the body.
The Vapor Bath combines the two agents, warmth and moisture. The
patient sits in a small cabinet or other confined space, into which
steam from a boiler or kettle is conducted. In some instances, the head
is enclosed so that the vapor may be breathed, but more frequently the
head and face are shut out from the vapor-inclosed chamber. The vapor
bath can be borne much better than the water bath, the temperature
often ranging from 120 degrees to 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Various forms
of steam or vapor cabinets are advertised in the popular magazines at
small prices. The Russian Vapor Bath consists of a vapor bath of high
temperature, followed by a cold douche, and is useful where a quick
reaction is desired. The Galvanic Bath and the Electro-magnetic Bath
consist merely of a bath of water through which a gentle current from a
battery is passed. This is so arranged that the current passes from the
water through the body, and affords a powerful stimulant to the skin.
Various forms of medicated baths are employed for specific purposes,
but these should not be used except upon the advice of a physician.
=Air Bath.=--The Hot Air Bath, since the days of ancient Rome, has been
not only a popular luxury but also a means of treating disease. Unclad,
the bather sits in a room heated to a temperature of 120 degrees to 150
degrees. A glass of cold water is sometimes taken to stimulate free
perspiration, after which the bather reclines on a marble slab and is
shampooed by an attendant. The body is then thoroughly washed with hot
water, and rubbed down with a horse-hair glove. This is followed by a
cold shower-bath or douche, after which one is rubbed dry, dresses, and
reclines for half an hour on bed or couch.
=Sun Bath.=--The value of sunshine to animal and vegetable life is
apparent to all. Plants become blanched and tender, and lack hardihood,
if left without sunlight. Fishes in the subterranean lakes are dwarfed,
and have no eyes. Tadpoles kept in the dark never develop into
full-grown frogs. Men, growing up in mines or in dark prison cells, are
sallow and ill-formed. When Fashion smiles upon brown arms and a tanned
face, health is improved, and the darker skin is rendered more hardy
and better able to resist exposure.
Sand Baths have, at different times, been held in high esteem. The
patient is buried in sand, except his head, and exposed to the full
rays of the sun. The surface irritation caused by the sand, combined
with the effect of the heat, produces a copious perspiration.
Mud Baths and Pine Baths are popular in parts of Germany. In the
former, the body of the patient is imbedded, for a time, in the thick
paste or mud deposited by some of the mineral springs, or formed of a
mixture of moor-earth and water. In the Pine Baths, a strong decoction
is made of the fragrant limbs and tops of the resinous pine trees,
which, blended with water, has a stimulating action on the skin.
=Surf Bathing.=--Sea bathing is more invigorating than fresh water
bathing. Persons who cannot bathe in fresh water are often benefited by
surf bathing. The stimulating action of the salt water, the impact of
the waves, the exhilaration and excitement occasioned by the incoming
breakers, and the wholesome exercise which usually attends a sea bath,
all contribute to the benefit of surf bathing.
While the danger of chilling and taking cold are less in sea bathing,
yet the usual precautions should be observed. If warm, do not wait
to cool off before going into the water. This is always hazardous.
Plunge boldly in, taking care to wet the head, neck, and face as
quickly as possible. Exercise to keep up the circulation. Dive through
the rollers, or jump up to prevent being overwhelmed by them. If,
after being in the water a few minutes, there is a growing sense of
chilliness which cannot be overcome by exercise, the bather, for his
own safety, should withdraw at once, however enjoyable the occasion,
and seek comfort in dry, warm clothing. A prolonged stay at the
sea-shore will enable him to renew his bath daily, and gradually
increase its length. At most, it should not exceed thirty minutes.
Persons of vigorous constitution may take two dips a day with
advantage. A short rest should follow the bath, whenever possible. But
if reaction is not established by rubbing and putting on dry clothing,
it should be restored by taking a short brisk walk before the rest.
=Salt-Water Bath at Home.=--Aside from the tonic effects of the
sea-air, and the absence of business anxiety and the change in food and
habits which a temporary residence at the sea-side involves, a good
substitute for the sea-bath may be had by the use of an inexpensive
preparation of salt which may be found at almost any drug store.
=Reaction.=--The phenomenon commonly known as reaction, which
accompanies both hot and cold bathing, is quite remarkable. Experiments
have shown that if the temperature of a healthy person be raised
or lowered by bathing, the subsequent reaction will restore the
equilibrium by supplying the loss or withdrawing the excess. Thus
nature seems to resent any interference with her normal functions. A
German scientist subjected a robust patient to a series of baths of a
temperature of 50 degrees Fahrenheit, each lasting twenty-five minutes.
The rapid abstraction of heat produced chilliness and shivering, which
lasted for several hours after each bath, but this was followed,
after an interval, with such an increase of temperature as precisely
compensated for the previous loss, and thus the average normal
temperature was maintained.
The chronically ill may be divided into two general classes, the one
made up of those individuals whose vitality suggests the possession
of strong powers of reaction, and for whom the system of heroic
treatment, vigorous exercise, cold baths, surf bathing, and sea air are
best adapted; the other requiring gentle treatment, much indulgence,
mild climate, warm baths, and mountain air.
=Frequency of the Bath.=--The physical condition of the bather must
always be regarded as an important factor in determining the kind of
bath, the length of time it should consume, and the frequency with
which it should be repeated.
A brisk, cold bath to tone up the system, prevent colds, stimulate
digestion, and promote circulation may be taken daily. For many
persons, the most convenient time is just after rising in the morning.
Fifteen minutes of vigorous exercise before the bath will add to its
advantages.
Hot baths, if prolonged, are debilitating and should be taken less
frequently. To clean out the pores and remove the excretions and dead
cuticle from the surface of the body, two thorough hot baths a week
will, for most persons, be sufficient. Some persons get on very well
with only one, especially in the winter season when perspiration is
less active. The dust, grime, and soil, resulting from one’s daily
toil, must be removed from hands, face, and body, as often as occasion
requires. For this purpose, a basin of warm water and soap will be
found sufficient.
Many weakly babes have been sacrificed to their mothers’ vanity by
subjecting the little ones to the exhausting process of two or three
elaborate baths and costly toilets each day. Boys living near ponds,
creeks, or rivers often waste their physical forces by spending a large
part of the warm summer days in the water. They go in too frequently
and remain too long. A morning swim of half an hour, or two dips, one
in the forenoon and another in the afternoon, of twenty minutes each,
is as much as the strongest boy should take.
=Regularity.=--In bathing, as in exercise, regularity and system should
control, if any physical advantage is expected to follow. A bath now
and then, when it happens to suit the convenience of the bather, will
not tone up the system nor fortify it against colds. A daily cold bath
is best. If that is impossible, it should be taken at least three or
four times a week.
=Best Time for Bathing.=--As remarked elsewhere, every form of bath
makes greater or less demand upon the vital forces, and some forms are
quite exhausting. It is therefore proper to consider the most suitable
times for bathing. It is best not to take a bath when the body is
much exhausted, nor to engage in intense physical or mental exercise
immediately after a bath.
Under no circumstances should a bath be taken directly after a full
meal. Generally speaking the most appropriate time is from two to three
and a half hours after a meal, preferably near the noon hour.
For the cold bath, taken quickly, no time is better than just after
rising. A warm bath just before retiring will quiet the nerves and
assist in producing sleep.
=The Value of Soap.=--The eminent chemist, Liebig, asserts that the
civilization of a nation is high in proportion to the amount of soap it
consumes, and that it is low in proportion to its use of perfumes. The
cleanliness and refinement of an individual may be measured by the same
test. Soap removes impurity; perfume is often employed to conceal it.
Many soaps are positively injurious to the skin. In this, as in other
matters, judgment and caution must be exercised. A free use of a good
skin soap, with warm or hot water, may be recommended for the weekly
or semi-weekly bath when the primary object is cleanliness. The soapy
lather should be vigorously rubbed over the body, by the hand or a
small coarse towel, so as to remove all excretions from the pores, all
greasy deposits of the sebaceous glands, and all dead scales from the
cuticle.
This lather must be carefully rinsed off before rubbing with the
towels. For the cold tonic and other baths, it is better not to use
soap.
=Cosmetics.=--The use of cosmetics for the complexion is a fertile
source of disease. Many of these preparations contain lead and other
poisonous mineral substances. The skin readily absorbs these, and the
most distressing conditions often ensue.
Hair-dyes also contain lead and other objectionable ingredients.
Although less harmful than cosmetics, being generally kept away from
the skin, they rob the hair of its lustre and vitality, and should be
avoided.
=Caution.=--Bathing, whether for cleanliness or for recreation, is a
most healthful exercise, yet certain precautions are necessary.
1. Avoid bathing within two and a half hours after a meal. The sudden
interruption of the process of digestion, especially by a cold bath, is
apt to produce nausea. Cases of drowning, usually ascribed to cramps,
have been due, in some instances, to interrupted digestion.