and hinder that breathing of the skin to which I have referred in former chapters.
After violent exercise undergone by the wearer of a woollen vest and cotton or linen shirt or chemise, while the vest may only feel slightly damp, the other garment is found to be literally wringing wet. Woollen undervests also become sticky and greasy, because, the evaporation of the skin being hindered, it takes on the form of water, and causes the scales of the skin, which when dry drop off, to adhere to the clothes and to the body, thus clogging up the pores of the skin.
Another objection to chemises is the bad way in which they are generally cut. The armholes are cut round, and the sleeves are cut in one piece with the garment itself, or sewn in regardless of any shape. This prevents the arms from being raised unless the chemise can be dragged up with them, which it rarely can, as it is generally fixed down by the pressure of other clothes round the waist. Any garment which impairs the free movement of the arms is objectionable, as such movement is necessary to the proper development of the chest. If chemises are to be worn, they should be made of French cambric or of nainsook—materials which are thin and not very closely webbed, so that they ventilate better than linen or cotton; and they should be cut with armholes circular at the top and elliptic near the armpit, so that the arms may be raised without drawing up the chemise, or, better still, a gusset, such as our grandmothers used, may be inserted under the arm, which will serve the same
