Cold Bathing.

Otago Witness, Volume 14, Issue 2648, 14 December 1904, Page 68

Cold Bathing.

The application of cold to the surface of the body by means of the bath^is a powerful agent, the value of which in the treatment of disease as well as in the preservation of health is being increasingly realised. The action of a cold bath (from 50 to 60 degrees) is stimulating and tonic. It acts powerfully upon the nervous system, making the nerves more prompt in their responso to the needs of the organism, and freshens the mental faculties to a wonderful degree. It banishes the d\ill and listless feeling which one who is not in the robust health of youth is so apt to experience cm first getting out of bed. It exercises and strengthens also the muscular walls of the arteries, upon the normal action of which the proper distribution of the blood through the body in great measure depends. The first contact of the cold water with the body causes a sharp contraction of tho blood vessels of the skin, as shown 'by the pallor of the surface; but as soon as one lea.yes the bath the arteries dilate, the skin becomes pink, and a warm glow is felt that amply compensates one for the disagreeable shook of the first plunge. This flushing of the surface, which brings with it warmth and a sensation of vigour and well-being, is the test which shows that the bath is doing good. If this reaction does not occur, and one feels cold and depressed, and the skin remains of a bluish hue, it is a sign that tho bath is harmful, and then one must bo content with a cool sponging, followed by a brisk rub with a coarse towel. After starting in this"way, and after consultation with a physician, it will generally be possible to proceed cautiously to the shower or tub bath. Elderly people and those who react badly can often take a ccol sponge bath while standing in warm water half-way to the knees. The devotee of cold bathing seldom suffers from cold in the head, provided, of course, he does not violate irhe ordinary laws of hygiene as regards eating, sleeping, and ventilation ; and if he does take cold, he is in condition to throw it off before it invades the bronchial tubes or lungs. Sufferers from" poor circulation, which shows itself by cold feet and icy fingers, are benefited by the morning cold bath, and this in tho case of one who habitually has cold feet may be profitably supplemented by a cold foot bath at bedtime, followed then, as always, by the brisk rubbing with a coarse towel.

Night Air.— One of the bugbears of oldtime people is night air, and there is little exaggeration in saying that the superstition against night air has killed more people than tho free circulation of it has ever injured. There is abundance of proof that night air is injurious to no one. On the contrary, people who sleep outdoors under the mere protection of a tent are the healthiest of all people, and the practice has largely gained in popularity of late years under wider knowledge of hygiene for people in delicate health to 'go in camping parties and breathe the balsam of the night air. The vigour gained' from a few weeks of such an outing is a marked proof that the old prejudice against night air is as foolish as most other old wives' whims.— Exchange.

Too Much Tonic. — Health of body is directly dependent on obedience to natural laws, and is not to be kept by any medicinal means when those laws are broken. The system may, however, be so run down that it is unable to use pure air, exercise, and good food as a healthy system can use them. It then needs something which will enable it to derive from these things the benefits they can yield. The "something" is a tonic; but it should be given only until the natural means — air, food, and exercise — are producing good results. Perhaps a familiar illustration will make things clearer. A man works the handle of a pump disused for many weeks during hot, dry weather. No water comes. He then pours water doxn the pump. This causes the sucker to swell and act. He does not need to pour more water. Unfortunately, all tonics confer almost immediately an increased sense >of well-being. And, if a person has fallen into ill-health by a bafilyregulated^life, he will feel so happy under the tonic that he will be inclined to pursue the old course; hence his health will be undergoing slow destruction whiio he believes it to bo gaining in strength. Tften a time comes when the, tomo faik, and the exhausted system collapses.

Advice to Mothers.— Are you broken in your rest hy a sick child su ßering -with the pain of cutting teeth? Go at once to a chemist and get a bottle of Mrs Winslow's Soothing Syrup. It will relieve the pooi sufferer immediately. It is perfectly harmless and pleasant to taste, it produces natural, quiet sleep, by relieving the child from pain, and the little cherub awakes " as bright as a button." It soothes the child, it softens the gums, allays all pain, relieves wind, regulates the bowels, and is the best-knoTm remedy for dysentery and diarrhoea, whether arising from teething or other causes. Mrs Winslow'e Soothing Syrup aa gold by M«dicme ji»Vwg evexywlieta.