THE SKIN 



23 



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the skin also can be trained and its powers developed, or it can be 

 allowed to become weak and powerless. Soundness of the skin is as es- 

 sential to health as soundness of any other organ. A rosy color indicates 

 good health because of a well-balanced circulation. Paleness often 

 means internal congestion and great liability to indigestion, colds, etc. 

 Hence we think a rosy skin beautiful and a pale skin ugly. With the 

 skin in a healthy condition, the danger of taking most diseases is 

 removed. 



Characteristics of a Vigorous Skin. — A person who readily takes 

 cold, who is fearful of drafts of air at all times, has a weak skin. To 

 one who has a healthy skin drafts are dangerous only when the skin 

 is moist with perspira- 

 tion, and the bodv is *? 

 inactive ; cold drafts 

 may then do harm. 

 Cold air and cold water 

 are the best means of 

 toughening a tender 

 skin. A batJi is to the 

 skin what gymnastic 

 exercises are to the 

 muscles. The muscle 

 fibers in the walls of 

 the blood vessels and 

 the nerves controlling e#i= ^^ 

 them need exercise as 

 well as the rest of the 

 body (Fig. 25). 



Importance of 

 Bathing. — If we 

 followed the out- 

 door life and wore 

 the scanty clothing of savage races, the rains, the cool air, 

 and the sunlight would keep our skins vigorous and 

 sound. But want of exercise to induce perspiration allows 

 the sweat glands to become stopped up. The wearing 

 of clothes is a very uncleanly custom. Clothes make the 

 skin inactive, yet confine the impurities which the 

 weakened skin may still be able to excrete. Thick and 



Fig. 25. — Blood Vessels, with the Vaso-motor 

 Nerves which accompany and control them. 



