The Democratic Whig

MISCELLANY
FEMININE FALLACIES—
AND BEAUTY.
FROM SARAH'S NEW MONTHLY.
BY MRS. EDITH AUSTIN.

What woman does not openly profess to value health? What woman does not secretly wish to possess beauty? At which shrine does she kneel with most fervent devotion? The shattered constitutions and feeble frames of many a female, who, still in her prime sighs over the last fading charms she would despair at in her mirror, answers the question. And yet are health and beauty twin sisters. The fountain of one is the source of the other. Whoever impresses the feminine mind with the conviction that this is not the case of one guilty of a positive injury to the sex.

It is because I have much respect for the Lady Editress, under the sanction of whose name currency is given to these fallacious opinions, I hope she will not mistake the spirit in which my animadversions are made. An article in her Magazine which professes to instruct females how to obtain the largest quantum of health and beauty, pronounces cold baths, (by which is generally understood bathing or rather washing in cold water,) deleterious to beauty, and sometimes prejudicial to health. We quote the following from her periodical:

"Cold bathing rarely agrees with slender and delicate females."

"As cosmetics; cold baths are only useful to women of a full and sanguine habit, and even they ought not to employ—unless habituated to it from a very early age—water at temperature much below that of the body. In other cases it always contracts the skin hardens it, and renders it scaly."

Bathing in the open air and swimming from which health and medicine derive sometimes the most happy effects, gradually discolor the skin."

Washing the face with cold water etc., especially destroys the freshness of the skin and face."

Here beauty is avowedly preferred to health. The young are taught that what decidedly benefits their health will impair their loveliness by being detrimental to their complexions. The application of cold water to the surface of the whole person, which, men of science assert, guards the body against the variability of climate—opens the pores of the skin—removes obstructions—invigorates the frame, and produces a healthy circulation of the blood —is eschewed as hardening the skin and discoloring the complexion?

What doctrine could be more hurtful to a sex, who esteem beauty as one of the most enviable of possessions—who habitually neglect their health as of little moment, and thoughtlessly transgress the most important physical laws to gratify vanity or obtain pleasure?

Experience proves, that cold water preserves the freshness, heightens the bloom of the complexion, while tepid gradually withers the skin.

Physicians prescribe, as a means of restoring or retaining the health of the most delicate and even consumptive females, daily ablution of the whole person in cold water, followed by friction with a coarse towel or hair gloves. This practice should be resorted to daily and without any intermission, even in winter weather, by every female, who has any consideration for health and cleanliness, or who wishes to preserve her personal charms I have repeatedly observed the highly beneficial effects of this habit upon the most fragile constitutions. Dr. Combe recommends delicate persons to mingle vinegar with the water in which they bathe. When there is an "added sense of chilliness," which the coarse towel will not remove then there is danger he says, that the person may not possess sufficient vitality to derive benefit from cold bathing. Still, such individuals should not omit the daily use of water from which the chill has been removed.

A very little reflection in regard to the quantity of moisture insensibly, but momentarily, exhaled from the skin, will at once show the extreme necessity of frequently cleansing the pores, in order that they may be free from invisible but no less existing impurity.

Dr. Combe says,

"When the as-saline and animal elements left by perspiration are not duly removed by washing and bathing, they at last obstruct the pores, and irritate the skin. And it is apparently for this reason that in the eastern and warmer climates, where perspiration is very copious, ablution and bathing have assumed the rank of religious observances." In another part of his work on Physiology he observes "For those who are not robust daily sponging the whole body with cold water, is the best substitute for the cold water bath, and may be resorted to with safety and advantage in most states of the system."

Cold water creates a delightful glow while heated water generally produce an after sensation of chilliness. That these are ordinary and natural effects is evident from the fact, that to restore warmth and animation to a frozen limb it is plunged in ice-water; while to check the progress of a fever the warm bath is used. This is in accordance with the great Homeopathic principle —similia similibus curantur—like cures like.

But the most injurious doctrine inculcated in the article in the February Magazine above alluded to is, that health and beauty are not always to be derived from the same source. This is not only erroneous but calculated to cause irremediable injury. Almost all women instinctively desire to be beautiful. They hear beauty lauded in their childhood. They see its potency in early youth. They themselves feel its inexpressible charm. History and poetry teach them its might. They read Campbell, and learn that there are none who have not

"Paused while Beauty's pensive eye
Asked from the heart the homage of sigh."

And Pope tells them that Beauty draws us with a single hair."

And to what means do not women daily resort to enhance their personal attractions? Comfort is never for a moment consulted by these martyrs to beauty. It is unhesitatingly sacrificed on the altar of vanity. Do not two-thirds of the sex smilingly endure a compression of waist and upper portion of the body, which causes the breath to be painfully and gaspingly impelled from the oppressed lungs shackling every movement, which light otherwise have been graceful? And while doing this, do they not persuade themselves that they experience no inconveniences? Do they not willingly suffer a cramping and curtailing of the feet, and its attendant evils, to which the iron torture-shoe anciently used by the inquisition bears no slight resemblance? Do they not, with praiseworthy patience, night after night submit to the tedious infliction of the curling pincers, complacently enduring sundry burns and the tearing out of stray hairs by the roots? Do they not—but wherefore enumerate? Who will not admit that one reigning wish in the breast of woman is to possess beauty?

I remember an instance of a French lady, who under the most trying and vexatious circumstances, invariably preserved her equanimity, and especially the composure of her features. Her most beautiful china vase might be dashed to pieces by the carelessness of a servant, or her robe torn at the very moment of entering a ball room, still her features never relaxed except in a smile and no angry crimson ever flushed her cheek. On questioning her as to her motive for sometimes forbearing to show a proper degree of spirit, she replied composedly, "Do you suppose I intend to grow old as long as I can help it? Do you know that repeated agitation of the features wrinkles the face? Then the blood sent to the cheeks by passion spoils the complexion. Scolding creates bile and makes the skin yellow. My vases may be all dashed to pieces and my dresses ruined, but I intend that my beauty shall be bien conservee." Does not such heroic self-control prove the strength of this craving for exterior loveliness?

Let those who desire the charm of beauty remember, that every thing which conduces to health, contributes to beauty. There can be no perfect physical beauty without health; no faultless symmetry of form unless every part of the frame is unsubjected to unnatural compressions. True it is that bright and joyous spirits, an elevated and feeling soul, may create a short-lived loveliness, which beautifies the person in despite of disease. A genial disposition and a loving heart may illumine the features and impart to them an attraction in the midst of bodily suffering. But how soon does ill health fling a shadow over the spirits and paralyze the faculties of the soul! How quickly does it sour the temper and rob the tender heart of its susceptibility to affection!

For female to preserve at once her health, her freshness, and her loveliness, she must rise at a seasonable hour that sleep may produce refreshment not sluggishness—make use daily of cold water over her whole person, that the pores of the skin may be kept open to perform their necessary functions, and the system be fortified against changes of temperature—follow the ablution by friction with a coarse towel to create a healthful glow—permit the atmosphere to circulate freely for a short time, around her person—inhale the fresh morning air, that the darkened blood continually received by the lungs may be renovated, and thus obtain its florid hue—take daily exercise of the most agreeable nature, that the mind may be pleased while every muscle of the body is called into play, active circulation given to the blood, needful perspiration induced, etc., etc.—expose her complexion to the stimulus of the sun-light, that the roseate flush of health may overspread her cheeks—permit her form to expand and mature itself unconstrained by any tight garment, which compresses the principal organs of the body and impedes the insensible perspiration—never indulge in that most uncleanly, but to the general practice, of wearing the same under-dress at night, that has become saturated with the imperceptible exhalations from the body, during the day—employ her time, that she may know the sweets of content—cultivate her mind, that she may become acquainted with the numberless faculties of her own mysterious nature—partake of unexciting amusement, which will afford relaxation and refreshment; and seek to acquire that unmurmuring and hopeful spirit, which places its firm trust in Providence, bows meekly to all its decrees, and submits unrepiningly to its chastening; so shall woman possess not only health and physical beauty, but that spiritual loveliness which adornment of the person and "braiding of the hair" cannot bestow.