The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-09-11
Drlnking ct Meals.

We were once told by shrewd old
college professor that the most foolish
thing man Of intelligence can do
from worldly point of view--is to "butt
his brains out against popular prejud &C.
still sometimes we are dreadfulIy tempt
ed 10 pound our Uranium against hurt
full notion, and have never been more 80
than while reading the advice 80 often
insisted on in the papers against drink
ing water at meal times. The chief and
most plausible argument against this
practice is that it dilutes the gastric
juices, and delays digestion. II is not
often in scientific discussion that we
can 80 easily as in this case appeal to the
individual consciousness of the unin-
structed reader In proof of the fallacious
character of the assumption in question.
Who that reads this has not had thou
sand proofs forced upon his attention
that water taken into the stomach re-
mains there but few seconds, is quickly
taken up by the blood vessels, and, { in
excess, almost az quickly thrown out of
the blood again through the Kidneys?
Yet there is small grain Of truth in the
midst Of this gross error. Large draughts
OF very cold water taken into the stomach
with the food, by chilling the stomach
during It's rapid progress through the
walls of its vessels, do arrest the secre.
ton of the digestive fluids until proper
warmth ID re-established Large
dranghts, also, of tec and coffee, by The
astringency of the former, and the nerv-
inc action Of the theme they both con-
tain--as well, also, as by tho peculiar
narcotic action of cofIee-dcrange and
hinder digestion. Alcoholics, however
diluted, have like effect.
With these limitations, we but declare
the convictions of aii physioiigists when
we say that full response to the calls
Of thirst, Mt meal times as ut other times,
is wise and proper. And for these rea.
sons The sense Of thirst is given to us
not only that we may keep the fluids of
the body duly supplied with solvent and
dilutent material, but also that, through
the cxcretory organs, ali soluble often
sive substances may be quickly washed
away. In the digestive process the de-
mand tor water i'll aid Of both chese
necessary purposes is ::rgent. In nearly
everything we eat there are soluble sub
stances that arc in excess, and this ex-
cess should be promptly carried out of
the system. Perhaps the most abundant
among, these, usually, is the common salt
80 freely taken. 1t is, however, by no
means the only one; and they all, unless
promptly removed, &C, as irritants. Their
action upon the stomach will in q very
flow OF gastric fluids and disturb the
muscular action by WHICH the stomach
"churns," 30 TO speak, its contents. that
every portion may receive it's due admix-
ture of digestive material. This disturb
ance Of muscular action is seen at its
highest in vomiting, by which the offend
ing substance is elected summarily. to-
gether with all the conteuts of the organ.
Now, it is the best not to over.eat and
it is the best to eat simple food, with as
little excess of seasoning or Of objection
able elements, as possible. But under
dll circumstances it is both wrong and
dangerous to give refusal to natures call
for natures remedy in such cases. Pen-
ty of drink is what is demanded, and q
free supply of fluids must be given, if
serious consequences are to be avoided.
The consequences of refusal are not all
immediate. The irritation from lack of
drink, as we'll as that from improper
drinks. becomes in time chronic, passing
to inflammation, the resul. cf which is
dyspepsia, the symptom of which is pain.
Then for want of dilutcnt fluid by which
offending soluble substances are quickly
removed, these often assume insoluble
forms, and are deposited in various parts
OF the body, to remain there, constant
sources of pain and danger. Gravel and
stone in the urinary organs, hillary con-
cerat;ons in the liver, calcareous deposits
in the joints and elsewhere, and possibly
tubcrcular deposits in various organs,
are, we may say with much certainty,
due in some degree TO foolish fear Of
water. r.drinking."-C Cdrolina Farmer.