The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-07-09

Drink only when you1are Thirsty, and |
don't take anything to make You so. Ar
tificial thirst may be induced by many |
spices, seasonings, or undue use of salt,
etc. It may be induced ftoo, by some |
forms of Indigestion. The causes are
avoidable, andEit is.probable that they re-
suit in the sense Of thirst, because the
body desires'the assistance of diluent in |
the one case, Oh of solvent in the other. |
In thirst from indigestion water should be |
taken as hot as can be borne. The great |
est thirst producer, however, is alcohol,
and what a..vast amount of thirst is gen.
Grated thereby How many Threats and
palates are ''dry!' What number of
mouths open to receive supply Of an ac-
ceptable liquor to wet them, the said liq-
uar being generally draught containing
some of the thirst-producer again! What
an amount Of money changes hands in the
vain attempt to quench.a thirst by taking
that which produced it One who had
been on the tread mill when asked what
the working of that machine was like, an
swered that it was ''like going up stairs
and never getting to the top" It is even
worse with the spirit-drinker he. not only
fails to satisfy his desire, but finds the
craving increase upon him. What is the
action of alcohol in relation to thirst ?
Alcohol is a foreign substance in the body,
which unless the spirit be largely dilated
with water, the organism must quickly
expel at all costs, and so water is drawn
from the blood to dilute the irritant, and
the eliminating organs 1.-THE kidneys es
pecially) exert themselves to promptly
eject the offender. !. Forthwith the body is
minus the amount of moisture withdrawn,
thirst follows, and so, if the indiviual will
he may place himself on the drink thirst
treadmill. Even when the slchohol is
taken so largely diluted that the body need
not draw upon it's own fluids to dilute and
expel the spirit it has to be got rid of
somehow the energy required for that
might be either conserved or better en-
ployed. There is no real compensation
supplied by the drug. To quench thirst
only water is necessary. Nothing in all
nature can take its place, and if our tastes
were natural we should crave nothing else.
If taken quite cold, it should be drank
only in mouthfuls frequently. For any
man to accumulate his thirst, as it were,
and then drink large quantity of any
liquid whatever is extremely unwise.
Harvest-workers and furnacemen say that
beer makes them perspire too much, and
leaves them thirstier, besides the loss Of
strength from the stimulants but that
cool tea, or oatmeal and water is quench-
ing and sustaining. The oatmeal water
can be made by soaking the best, oatmeal a
few hours, and then mixing it with water
to the taste say one spoonful in glass of
water or it may be made into thin Cruel
with very little sweetening.
/ have seen in many cases, an appear
ance Of health and vigor in persons drink
ing beer frequently, and afterward a
speedy and entire collapse from diseases
which would readily have been recovered
from, had the disease-resisting spower of
the system not been destroyed by its con-
tinued saturation with beer. In fact.
some of the most horrible drunkards'
deaths l have ever seen have been those
of beer and ale drunkards. Much beer
contains great deal more than AZ per
cent. of alcohol. Besides this, very large
quantities of it are drunkAby those who
destroy themselves by it's use. 1t inter-
feres when thus used with the depuration
of the blood, the functions of the liver
and their organs ,:and tends to fatty depos-
its and degenerations taking place in inn
portant vicera and blood vessels, so that a
beer drinker may appear very stout and
healthy looking, while his body is incapa-
BILE of bearing any shock, such as an acct
dent or operation, or an attack of severe
illness. Walter B. ezekiel, NJ. D.. F. r. c.
S.. Toronto, Canada.
Beer-drinking and the use of alcoholic
stimulants generally is destructive OF life
and increases the probabilities Of prema-
ture death to the consumer. BY con-
sumption of large quantities Of beer on
the part of those using it, about the same
amount Of alcohol is consumed in the ag-
gregate as if distilled liquors had been
used, and hence the results are as fatal
VIM. E. Dune, NJ. d. of Chicago.
ALCOHOL AND FOOD.
The stomach absorbs food and seeks to
ho rid of alcohol Ennd 10 thornfOra III.