The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-10-16
Food and Drink Before Bathing.

Kate Bennett in the Cook.
AS surely as the bathing season
comes SO surely there are ample direc-
tions given b. the press to the people
to abstain from eating Immediately
before going into the water. Not
w~ithstanding which, the ignorance or
the Indifference of people tosuch rules
is such that l have carefully to ques-
ton and still more closely to watch
my pupils | find that some come to
my school to swim immediately after
%partaking of luncheon, and. but for
my asking how long since they have
eaten. would go directly INTO the water.
Others bring sandwiches, cakes, Or
anges, or the like. and but for my
watchfulness, would go into the tank
eating. These are usually good swim
mers who suppose that it is not iniuri-
Gus to eat while bathing, from the
fact that almost all persons who ex-
hibit feats IN tanks drink a small bottle
of milk under water.
A close observer will. however, no
tice hat this is almost always done
very near the close of the exhibition,
and the performer leaves the water
before digestion begins. l am some
ti1AeS oDliScu W eutcE tue WaleE I'LL
mediately after eating a hearty meal.
Such u proceeding would in all proba-
bility be almost fatal to others, and
even /, who suffer no inconvenience
from staying in the water four hours
at a stretch. suffer a good deal if l go
in soon after eating. No ono should
battle sooner than one hour after eat.
ing, even though lightly, and two
hours should elapse to enable one to
be entirely safe.
To eat Immediately after coming out
of the water-the more especially if
n has been j. long, is most advan-
tageous. as it relieves weakness and
faintness as well as appeases the
enormous appetite which is sure to
follow n good swimmer. The best
thing to take is hot beef tea or q cup
of coffee us not rs it can be drank.
This tones up the system. difiusing Il
pleasant warmth inside and a glow
without. As oon as the effect of the
coffee is over something light should
be eaten, Oh if the appetite is very
great u hearty meal can be INDUCED
in without any dctr mental eject.
But of all things which ! would earn
estly caution bathers ami swimmers
against is that of taking any stimu-
liant before going into the water.
Some Of our wonderful champion
sw miners have become utter wrecks
from q mistaken idea that II stimulant
was necessary to sustain them in the
water. Bad as intoxicating drinks are
at any time. they seem to possess Il
peculiarly bad property for the swim
mer, even though taken in small guam
tity. The stimulating eject seems al
most instantly dissipated when one
str kes the waite. bringing a reac-
tionary exhaust on which, added to
the exhaustion induced by exercise in
the water, leads TO danger. And this.
in my mind, fully accounts for the
many fatal results which have followed
diving from great heights. | have
never known a case where a mar has
been killed when diving from n great
height, but that it has Teen pic ed
that he took a st mu!ant lust previ-
onsly; perhaps only a ! tile, so little
that on shore It would not have eject
ed his nerves in the slightest degree.
but enough to be fatal to him when
diving.