62 THE INTEGUMENT, OR SKIN 



20. The Importance of Bathing. From these considerations, 

 it is evident that health must greatly depend upon keeping the 

 skin clean. "He who keeps the skin ruddy and soft, shuts 

 many gates against disease." For as the watery portion of the 

 perspiration evaporates, the solid matter is left behind. There, 

 also, remain the scales of the worn-out cuticle, and the excess 

 of sebaceous matter. In order to secure the natural action of 

 the skin, these impurities require to be removed by the fre- 

 quent application of water. (Read Note 4.) 



21. In warm climates, and during hot weather, bathing is 

 especially necessary. For a person in good health, a daily 

 cold bath is advisable. To this should be added occasionally 

 a warm bath, with soap, water alone not being sufficient to 

 remove impurities of a greasy nature. Soap facilitates this, 

 by forming with such substances a chemical mixture, which is 

 taken up by water, and by it removed from the body. (Head 

 Note 5.) 



that they habitually close their pores by covering their bodies with bears' 

 grease, as a protection against the cold, and with earthy paints as a means 

 of decoration. 



4. Bathing. " When the civilization of Egypt, Greece, and Rome 

 faded, the world passed through dark ages of mental and physical bar- 

 barism. For a thousand years there was not a man or woman in Europe 

 that ever took a bath, if the historian of those times, Michelet, is to be 

 believed. No wonder that there came the wondrous epidemics of the 

 middle ages, which cut off one-fourth of the population of Europe the 

 spotted plague, the black death, sweating sickness, and the terrible mental 

 epidemics which followed in their train the dancing mania, the mewing 

 mania, and the biting mania. Not only their persons, but their houses 

 were uncleanly, even in the classes that were well-to-do. Filth, instead 

 of being abhorred, was almost sanctified." Lyon Playfair. 



5. An Imaginary Conversation on Baths and Bathing. "I have 

 often amused myself, by fancying one question which an old Roman 

 emperor would ask, were he to rise from his grave and visit the sights of 

 London under the guidance of some minister of state. The august shade 

 would, doubtless, admire our railroads and bridges, our cathedrals and 

 our public parks, and much more of which we need not be ashamed. 

 But after a while, I think, he would look round, whether in London, or 

 in most of our great cities, inquiringly and in vain, for one class of build- 



20. Give the quotation. Perspiration ? 



21. Ablution in warm climates ? What advice is given ? 



