BATHING 207 



Necessity for cleanliness. By its own secretions, the 

 skin increases the danger of contamination through mi- 

 crobes by furnishing a surface to which they adhere and 

 on which they develop. The safeguard against this is 

 cleanliness. An efficient method of cleaning the skin is 

 by thorough washing with warm water and soap. The 

 soap is dissolved by the warm water and in turn .dissolves 

 the oil and grease found upon the skin. Microbes and 

 other impurities which have been held to the surface by 

 the oiliness of the skin are in this way carried away 

 by the water. It has been found by tests that this 

 form of cleansing, if followed by rinsing in running 

 water, is ordinarily effective against the transfer of 

 even contagious diseases. Such thorough washing of 

 the hands is a precaution which should always precede 

 eating. 



Bathing. Washing of the whole body, or bathing, is 

 valuable not only for cleansing the body but also for 

 giving a wholesome stimulation to the nervous system. 

 For this purpose, cold or cool baths are preferable to 

 warm, which have a more relaxing or sedative effect 

 unless immediately followed by a cool shower or sponge 

 bath. To be stimulating, a bath need not be colder 

 than 70 F. Bathing in water colder than this has 

 its dangers, chief among which is its liability to increase 

 any tendency to pain or stiffness in the joints. Cold 

 baths should be avoided by those who fail to get a vigor- 

 ous warm reaction or glow after them. 



Sea bathing. One of the most popular and beneficial 

 forms of cool bathing is sea bathing, principally because 

 of the exercise in the fresh air and sunshine associated 

 with it. Its value, however, is frequently lessened and 

 even changed to actual harm, if prolonged beyond the 

 five or ten minutes which is a safe limit for cool water. 



