er wears nor
holds its shape so well.
Mohair is very light in weight and cool looking. As a matter of fact,
however, it is a fairly good conductor of heat, is closely woven, and
usually comes in dark shades. It is a woolen cloth, and any woolen has
its threads woven more closely on account of the process of manufacture
than linens, cotton, and silk cloths. Linen is perhaps the best material
for summer wear. It is porous in weave, light in color, and of fairly
light weight.
It is well to remember that the safety valve of the body in hot weather
is the evaporation of perspiration, not the act of perspiring. If the
hand is put in a glove, for instance, it will perspire much more than if
in the open air, but it will not be as cool. It is the evaporation that
is a cooling process. If the perspiration is absorbed it cannot
evaporate. That is why loose fitting undergarments are cooler than tight
ones. It is also the reason why cotton is cooler next to the skin than
linen or silk; it absorbs moisture less freely.
DRINK PLENTY OF WATER.--Water, and a great deal of it, is desirable at
any time during the summer. It should be drunk freely during the day.
Lemonade also is good, the slight acid being an aid to digestion. It is
best to have beverages cooled only to a moderate temperature. Ice water
is not bad, but it would be preferable if it were not at so extreme a
temperature. Ice is resorted to only as a convenient means of securing a
palatable temperature; the system does not crave extreme cold. Water at
the temperature of the air is nauseating, so ice is put into it and the
other extreme secured. Sixty degrees is the ideal temperature for
drinking water. If this could be conveniently obtained it would be
preferred to a greater degree of cold. Not only is it less harmful to
the system, but it is more satisfying and thirst-quenching. Water put in
bottles and left in a refrigerator until properly chilled is the best
way of preparing a summer beverage. When any beverage is sufficiently
cold to cause a pain in the head or throat when drinking it the result
may be harmful. Cold water poured on the wrist or head has a cooling
effect and tends to reduce the ice water habit.
If one could afford it, it would be well to drink nothing but mineral
water in the summer. Not only does it assure purity, but the gas is an
aid to digestion and serves to render the water more palatable. This
results in more of it being drunk than if it wer
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