_Velvet_ is a silk fabric of which the pile is due to the insertion of short pieces of silk thread under the weft or cross-thread. Cheaper kinds are made, containing a certain proportion of cotton. _Crape_ is made of raw silk gummed and twisted to form a gauze-like fabric. Taffety, moire, brocade, and plush are made of silk alone or combined with cotton. 5. _Cotton_ consists of the downy hairs investing the seeds of the gossypium plant. The threads of which it is composed are flat, ribbon-like, and twisted, about 1∕800 to 1∕2000 inch wide. Owing to its flat fibres with sharp edges, it is apt to irritate delicate skins; linen is preferable for dressing wounds for a similar reason. Cotton is warmer than linen, being a worse conductor of heat. It also absorbs moisture better, not becoming wet so soon; but it lacks the “freshness” which makes linen materials pleasant to wear. Calico, fustian, jean, velveteen, and muslin are the chief cotton fabrics. 6. _Flax_ is formed from the fibres of the flax plant. Linen is made from it. Cambric and lawn are very fine and thin linen materials. The fibres of linen are round and pliable; thus it is smooth and soft, and peculiarly agreeable to the skin. It is, however, a good conductor of heat, and consequently “it feels cold” to the skin. Furthermore its pores quickly become filled with perspiration, which escapes rapidly, thus chilling the body. 7. _Mackintoshes_ are valuable as a temporary protection against external wet. Worn for more than a short period, they produce great heat and a sense of closeness, owing to retention of the perspiration. The best form of mackintosh is one having a cape, with a space for evaporation between it and the rest of the garment. =The Amount of Clothing required= varies with circumstances. 1. _Health_; those of robust constitution require less than the feeble. The more active are digestion and assimilation, the less is the amount of clothing required. If heat is preserved by clothing, less food is required. Thus a distinct saving of food is effected by warm clothes. Warm clothes are the equivalent of so much food that would have been required to keep up the temperature of the body, if the clothes had not been worn. Thinly clad persons under conditions of starvation die more quickly than those who are better protected.