The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-08-08

IT SEEMS a pity that q dictionary
of synonyms Is not consulted at times
so that persons should be enabled to
correctly understand the meaning of
words. Let as take the word "nutri-
ment," as used by some writers in
defining the property of water as
food. Il by no means follows that
because water is necessary to the
human body rs a constituent of the
blood, that it is nutritious. Water
may be vehicle for conveying nutri-
tious particles to the various tissues OF
the body, or to remove worn out par
ticles from the body; this is its func-
ton in the human system, 80 far as
nourishing the body is concerned.
That wafer, in this sense, 10 food,
there can he no doubt; but that it has
any dietical value beyond the fact
that it acts as q solvent for food, and
conveys it to the various parts OF the
body to repair the waste OF tissues,
there is no proof whatever. Nor does
it prove that water is nutritious be-
cause that fluid enters into the COM
position of the various tissues, as
we'll as being constituent
OF blood /; it merely proves that
it is necessary to the forma-
ton of those tissues, and as a
fluid constituent OF blood. But that
water has some occult properties by
which il can be converted into nutri-
tious blood there is no evidence what
ever. Nor is it any evidence, because
the elements OF which water is COM
posed are the same as those which
enter into union with carbon to form
plants; that water when taken into
the human stemsch undergoes 8
mysterious change and becomes
nourishipg in the sense OF "arresting
or repairing the waste OF tissue" MOI
does it prove that water lie nutritious
because the weight of a person il
increased by drinking water, as il
the case Of d.. Tanner; or because
that gentleman "lost his fever and
morOseness, became cheerful AND
vigorsls, and exhibited vital anc
mental energy in great contrast t
his condition when he abstained from
drinking" These changes Of condi
ton were doubtless the result OF i'm
parting to the system q necessar!
fluid, to restore the equilibrium to til,
blood, and to the suffering tissues o
toe body. DR.. Lankezter, in hi
admirable lectures on food, iairl.
states the case OF water. In hi
classification OF food, be places waite
as "alimentary or necessary food.
He shows that food ia either alimen
tary, as, first, water, sslt, ashes
plants and animals; second, carbon
aceous and respiratory-heat- givinl
las starch, sugar, fat; or third, nj
trogenous or nutritious, as albumen
fibrine, cascine. Or food may b.
medicinal or auxiliary, as first, alec
hol, volatile oils (stimulantsl; second
acids, alkaloids (alterativesl; third
tobacco. hemp, opium (narcotics)
The doctor considers gum cellulose
gelstine as accessory food. OF waite
he says, in many respects it NOR
closely resembles nutrit;ve food thai
it does heat-giving food; tina! is.
more closely approaches. in its relA
ton 70 the human system, the char
acter OF flesh than it does the char
aeter OF starch or sugar; and for thi
| reason that il combines with the It's
sues of the body. and forms neces
sary part of its structure. As t
any one asserting: 1.-THE action o
food on the human system may ye
be proven different in some respect
to that which is now accepted as th
process. 1t may be shown that it
effects are such as to incite the sys
tenn to absorb electric, atmospheric
and ether agencies that stimulate AM
support life, and to accomplish a
much by srousing the vital energy t
grasp and assimilate them as b.
actual material supply. This is mer
verbisge. The writer of such specu
lative nonsense would have some dit
fculty in "arousing the vital energ,
to grasp and assimilate;" to "absorl
electric, atmospheric and other Il
agencies that stimulate and supper
life" with no other diet than nutri