THE DANGER OF WEARING TOO MANY CLOTHES.

Northern Advocate, 14 February 1912, Page 3

THE DANGER OF WEARING TOO MANY CLOTHES.

Successive generations of mothers have believed that, on a certain fixed date, or at the first sign of cold weather, you must change from light to heavy underwear. Medical scientists have at last \entured to assert that the plan is not such a very wise one after all, especially for business peopel working indoors, running to catch trains, or performing duties that require bodily exertion. "In v motorcar," says the "Lancet," "a water circulation is provided, by which the heat is removed from the engine to the radiator, where it passes off. If the dissipation of heat i s interfered with fever or heat-stroke is, produced in man, an over-heated engine in the car, and in both serious injury may result. During severe exertion the

rise in temperature is considerable." According to Zimtz, the German physiologist, all clothing interferes with the dissipation of heat because it interferes with the evaporation of perspiration and virh radiation. Even a slight difference in clothing is important, and often dangerous. Dr M. S, Pembrey, of th 3 British Army Medical Corps, points out that the human body during exertion generates heat which is carried by thr blood-stream to the surface, where it passes off by evaporation and radiation, provided the body is not too heavily clothed. In cases where heayily-clothed persons have taken violent exercise serious injury and even fatalities have resulted. The obvious losson to be learned from tliis is that indoor workers should not bundle themselves up in heavy underclothing simply because it i s winter outside. For outdoor wear they should provide heavy coats, shoes, and gloves, but for indoor they should dress almost as light as they would in summer.