The Progress. [volume] (White Earth, Minn.) 1886-1889, 1888-03-24
ABOUT MARIN DRINKS.
Why They Should Be Reserved for Old
n -. and MiddIe.Aged PERSONS. -.

ABOUT WARM DRINKS.
Why ghey Should Be Reserved for Old
~ aad hIiddle-Aged Persons. gf.
China and India comprise more than
ene-half the worlds population. If any
wonder is expressed at this concentra-
ton Of people in countries that we
generally consider semi barbarous, a
possible explanation is to be found in
the fact that they were earliest in in
Producing warm drink to the world.
Say what hygienists may of the harm
fu1ness of tea and coffee, it is a fact
that the countries that use them most
are increasing in population more
RAPIDLY than any other parts Of this
globe, and have apparently always
done SO. 1t is scarcely supposable that
tea is itself beneficial. as its active
principal is a poison. But it is. the
world ever, the drink that is nearly
always taken warm. .s ,ss.ss 2.s,,..
Death and cold are more nearly
allied than we are apt to suppose. A
Jew special diseases require heat for
thor development and propagation.
Bat the outward heat in fevers is only,
in most cases, a reverse of the natural.
internal warmth which is then thrown
to the outside. leaving the vital organs
TO chill Whenever this occurs, death
follows as matter-of-course. Most
physicians know that this. in a great
many eases, is the condition under
which death comes. In old people, or
others whose vitality has been greatly
lessened. the shrewd doctor regards
the coming of winter and cold weather
each year as critical periods in every
aged persons existence. The express
sion is frequently heard, that if an aged
person lives through winter, his or her
chances will be good for another year.
In eases Of sickness, warm drinks
have probably always been prescribed.
In fevers alone, cold water is some
fimes preferable, when there is sufi-
Gent strength and vitality to get up a
rcactiou- But even here the object is
warmth rather than cold. Whenever
the patient is SO debilitated that the
reaction does not come, cold drinks
are always injurious. This applies in
many cases of continued sickness. and
to aged persons. These, as rule,
should be encouraged to drink warm
drinks, especially in winter Or at night.
Hot drinks are themselves stimu-
1a.ing by heat alone. Hot water as
medicine is often better than drugs.
This is especially true in cases of
diarrhea or dysentery, or when the
stomach is overloaded with food that it
can not digest. The heat thus directly
furnished is generally decided. for the
effect of each of these ailments is to
leave the stomach too cold. Perhaps
this reliance on artificial heat as a
stimulus to the vital organs may become
in itself facilitating if long continued.
Too much wrapping up and coddling
in warm rooms is not so healthful for
the vigorous as active, out-of-door ex-
ercises. We do not say for the young,
because generally small children need
more protection from cold than they
get. But the rule is good one never
to acoustom the young to warm drinks.
either tea or coffee. Reserve these for
the aged or those who have passed mid
die life, taking care not to let them
drink any thing much above blood heat
except in sudden emergencies, when
the system seems to require stimu-
lants. s,,..,.-... ,,,... a, ...y .-....-.,....
Excessively cold drinks are an abom-
nation to the stomach. The habit of
using ice water is the cause of an i'm.
mense amount of summer sickness.
Ice is often impure, though looking as
transparent as glass. If got from ponds,
as it often is. it is quite likely to contain
germs of disease that were in the water
before freezing. No one should think
of drinking melted ice before fltering,
unless it is made from water pure
enough for drinking before it is frozen.
Tho use of ices or of ice-cold foods in
summer, tempting though they be as
delicacies, is responsible for many
deaths, especially of those whose stom-
stchs are debilitated. Even cold milk is
injurious, pecially if made ice cold by
being surrounded with ice to make the
cream rise. 1t is safer to warm cold
milk before drinking it, and this is best
done by turning enough hot water in it
60 take the chill off. This also dilutes
it Sufficiently to prevent the curd form
ing in solid mass, as it does on many
delicate stomachs, to which milk is al
ways an irritant. <
One caution in the use of hot drinks
or foods is not to allow them to come
in contact with the teeth much above
the natural temperature. Drinking very
hot tea or coffee ruins more teeth than
almost any thing else. In special cases
very hot drinks are allowable; but
usually blood heat is better tempera-
ture for food or drink than any other.
Extremes Of hot or cold are allowable
sander certain conditions for the system,
as whole, but neither should come in
contact with teeth or gums more than
necessary. The prevalence of decayed
teeth in this country is due rs much as
aay thing else to our national hah IF