CLOTHING, the clothes or dress, that is, the artificial coverings collectively, which people wear. Nothing is more necessary to comfort than that the body should be kept in nearly a uniform tem perature, thus preventing the disturb ance of the important excretory func tions of the skin by the influence of heat or cold. Hence in a changeable climate the question of Clothing becomes of spe cial importance. The chief end pro posed by Clothing ought to be protection from the cold. A degree of cold amount ing to shivering cannot be felt without injury to the health, and the strongest constitution cannot resist the benumbing influence of a sensation of cold constant ly present, even though it be so moderate as not to occasion immediate complaint, or to induce the sufferer to seek protec tion from it. This degree of cold often lays the foundation of the whole host of chronic diseases, foremost among which are found scrofula and consumption.
The only kind of dress that can afford the protection required by the changes of temperature to which the cooler or tem perate climates are liable is woolen. Those who would receive the advantage which the wearing of woolen is capable of affording must wear it next the skin; for it is in this situation only that its health-preserving power can be felt. The
great advantages of woolen cloth are briefly these:—the readiness with which it allows the escape of sweat through its texture; its power of preserving the sen sation of warmth to the skin under all circumstances; the slowness with which it conducts heat; the softness, lightness, and pliancy of its texture. Cotton cloth, though it differs but little from linen, approaches nearer to the nature of wool en, and on that account must be esteemed as the next best substance of which Clothing may be made. Silk is the next in point of excellence, but it is very in ferior to cotton in every respect. Linen possesses the contrary of most of the properties enumerated as excellencies in woolen. It retains the matter of per spiration in its texture, and speedily be comes imbued with it; it gives an un pleasant sensation of cold to the skin; it is very readily saturated with moisture, and it conducts heat too rapidly.
Clothes should be so made as to allow the body the full exercise of all its mo tions. The neglect of this precaution is productive of more mischief than is gen erally believed.