off easily--it gets, so to speak, thick and sticky, and
remains in the pores.

In the second place, the substance which a pore secretes will not
combine with certain things, and it will chemically combine readily
with other things. When the pore is sickly, it may be aided, first, by
the introduction of heat, which becomes vital action, and secondly, by
the use of such substances as will readily combine with its secretion.
The heat makes it secrete more perfectly, and the chemical combination
makes the removal of the secretion easy. It is possible to block the
pores up, but it is not very easy to do so. A healthy pore will send
its secretions out through very close stuff. It is only by something
like very strong varnish that it can be prevented.

There is wonderfully little danger in ordinary life of any such "block"
as this. But there is very great danger of the pore being deprived of
its secretive power, and of its power to open its mouth when that is so
much wanted. Warm olive oil sets millions of pores to full work
sometimes in a few seconds.

Now let us look at the application of the soapy blanket in the light of
these remarks. Here is a poor patient, sitting in an armchair by the
fireside, labouring to get breath. It makes one feel burdened to see
him. What is wrong? Are the pores blocked up? No; but they are more
than half dead, and what they do secrete is not such an ethereal thing
as it should be. Nearly all the work of getting rid of the waste of the
body has been thrown for months upon the poor lungs. The kidneys, too,
have got far more than their share, just because the pores are sickly.

The remedy is the soapy blanket. This most valuable means of
stimulating the healthy action of the skin (as prescribed in many
articles in this volume) is prepared and applied as follows:--Have a
good blanket, and plenty of M'Clinton's soap (_see_ Lather and Soap).
Shear down a tablet or two into boiling water--as much water as the
blanket will absorb. The blanket may be prepared as directed in article
Fomentation, using these boiling _suds_ instead of water. Have the
patient's bed ready, and spread on it a double dry sheet. Soak in the
suds a piece of thick flannel large enough to go round the body under
the armpits. Wring this out and put it on the patient. Wrap the blanket
tightly round the patient from the neck downwards. Tie something round
the waist to confine it close to the body. Put the patient into bed,
and wr