238 PHYSIOLOGY AND HEALTH. 



water. As soon as they could see daylight, during the 

 colder months of their bathing, they ran down this slope to 

 the water's side, undressed, and plunged in immediately; 

 and, after remaining a few minutes, they came out of the 

 water, dried, rubbed, and dressed themselves, and then ran 

 back to their home, as they said, " in a delightful glow." 



576. The same principle directs us to warm ourselves 

 well before going abroad in winter. There is no ground 

 for fear of taking cold by going from a warm room to the 

 cold air, if the body is properly clothed, or if the exercise 

 abroad is sufficiently vigorous. The practice of some to 

 cool the body partially before going out in the winter, so 

 that the changes shall be neither great nor sudden, is alto- 

 gether needless and unphilosophical. Let one sit for a time 

 in a cool room, and reduce his temperature as low as he 

 can bear it, without much discomfort, and then go abroad 

 into the colder air, and he will begin to suffer much quicker, 

 and be much more liable to take cold, than another who has 

 been sitting in a well-warmed room, and goes out into the 

 cool air, with a comfortable heat in his body. 



CHAPTER XVI. 



Nervous Sensibility increased by Bathing. Sense of Touch made 

 more acute. Nervous System affected through the Skin. We 

 must aid the Skin in the Performance of its Functions. 



577. Another effect of bathing is to heighten the ner- 

 vous sensibility. The whole human surface, amounting to 

 fifteen square feet, being bespread with the terminations of 

 the innumerable nerves, exposes a wider extent of the ner- 

 vous system to the influence of external substances than any 

 other organ ; and through this the body receives stronger 

 and severer impressions than through any other avenue. An 

 injury to the eye, the nose, or the ear, is generally limited 

 in its consequences to the injured organ : this may be de- 



