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CLOTHING

" 0 fair\ Undress, bcst dress! It cbccks no vein,

But nery jlowing limb in pleasure drowm,

And beigbtens increase witb grace." . . JAMES THOMPSON.

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IT is uselcss striving for supcf-strcngth bcforc you havc pcrfcct Health, and the clothing you wear is often responsible to a large degree for -your resistance or otherwisc to many* of the commonćr ailments, such as influenza, bronchitis, ctc. Our bodics arc fortified against sudden changcs of temperaturę by regular brcathing cxcrciscs and correct diet and clothing. This is of particular importnnee m the British cliinate. Tltc foundadons of bad hcalth arc bid in many a child by fond but misguided parents, who muffle their children with thick woollcn undcrclothing, jumpers, scarvcs, ctc., in an effort to make them immunc to the cold. The wool next to the skin fallacy, is a fallacy, for the wcaring of wool ncxt to the skin causcs dilata-tion of the capillary blood vessels in the skin by local overheating and as soon as the body bccomcs cxposcd to cold draughts, chilling rapidly sets in. Exccss perspirarion is also induced by wcaring too much clothing. Undcrclothing should bc of coiton or silk, or a silić and cotton mixture, and preferably of a loosc ccllubr weave. AU exccssive clothing w hen worn, itself bccomcs the power of resistance, and your own consdtution is lowcred in conscqucnce, by very virtuc of the fact that it is givcn no chancc to fortify itself. By adhcrcncc to the rules of hcalth and hygicne outlined in thts Course you will be fully able to withsund any onsbught of cold and damp and your circulation and other processes will be invigorated and tuncd to a State of superfitness.

At no age is it necessary to wcar any head-gear in the Brirish climate and the dread of many of us of exposing the head and hair to the sun, wind and rain, is really quite groundless. A shower of rain is far morę bcncficial to the hair than any expensivc shampoo or bair-dressing, and quite the bcst thing for the ćomplcxion. If you doubt this you havc only to try washing in rain water for a fcw days tO bc convinccd that it is the truth.

Tight head-gear is often the causc of premature baldncss and certainly of many hcadachcs. The rim of a lut which is too tight presses on the head and occludes the flow of blood to the scalp, so prcvcnting the hair roots from bcing propcrly nourished. Pcrspiration is also pre-vented from cvaporating and instead clogs the pores and poisons the hair roots. Other tight clothing such as tight fitting Suspenders, ficlts and garters arc almost inyambly responsible for poor circulation, yaricosc vcins, indigestion and other discomforts, and on that account should bc dispensed with. It is better to wcar braccs co support trousers than to rcly on a belt, as the małe anatomy is such that clothing cannot be supported by hanging from the hips and the strong latcral pressure around the waist that bccomcs necessary is harmful and cncouragcs one to adopt an unnatural and unhcalthy posturę,, i.c., the śhouldcrs arc drooped and abdomen wali rclaxed and distended outwards. i • ■ * •

It was Montagnc who said, *'// is tbt foulr.ess of tbt Pea(ock's Pttt u-bieb dalb abate bis pride, and s/oop bis floating-tytd taił.”

Many a good physique is marred by a clumsy, awkward walk and very often this is due to ill-fitting shoes. The correct babnee and poisc ot tlić body depends on the cflicicnt co-ordinatcd working of the many musclcs ?nd tendons.of the fcct and thcsc cannot function propcrly when forced mto tight fitting shoęs. . Widc fitting shoes of soft leather and adequate length should always bc worn and evcry. opportunity that presents itself of going harc footed should bc taken. To improvc the tonus of the smali musclcs of the fcct which help to maintain the arches, you should rcgularly perform strctching and, grasping movcmcnts with the tocs. Barę the feet and practicc picking up objeets (such as ,a tennis bali) from the floor with the tocs. Invcrt, cvcrt, plantar-flcx, dorsi-flcx and circumduct the foot at the ankle joint umil the calf musclcs achc. If you do this you will help in dcvcloping the leg musclcs and also obviate the risk of having a wcll-dcveloped physiquc marred by fiat or ugly fcet and an ungainly walk.