COVERING OF THE HOUSE. 141 



is very certain, which is, that what we call 

 sweat, when it becomes abundant, is constantly 

 escaping through the skin and its cuticle, in 

 the form of a thick mist or fog, as we may see 

 by holding a bright mirror close to it, which 

 will immediately become tarnished. Or if we 

 sit where the sun shines across us upon a wall, 

 we can see the shadow of the mist which as- 

 cends from us, rising like a sheet of thin smoke 

 upon the wall. 



CLEANLINESS. It is of less consequence 

 to people to know how this moisture escapes, 

 than to know the fact itself, and to know also 

 that if this constant perspiration for that is 

 its name is checked for any considerable time, 

 mischief in the form of colds, fevers, rheuma- 

 tisms and consumptions may ensue. Great 

 mischief may also follow, if the perspiration is 

 checked by neglect of cleanliness. 



There are also other offices performed by 

 the skin that are curious, but I will mention no 

 more of them now. The more you understand 

 the structure of this part of the frame, the 

 more you will see how important it is that it 



