THE LAWS OF HEALTH. 201 



Turkish bath the body should be douched with cold water; the cap- 

 illaries are thus emptied of their blood by contraction, but immedi- 

 ately after the stimulation causes them to resume a state of activity, 

 and produces vigorous circulation through the skin. 



V. In taking a cold bath in the morning the same conditions should 

 be present. The surface of the body should be warm and moist; 

 therefore, the bath should be taken immediately on rising from the 

 bed, and before the surface of the body has had time to cool or the 

 capillaries to contract. The shock of the cold water should cause 

 them suddenly to contract ; then quick reaction will take place in the 

 same way as after a Turkish bath. Unless this reaction occurs after 

 the bath, there is great danger of getting a chill; at any rate, the full 

 benefit of the bath is not obtained. Persons with weak circulation, 

 who cannot take an ordinary morning bath, often derive great benefit 

 from the Turkish bath. It opens the pores and improves the circu- 

 lation of the skin, so that the shock of cold water can afterward be 

 borne. The same persons can generally bear a cold bath if they get 

 for a few minutes into a warm bath first, and then immediately plunge 

 into cold water. By these means an active reaction is brought about. 

 Warm baths should, in my opinion, never be taken on rising except 

 under the above conditions, but warm baths at night are often desir- 

 able. They should be taken just before going to bed, when they have 

 the effect of relaxing the muscular system and of promoting sleep by 

 soothing the activity of the brain by the withdrawal of blood from it. 

 I do not think warm baths at night are weakening, as the depression 

 of vital energy which may occur is recovered during sleep. In river 

 and sea bathing, persons should be careful not to remain in the water 

 too long, nor should they exert themselves sufficiently to cause ex- 

 haustion, as the power of reaction is much impaired thereby ; neither 

 should persons get into cold water when cooling. The old-fashioned 

 idea that persons should wait to cool before plunging into the water 

 is a fallacy. There is no danger in plunging into the coldest water in a 

 state of profuse perspiration, if the heart and arteries are in a healthy 

 state. Of course, it would be unwise to do so immediately after a full 

 meal, as the action of the heart might be impeded by the distended 

 stomach. 



8. Many persons complain of always getting up tired in the morn- 

 ing. This is very often due to defective ventilation of the bedroom, 

 or from using an undue amount of bedclothes and bedding. Feather 

 beds are too soft and yielding, and partially envelop the sleeper, thus 

 producing profuse perspirations. The habit of lying too much under 

 blankets is also very pernicious, by reason of the carbonic acid ex- 

 haled by the sleeper being respired. Again, it is a common error to 

 suppose that, by simply opening a window a little at the top, a room 

 can be ventilated. People forget that for proper ventilation there 

 must be an inlet and outlet for the air. In bedrooms there is often 



