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The Toilet and Bath: English

A humorist has said that mankind may be divided into two classesthose who take a full bath every day, and those who do not. Many folks would think this writer a snob, but the daily bath is common in households which enjoy all the modern conveniences. The daily "tub" of the English gentlemen is proverbial, and laughable stories are told of the efforts made by Englishmen to keep up this practice under difficulties. A great many English officers took folding bath tubs with them on baggage trains during the recent war in South Africa, and tried to enjoy their daily morning tub even under fire. This is extreme. But most families ought to approach nearer to this ideal than they ordinarily do.

The weekly bath, however, is customary in homes where there is no bathroom, but this custom might be even more generally observed. The habit of bathing grows, in most cases, out of regard for appearances rather than regard for health. The grimly facetious remark of a certain widower, who had been bereaved a number of times, that he was going to take a bath, because he always made it a point of doing so before being married, whether he needed it or not, hints at a habit of mind which is quite common.

Cleanliness is said to be next to godliness, and it is certain that the habit of church attendance is in many households a strong incentive to the custom of weekly bathing.

The same remark applies to social gatherings, and such events as weddings, christenings, and funerals. The bath is the foundation of the toilet. Most persons naturally take a bath preparatory to putting on their Sunday clothes or other holiday attire. If this were not the case we fear that consideration of the health, based on modern hygienic science, would not of itself be sufficient inducement to bathe. But when a person is half persuaded by custom to take a weekly bath, any knowledge he may have of its advantages to health will help him to decide in its favor.

In "Trilby" the Jew Svengali laughed immoderately at the two English gentlemen for bathing daily, when they "were not dirty." He overlooked the point that the proper function of the bath is not to make us clean, but to keep us so.

The human skin contains millions of pores. The business of these pores is to bring to the surface the waste materials of the body, which otherwise pass off principally through the kidneys. If the pores become clogged by the accumulation of effete matter they are unable to fulfill their proper functions, and the kidneys are obliged to do extra work, which may bring on chronic diseases of those organs.

Colds are caused by lack of proper contraction of the pores of the skin when the body is exposed from draughts or otherwise. As a result the blood is cooled too rapidly and has a tendency to chill and congest the internal organs, as the mucous surfaces of the head and nose, and also of the alimentary canal, the kidneys, etc. The resulting symptoms show in acute form the bad effects of neglect of bathing. In fact, frequent bathing is almost a sure preventive of colds. If the pores are THE TOILET AND BATH kept clean they are active, and resist the chills which tend to produce cold.

If they are not kept clean they are sluggish and inactive, and in no condition to offer normal resistance to sudden changes in temperature.

Certain portions of the body, as the armpits, the feet, and the groin, have many more pores to the square inch than the rest; hence these perspire more freely and should be cleansed often. The feet especially should be very frequently washed. There is no better practice from the health standpoint than a daily footbath. The Bathroom. - Bathrooms are no longer a novelty in small towns and farmhouses. But it must be understood that to enjoy these in winter, "No Longer a Novelty." requires almost of necessity a range or furnace. Pipes in kitchens may be kept warm by stoves, and bathrooms adjoining the kitchen may be warmed by leaving the door open between or the bathroom may be over the kitchen, and a drum or smokepipe from the kitchen stove arranged so as to heat the pipes in the bathroom.

But it is usually better not to have running water in the bathroom in winter until a furnace is put in. It pays, however, to partition off a bathroom near the kitchen and put in a bath tub, if there is running water or a hand pump in the bathroom, with drainpipes to carry away waste-even if it is necessary to carry cold water to the tub from the kitchen sink and hot water from the stove in pails. A good bath tub is not a luxury, but a necessity to comfort, cleanliness, and health. If the bathroom is near the kitchen, the tub can be filled by bringing hot and cold water in pails; and if the tub is elevated slightly, the water can be drawn off in pails and carried to the drain after the bath; or, if a tub is used which does not have a faucet for drainage, the waste water can be easily removed by using a small piece of rubber tube as a siphon, or by a dipper and large bath sponge. Every household should be provided with a full-size tub, even if it is only of tin.

Portable rubber tubs which can be folded and put away when not in use are also obtainable. But a cast-iron tub is preferable and not too expensive.

The entire cost of plumbing for a bathroom, including supply pipe, hotwater pipe, and all necessary fixtures, provided you have a water supply in the house, will not exceed $150. This sum can be reduced by doing some of the work yourself.

Even if there is no furnace, the bathroom can be used from early spring to late fall, and especially through the summer season, when it is above all essential to health and comfort. Every family should make the necessary sacrifices to put in and enjoy this great convenience.

To Paint an Iron Bath Tub. - Mix the paint to a proper consistency with best coachmaker's japan varnish. For white-lead paint, use half turpentine and half coachmaker's japan. It will not darken much. Venetian red is best for a first coat for any color but white.

Bathroom Conveniences. - Convenience has a great deal to do with the formation of habits; and parents, especially mothers, who desire to cultivate habits of personal cleanliness in the household, will find that A bathroom furnished with the necessary conveniences will largely solve this problem.

A closet should be constructed in one corner of the bathroom and stocked with the accessories of the bath and toilet.

A wire basket can be purchased for a few cents, or made by any ingenious member of the family, to hang on the edge of the bath tub and hold sponge, soap, etc. This will be found to be a great convenience.

A hamper or laundry bag makes a convenient receptacle for soiled body and household linen; or separate bags might be arranged-one for each kind.

A set time for each member of the family to take the weekly bath will also tend to promote the convenience of the household. Saturday night and Sunday morning are probably the best times for most persons. The weekly bath thus becomes a preparation for the Sunday morning toilet, which is ordinarily the most careful and elaborate of the week. 66 over The following suggestions and recipes have been grouped about the idea of a thorough weekly personal "cleaning up " and toilet for Sunday." The reader will, of course, understand that these remarks and recipes apply equally well to the daily morning baths and those for special occasions; and in many cases specific recommendations for these occasions have been made.