The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-02-02
The Hot Water Rage.

ance before they surround us. Insidi-
Gus attack is more dangerous than
thricearmed open force, since a pre-
pared defense is impossible. Deter
mined courage is required to resist sur
prises, and if there is some scattering
in dismay at first, the rally and the
stern encounter are the more admirable.
Society is just now threatened with 81
craze, corresponding to a mania, that
may result in the most serious injury
to several important industries of the
country, besides doing away with some
established institutions of ancient Gus
tom that have heretofore been deemed
among the choicest of mundane de-
lights. But little while ago the
matter was in such puny infancy, SEN
sible people blandly smiled in conde-
scending pity of the innocent creatures
who took kindly to it; but now, after
the fashion of the infant Hercules, it is
leveling all things before it. No one
has ever made vigorous warfare
against opium smokers, for the reason
thattheir reimbursement did not involve
in ruin others who were honestly and
resolutely following legitimate business
in the effort to gain a comfortable
living. But the case is different with
hot-water drinkers, who maliciously
infringe upon the advantage of others.
without doing themselves injury.
Some months ago a New York ply
stefan, influenced by what mercenary
motives does not appear, advocated the
drinking of cup of hot water either
before going to bed at night or on aris-
ing in the morning, declaring it to be
natural stimulant and regulator of the
stomach, and hence one of the best pos
sible agents of health. The effect of such
advice could be nothing less than its
adoption, and experiments were made
by all sorts and conditions of people
Singularly enough, the prescription
being gratis, the use of the tonic was
found to be highly beneficial, producing
results the most satisfactory and agree
able.
Unfortunately, to give the innova-
ton greater impetus, some very promi-
nent people gave their testimony to the
efficacy of the drink, and hot water for
purposes of internal bathing became q
| fashion-a fashion that is now alarm
ingly prevalent. At first glance few
| may perceive the perilS confronting the
| interests of the general community,
and fail to understand that the greater
| the individual benefits derived from the
use of hot water the greater the de-
mand for concerted opposition to the
movement on the part of consider
| able proportion of the business public.
| The thing to be taken into account is
! the tendency of this new principle of
hygiene. What will be the conse-
| quences of its becoming more the rage?
Already a great many people drink
| hot water in place of coffee at breakfast
and thing that can upset the National
| passion for coffee will regard none of
| our customs as sacred institutions.
| May we not, therefore, find that it will
| invade the province of most other
drinks? Its safety, its bracing proper
ties, and the tingling sensation it sends
briskly through the veins and along the
nerves are qualities that recommend it
to all. 1t is better than coffee, because
it stimulates without reacting, and it has
the same advantage over tea. In
much broader sense it is superior to the
concomitants of bar. 1t braces quite
as well as whisky without assailing the
liver or unsteadying the brain, and
| though it has not the exhilerating
properties of champagne, it in time
| clears the mental faculties for action
| and secures a more permanent readi-
ness of perception and spontaneity of
| reason. Here, then, are encroachmentS
against the prosperity of our trade with
! China, Japan and the Indies, and
against that representative bulwark of
our National independence, the whisky
traffic.
To further facilitate the success of the
aggressive action, the drug stores have
taken to supplying filtered hot water to
their willing patrons, sothat devotee
of the prevalent fashin is not restricted
to the domestic tea-kettle for the nour-
ishment of his temporarily riotous pro-
pensity. Gimme cup hot water" is
coming to be an order as common as its
immediate predecessor, "a little ole
juice with the further support of fe-
male drinkers. The fact of ladies be-
ing able to range up to the counter
and, indorsing the order of their es-
corts, repeat the shibboleth: "rll 90
YOU one, indicates the ease with which
the fashion may become so fascinating
that it will run to midsummer eX-
treme.
As everyone recognizes the dangers
of ice water, while hot water is now re-
garded as catholicon, may we not
find the "cooler" abolished from its
snug corner, the ice pitcher flung out
of the parlor, and the thirsty guest
served with water from the kitchen,
piping hot?" Instead of the custo-
mary ''lce-cold lemonade" that has been
the time-honored associate of the
mundivagant circus, the cry will be:
"Red-hot lemonade, fresh from the
boiler" Instead of coffee and cognac
after fashionable dinner, it will be
hot water and nutmeg. Instead of a
"nightcap" of brandy, there will be
the "eye-closer' of hot water AS
guests come or 90, in formal or social
calls, it will be the polite thing to ask:
''May offer you cup of hot water ?"
And instead of the customary cigar to
aid the business conference in the Office
down town, the janitor will fetch in a
steaming beaker of Adams ale brewed
to the scalding point.
These are the innovations looked for
and reasonably to be expected. There
is only one serious impeachment in the