Page:Linda Hazzard - Fasting for the cure of disease.djvu/176

 if soap be freely used and the flesh-brush vigorously plied. The cold bath of register lower than 75 degrees should never be employed except in health and for tonic purposes. It has a powerful stimulating action on the circulation and nervous system, in addition to but slight cleansing properties. It cannot be used during the fast.

Bathing should never be undertaken immediately before or directly after eating, and an interval of at least two hours should elapse between. During the menstrual flow in woman, medical authority to the contrary, a warm sitz or full body bath, with a warm vaginal douche are imperative for cleanliness and for relief and ease in function.

Caution is directed in connection with all bathing toward continuing the bath to undue length. Only time sufficient to cleanse the body or to receive a tonic effect should be occupied; more than this is weakening. When, in the fast, chilliness occurs, a few minutes in the hot bath equalizes the circulation and remedies the condition, care being taken to guard against exposure at its conclusion.

Civilization and the customs it entails are responsible for many physiological evils.