THE SKIN AND BATHING. 189 



not fail to understand that they are active workers, 

 and also we cannot fail to see the importance of 

 keeping them in perfect working order, removing 

 obstructions by frequent application of water, or by 

 some other means. Suppose we obstruct the func- 

 tions of the skin perfectly, by varnishing a person 

 completely with a compound impervious to moist- 

 ure. How long will he live ? Not over six hours. 

 The experiment was once tried on a child at Flor- 

 ence. Pope Leo the Tenth, on the occasion of his 

 accession to the papal chair, wished to have a living 

 figure to represent the Golden Age, and so he 

 gilded a poor child all over with varnish and gold 

 leaf. The child died in a few hours. If the fur 

 of a rabbit or the skin of a pig be covered with a 

 solution of india-rubber in naphtha, the animal 

 ceases to breathe in a couple of hours. These 

 statements are presented in order that we may ob- 

 tain some idea of the importance of the functions 

 of the skin. We have, however, only spoken of 

 one of its offices, that of aeration of the blood ; to 

 present the matter fully, we should speak of absorp- 

 tion., a matter of less moment, though very im- 

 portant. But we must pass this, and consider 

 briefly the subject of bathing in some of its sani- 

 tary aspects. 



If from any cause the orifices of the perspiratory 

 ducts become partially obstructed or closed, the 

 whole system suffers the most serious derange- 



