In the matter of bathing, however, we must again re- 

 member that the body should be stimulated . . . . 

 by cold water, but not chilled too severely. _, 

 A cold bath should be followed by a re- 

 action ; that is, the surface blood vessels should enlarge again, 

 so that the skin becomes warm and glowing. Brisk rubbing 

 with a rough towel helps to secure this reaction. If no re- 

 action follows, or if one feels tired after bathing, the bath was 

 too cold or too prolonged, or the body is not strong enough 

 to endure the shock. In such cases cold baths may do 

 serious harm. 



No bath of any kind should be taken within an hour after 

 eating. The blood is needed in the intestines for the process 

 of digestion, and it is harmful to disturb the circulation, as 

 any bath must do at such a time. 



The cleanliness of underclothing is of specially vital im- 

 portance to the soldier. The suppuration _ , 

 of wounds is frequently due to germs _, 

 coming from dirty clothing, and the terrible 

 disease " trench-foot," w T hich has afflicted the French troops 

 in the present war, has been shown to be due to neglect in 

 this regard. Molds from damp and dirty socks get into cuts 

 and cracks in the foot, stop up blood and lymph vessels, 

 and gangrene follows in the tissues thus deprived of the 

 protective action of the body fluids. 



Shoes of proper shape and material are also primary mili- 

 tary essentials. Colonel Keefer says, "No _. „ . . 

 one article of the soldier's clothing plays so _. 

 large a part in his efficiency as the shoe.'' 



As the result of an exhaustive study made by a special 

 army board created to study this subject, the problem of 

 army shoes has been satisfactorily solved. The civilian, 

 however, still often suffers from improper footgear. The 

 deformity known as flat foot, often accompanied by pains 

 reaching far up the back, may be caused by the resulting 

 strains. A hygienic shoe should be everywhere as wide 



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