450 THE HUMAN BODY. 



ble, and depressed all day. Then bathing is injurious instead 

 of beneficial; it lowers instead of stimulating the activities 

 of the Body. How long a stay in the cold water may be 

 made with benefit depends greatly on the individual: a vigor- 

 ous man can bear and set up a healthy reaction after much 

 longer immersion than a feeble one; moreover, being used to 

 cold bathing renders a longer stay safe, and, of course, the 

 temperature of the water has a great influence: water called 

 " cold " may vary within very wide limits of temperature, as 

 indicated by the thermometer; and the colder it is the shorter 

 is the time which it is wise to remain in it. Persons who in 

 the comparatively warm water of Narragansett during the 

 summer months stay with benefit and pleasure in the sea, 

 have to content themselves with a single plunge on parts of 

 the coast where the water is colder. The nature of the water 

 has some influence; the salts contained in sea-water stimu- 

 late the skin-nerves and promote the afterglow. Many per- 

 sons who cannot stand a simple cold fresh-water bath take 

 one with benefit when some salines are previously dissolved 

 in the water. The best for this purpose are probably those 

 sold in the shops under the name of " sea-salts." 



It is perfectly safe to bathe when warm, provided the skin 

 is not perspiring profusely, the notion commonly prevalent to 

 the contrary notwithstanding. On the other hand, no one 

 should enter a cold bath when feeling chilly, or in a depressed 

 vital condition. It is not wise to take a bath immediately 

 after a meal, since the afterglow tends to draw away too 

 much blood from the digestive organs, which are then ac- 

 tively at work. The best time for a long bath is about three 

 hours after breakfast; but for an ordinary daily dip, lasting 

 but a short time, there is no better period than on rising and 

 while still warm from bed. 



The shower-bath abstracts less heat from the skin than an 

 ordinary cold bath and, at the same time, gives it a greater 

 stimulus: hence it has certain advantages. 



Persons in feeble health may diminish the shock to the 

 system by raising the temperature of the water they bathe in 

 up to any point at which it still feels cool to the skin. Bath- 

 ing in water which feels hot is not advisable : it tends gen- 

 erally to diminish the vital activity of the Body. Hence warm 

 baths should only be taken occasionally and for special pur- 

 poses, other than mere luxury. 



