Arizona weekly citizen., 1888-02-11
Nothing But Cold Water

ED. CITIzES:-Hsving noticed in your
 excellent paper an article on the exclu-
 sive use of cold water for the cure of sll
 diseases, causes me to say, with these
 views of yours, l do not fully coincide.
 In many cases, in almost all cases iu-
 doed, cold water IS no. only insufficient.
 but It is too often positively injurious.
 The idea that we use 1t as a universal
 psnsces is based upon & misconcep,ion
 of our theories. This miseoucepiion has
 led you into very generally prevalent error, an error as tO the value We place upon water without regard to temper sture. and an error equally great in re- gard to temperature.
 All healing power resides in vital forces, the life principle within us. When vital action is disturbed We are sick. Whatever brings about its disturbance is cause of disease. When all the de mands of vital force are met we are in perfect health When they are not met We are sick, in a degree eorrespond- ing to the deficiency.
 Tho play 0f thIs fofce is rot confiusi to the elaboration of water alone, of Air alone, or of food alone Whatever lt can use for the benefit of our bodies Is health preserving, health promoting sud health restoring. Whatever it can not SO use has the opposite tendency.
 Water, organized water, enters largely into Ihe composition of the Orcanlc .1 1 q. proportionste quantities for the sussen- nance of the body. I.s value de- pends upon the extent and variety of is uses ID the vital ecoromy.
 As cht miesl constituent of all or eanic structures, Es dilutent of the,yital fluids, AS a deobstruent of the skin as well as of the internal organs, as a reg ulatOr of temperature snd a soother of pain and nervous ifritability, when wise ly used, 1t stands unrivslled. But this by DO means justiiies tbe conclusion that 1t IS & universal psnRces, or that ft IS a pansces al all, only those who know very little of the true theory Oi life sJ estimate it.
 While recognizing the value os water n health and disease. and of temperA- ture as modifying Its utility, We are not to overlook the sgency of other things equally important.
 Water cannot take the place Of food, nor compensate for errors ID it's prepar- stion, or in the time and manner of usIng IL. live eat to excess. or eat too little; if We eat bad food. or If we eat too often, or not often enough; If We cal when either physical or mental cOndi- tons are unfgvOrahle to good digestion. disorder will be sure to follow.
 It requires no extraordinary breadth ot intellect tO see that the medy for such disorder is not to be found in cold Wster or in water of any temperature.
 Llfe and health depends upon com binstion of many and diverse influenceS, We have referred to fCOd which meets the demar ds of nutrition. w. could not live longvithout 1t. All the tissues would waste. and vital force would vssts with them.
 But food, important ss it is. does no. occupy the first plsce among things nee- esssry for life snd health. We may liy.. twenty or thirty days without it Di. Tanner lived forty days Without ar, We could not hve as many minutes, com plete suspension of the respiratory fuDr- tiOns for three or five minutes IS usually fatal. Insufficient respiration or the breathing of foul SIT, or Ut ar deficient in oxygen, though it may be less speedy. IS always hurttul m proportion to tbe extent of it's departure from the normal standard.
 Bad ventilation. bad positions Ot body. tight clothing, and other causes of de fective breathing. cannot be corrected, or their bed effects compensated for, by the application of water, cold or warm. or externally, much or little.
 The human body K indeed A eOmplI- cated machine. It Is subject 10 a great variety of influences, favorable and un- favorable tO health. The study of these influences, the supplying of favorable, snd the removing of unfsvorable cordi- tions, IS the province of the intelligent and conscientious physician, Ills field is wide one, embracing a thorough knowledge of the human body snd Os the laws Co which 1t is subject physical ly and mentally. Nothing short of this can fully meet the demands Of his office.
 Need l say more tO satisfy anyone that bis work embraces a much wldsr range than the cold water idea gives him credit for? Or mrst we concede iks claim that drugs which poison md de- range the body. if taken m health, srs useful and necessary m sIckness. becUus. we think thst cold water alone Is all sufficient. We do not see 1t.
 PAUL GREGORY, NJ. ID.
 HermOsillo. Sonora, Mex. Feb. 31