2130. However whimsical these washings may appear to some, few things would appear more to prevent diseases than a proper attention to many of them.
2131. Were every person, for example, after handling a dead body, visiting the sick, &c., to wash and to change his clothes before he went into company, or sat down to meat, he would run less hazard either of catching the infection himself, or communicating it to others.
2132. Frequent washing not only removes the filth which adheres to the skin, but likewise promotes the perspiration, braces the body, and enlivens the spirits.
2133. Even washing the feet tends greatly to preserve health. The sweat and dirt with which these parts are frequently covered, cannot fail to obstruct their perspiration. This piece of cleanliness would often prevent colds and fevers.
2134. Were people to bathe their feet and hands in warm water at night, after being exposed to cold or wet through the day, they would seldom experience any of the fatal effects which often proceed from these causes.