XI.
CLEANLINESS.
BOTH the health and comfort of a family depend, to a great extent,
on cleanliness of the person and the family surroundings. True
cleanliness of person involves the scientific treatment of the skin.
This is the most complicated organ of the body, and one through which
the health is affected more than through any other; and no persons can
or will be so likely to take proper care of it as those by whom its
construction and functions are understood.
[Illustration: A magnified illustration of the layers of the skin.
The numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 serve as labels for the respective layers.
A small 7 and 8 are also embedded in the illustration in layer 2.]
Fig. 57 is a very highly magnified portion of the skin. The layer
marked 1 is the outside, very thin skin, called the
outicle or
scarf skin. This consists of
transparent layers of minute cells, which are constantly decaying and
being renewed, and the white scurf that passes from the skin to the
clothing is a decayed portion of these cells. This part of the skin has
neither nerves nor blood-vessels.
The dark layer, marked 2, 7, 8, is that portion of the true skin
which gives the external color marking diverse races. In the portion of
the dark layer marked 3, 4, is seen a network of nerves which run from
two branches of the nervous
trunks coming from the spinal marrow. These are nerves of sensation, by
which the sense of touch or feeling is performed. Fig. 58 represents the
blood-vessels, (intermingled with the nerves of the skin,) which divide
into minute capillaries, that act like the capillaries of the lungs,
taking oxygen from the air, and giving out carbonic acid. At
a and
b are seen the roots of two
hairs, which abound in certain parts of the skin, and are nourished by
the blood of the capillaries.
[Illustration: An illustration of the network of blood vessels in
the skin. Two hair follicles also appear in the picture, and are labeled
a and b.]
At Fig. 59 is a magnified view of another set of vessels, called the
lymphatics or
absorbents. These are extremely
minute vessels that interlace with the nerves and blood-vessels of the
skin. Their office is to aid in collecting the useless, injurious, or
decayed matter, and carry it to certain reservoirs, from whcih it passes
into some of the large veins, to be thrown out through the lungs,
bowels, kidneys, or skin. These
absorbent or lymphatic vessels
have mouths opening on the surface of the true skin, and, though covered
by the cuticle, they can absorb both liquids and solids that are placed
in close contact with the skin. In proof of this, one of the main trunks
of the lymphatics in the hand can be cut off from all communication with
other portions, and tied up: and if the hand is immersed in milk a given
time, it will be found that the milk has been absorbed through the
cuticle and fills the lymphatics. In this way, long-continued
blisters on the skin will introduce the blistering matter into the blood
through the absorbents, and then the kidneys will take it up from the
blood passing through them to carry it out of the body, and thus become
irritated and inflamed by it.
There are also oil-tubes, imbedded in the skin, that draw off oil
from the blood. This issues on the surface and spreads over the cuticle
to keep it soft and moist.
But the most curious part of the skin is the system of innumerable
minute perspiration-tubes. Fig. 60 is a drawing of one very greatly
magnified. These tubes open on the cuticle, and the openings are called
pores of the skin. They descend into the true skin, and there form a
coil, as is seen in the drawing. These tubes are hollow, like a
pipe-stem, and their inner surface consists of wonderfully minute
capillaries filled with the impure venous blood. And in these small
tubes the same process is going on as takes place when the carbonic acid
and water of the blood are exhaled from the lungs. The capillaries of
these tubes through the whole skin of the body are thus constantly
exhaling the noxious and decayed particles of the body, just as the
lungs pour them out through the mouth and nose.
It has been shown that the perspiration-tubes are coiled up into a
ball at their base. The number and extent of these tubes are
astonishing. In a square inch on the palm of the hand have been counted,
through a microscope, thirty-five hundred of these tubes. Each one of
them is about a quarter of an inch in length, including its coils. This
makes the united lengths of these little tubes to be seventy-three
three feet to a square inch. Their united length over the whole body is
thus calculated to be equal to
twenty-eight miles. What a wonderful apparatus this! And what
mischiefs must ensue when the drainage from the body of such an extent
as this becomes obstructed!
But the inside of the body also has a skin, as have all its organs.
The interior of the head, the throat, the gullet, the lungs, the
stomach, and all the intestines, are lined with a skin. This is called
the mucous membrane, because it
is constantly secreting from the blood a slimy substance called
mucus. When it accumulates in
the lungs, it is called phlegm.
This inner skin also has nerves, blood-vessels, and lymphatics. The
outer skin joins to the inner at the mouth, the nose, and other openings
of the body, and there is a constant sympathy between the two skins, and
thus between the inner organs and the surface of the body.
SECRETING ORGANS.
Those vessels of the body which draw off certain portions of the
blood and change it into a new form, to be employed for service or to be
thrown out of the body, are called
secreting organs. The skin in this sense is a secreting organ, as
its perspiration-tubes secrete or separate the bad portions of the
blood, and send them off.
Of the internal secreting organs, the
liver is the largest. Its chief
office is to secrete from the blood all matter not properly supplied
with oxygen. For this purpose, a set of veins carries the blood of all
the lower intestines to the liver, where the imperfectly oxidized matter
is drawn off in the form of bile,
and accumulated in a reservoir called the
gall-bladder. Thence it passes
to the place where the smaller intestines receive the food from the
stomach, and there it mixes with this food. Then it passes through the
long intestines, and is thrown out of the body through the rectum. This
shows how it is, that want of pure and cool
air and exercise causes excess of bile, from lack of oxygen. The liver
also has arterial blood sent to nourish it, and corresponding veins to
return this blood to the heart. So there are two sets of blood-vessels
for the liver--one to secrete the bile, and the other to nourish the
organ itself.
The kidneys secrete from the arteries that pass through them all
excess of water in the blood, and certain injurious substances. These
are carried through small tubes to the bladder, and thence thrown out of
the body.
The pancreas, a whitish
gland, situated in the abdomen below the stomach, secretes from the
arteries that pass through it the pancreatic juice, which unites with
the bile from the liver, in preparing the food for nourishing the body.
There are certain little glands near the eyes that secrete the
tears, and others near the mouth that secrete the saliva, or spittle.
These organs all have arteries sent to them to nourish them, and
also veins to carry away the impure blood. At the same time, they
secrete from the arterial blood the peculiar fluid which it is their
office to supply.
All the food that passes through the lower intestines which is not
drawn off by the lacteals or by some of these secreting organs, passes
from the body through a passage called the rectum.
Learned men have made very curious experiments to ascertain how much
the several organs throw out of the body, It is found that the skin
throws off five out of eight pounds of the food and drink, or probably
about three or four pounds a day. The lungs throw off one quarter as
much as the skin, or about a pound a day. The remainder is carried off
by the kidneys and lower intestines.
There is such a sympathy and connection between all the organs of
the body, that when one of them is unable to work, the others perform
the office of the feeble one. Thus, if the skin has its
perspiration-tubes closed up by a
chill, then all the poisonous matter that would have been thrown out
through them must be emptied out either by the lungs, kidneys, or
bowels.
When all these organs are strong and healthy, they can bear this
increased labor without injury. But if the lungs are weak, the blood
sent from the skin by the chill engorges the weak blood-vessels, and
produces an inflammation of the lungs. Or it increases the discharge of
a slimy mucous substance, that exudes from the skin of the lungs. This
fills up the air-vessels, and would very soon end life, were it not for
the spasms of the lungs, called
coughing, which throw off this substance.
If, on the other hand, the bowels are weak, a chill of the skin
sends the blood into all the blood-vessels of the intestines, and
produces inflammation there, or else an excessive secretion of the
mucous substance, which is called a
diarrhea. Or if the kidneys are weak, there is an increased
secretion and discharge from them, to an unhealthy and injurious extent.
This connection between the skin and internal organs is shown, not
only by the internal effects of a chill on the skin; but by the
sympathetic effect on the skin when these internal organs suffer. For
example, there are some kinds of food that will irritate and influence
the stomach or the bowels; and this, by sympathy, will produce an
immediate eruption on the skin. Some persons, on eating strawberries,
will immediately be affected with a nettle-rash. Others can not eat
certain shell-fish without being affected in this way. Many humors on
the face are caused by a diseased state of the internal organs with
which the skin sympathizes.
This short account of the construction of the skin, and of its
intimate connection with the internal organs, shows the philosophy of
those modes of medical treatment that are addressed to this portion of
the body.
It is on this powerful agency that the steam-doctors rely, when, by
moisture and heat, they stimulate all the innumerable
perspiration-tubes and lymphatics to force out from the body a flood of
unnaturally excited secretions; while it is "kill or cure," just as the
chance may meet or oppose the demands of the case. It is the skin also
that is the chief basis of medical treatment in the Water Cure, whose
slow processes are as much safer as they are slower.
At the same time it is the ill-treatment or neglect of the skin
which, probably, is the cause of disease and decay to an incredible
extent. The various particulars in which this may be seen will now be
pointed out. In the management and care of this wonderful and complex
part of the body, many mistakes have been made.
The most common one is the misuse of the bath, especially since cold
water cures have come into use. This mode of medical treatment
originated with an ignorant peasant, amid a population where outdoor
labor had strengthened nerves and muscles and imparted rugged powers to
every part of the body. It was then introduced into England and America
without due consideration or knowledge of the diseases, habits, or real
condition of patients, especially of women. The consequence was a mode
of treatment too severe and exhausting; and many practices were spread
abroad not warranted by true medical science.
But in spite of these mistakes and abuses, the treatment of the skin
for disease by the use of cold water has become an accepted doctrine of
the most learned medical practitioners. It is now held by all such that
fevers can be detected in their distinctive features by the thermometer,
and that all fevers can be reduced by cold baths and packing in the wet
sheet, in the mode employed in all water-cures. Directions for using
this method will be given in another place.
It has been supposed that large bath-tubs for immersing the whole
person are indispensable to the proper cleaning of the skin. This is not
so. A wet towel, applied every morning to the skin, followed by friction
in pure air, is all that is absolutely needed; although a full bath is a
great luxury.
Access of air to every part of the skin when its perspiratory tubes are
cleared and its blood-vessels are filled by friction is the best
ordinary bath.
In early life, children should be washed all over, every night or
morning, to remove impurities from the skin. But in this process,
careful regard should be paid to the peculiar constitution of a child.
Very nervous children sometimes revolt from cold water, and like a tepid
bath. Others prefer a cold bath; and nature should be the guide. It must
be remembered that the skin is the great organ of sensation, and in
close connection with brain, spine, and nerve-centres: so that what a
strong nervous system can bear with advantage is too powerful and
exhausting for another. As age advances, or as disease debilitates the
body, great care should be taken not to overtax the nervous system by
sudden shocks, or to diminish its powers by withdrawing animal heat to
excess. Persons lacking robustness should bathe or use friction in a
warm room; and if very delicate, should expose only a portion of the
body at once to cold air.
Johnson, a celebrated writer on agricultural chemistry, tells of an
experiment by friction on the skin of pigs, whose skins are like that of
the human race. He treated six of these animals with a curry-comb seven
weeks, and left three other pigs untouched. The result was a gain of
thirty-three pounds more of weight, with the use of five bushels less of
food for those curried, than for the neglected ones. This result was
owing to the fact that all the functions of the body were more perfectly
performed when, by friction, the skin was kept free from filth and the
blood in it exposed to the air. The same will be true of the human skin.
A calculation has been made on this fact, by which it is estimated that
a man, by proper care of his skin, would save over thirty-one dollars in
food yearly, which is the interest on over five hundred dollars. If men
will give as much care to their own skin as they give to currying a
horse, they will gain both health and wealth.
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