GENERAL HEALTH HINTS 689 



fact is recalled that stimulation lessens, instead of 

 reinforcing, vital strength, thus weakening the hold on 

 life, and shortening its duration. The fallacy of the 

 second theory is equally api^arent when we take into 

 consideration the fact that in old age the wastes of the 

 body are greatly increased. The discharges from all 

 the outlets of the body are more heavily laden with 

 organic impurities than during youth and adult age. 

 The breath is laden with the poisonous products of dis- 

 integration, and the perspiration with effete matter. 

 It is for this reason that a sudden obstruction of any 

 of these outlets is so speedily followed by fatal results. 

 If frequent bathing is neglected, the skin becomes ob- 

 structed, and the kidneys are overworked. The urine 

 becomes irritating in character, and inflammation or 

 congestion of the bladder is likely to be the result. We 

 have met scores of cases of irritable bladder in elderly 

 men which could be traced, in a great part at least, 

 to neglect of the bath. 



Old jDcrsons should recollect, that the bath is par- 

 ticularly necessary for them as a sanitary measure. 

 As the waste of the body preponderates over the re- 

 pair, the skin, if unwashed, soon becomes covered with 

 a film of the most intensely poisonous and readily 

 decomposable matter. A few days' accumulation is 

 enough to iiroduce a condition not only in the highest 

 degree detrimental to the individual himself, but of- 

 fensively injurious to all persons of acute olfactory 

 sensibilities who may be closely associated with him. 



It is true that cold bathing may be, and generally is, 

 in a high degree injurious to aged persons ; but bathing 

 in water at or near the temperature of the body can- 

 not be more productive of harm than putting on a clean 

 suit of clothes. Cleanliness is enforced by one of the 



