HEALTH COLUMN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2202, 14 May 1896, Page 47

HEALTH COLUMN.

What to Avoid in Cold Water Sponging;.

A man who risea from bed at a temperature of 95deg, and plunge?, without* any interval of coolit'g, into a bath but Little over the freezing point must be very unwiss indeed. Very few men try this experiment ; they go through passages into a cold bath- j room, or stand about in a bedroom, before taking the plunge. Even those Spartans who bathe daily in water, even when icecovered, are exposed while undressing to a temperature lower than that of tha water itself. But the cold morning plunge ia not to be taken by a wise man. Nor will a wise man stand ia a cold room and conscientiously wash tbs surface of his body with soap and water, exposing his skin to air 40deg or 50d«sg cooler than itself, for several minutes. — Healtfa. Cold Air For Consumptives.— There are now six sanitariums in Germany at which consnmptives are treated by constant exposure to air at a low temperature. Currents of cold air ara allowed to pass through tha bedroom at night-., and during the day as much of the time is spent in tha open air aa pofrsiole. The pura cold air quiets cough, lessens temperature, arrests night sweats, improves appetite, and modifies or arrests the course of the disease. Bea-bathing at Home.— A new kind of bath-tnb has been invented in 'Germany. Tbe maker describes its delightful qualities in a long and interesting advertisement: Its most, remarkable quality is that it gives you the delights of surf bathing in your own room with a very moderate allowance of water. Tbe wave-bath is of zinc, and rests on a curved bottom. The least disturbance of its equilibrium wUI therefore cause it to rock freely. One end curves upward, so that it comes over the bather's bead, and at the other end, where his feet are, the water is covered over to a certain extent. This makes it impossible for the water to be discharged on the floor by the rocking. The bather gets into this contrivance. Then he rocks himself and churns the water into as angry a surf as he feels inclined to. The idea is really a very attractive one. When you are in a nervous, restless mood you step into your wave- bath, requiring not more than two pitchers of water, and call up a little storm in accord with your mental and physical condition. On the other hand, if your mood is placid and dreary, you may simulate in your wave-bath the gentle rippling of the tideleES Mediterranean on a fine day. It is pointed out tbat the wavebath combines the benefits of physical exercise with those of oleanlinesy. The exercise obtained is said to be nearly as good as horseback riding.