The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1889-07-11
FARM, GARDEN AND
HOUSEHOLD.
Cold or Hot Drinks

Cold water apparently stimulates gas
trio secretion. 1t does this most proba.
oily by dllating the smaller arterie. so as
20 increase the supply Of blood. Cold
water applied to the skin causes tenn
oorary pallor, rapidly succeeded by flush
ing and warmth. The dilation thus OBJ
talned Is not temporary, but persists for
a considerable time.
Heat on the contrary, when applied TO
The SKIN reddens the part temporarily,
hut finally produces pallor and foodless-
ness. Hot water is better than cold
water for the control Of hemorrhage, be-
cause it produces "A final and more lasting
contraction of the arteries of the part.
There is no reason to suppose that heat
acts differently upon the mucous mem
branc of the stomach than it does upop
the skin. A hot drink will flush the face
as cold drink never does We admin
lister hot drinks to the patient in a chill
because "they drive the blood to the
skin These instances point to contrac-
ton in the vessels touched by the hot flu
id. Hot water sometimes cures dyspep-
sa, Tor the reason that in catarrh of the
stomach, as In other inilammations, we
have unnaturally dilated vessels and slug
gish circulation, or even stagualion of
the blood. Contraction is here, as in
hyperamla elsewhere, the first step to-
ward cure. In catarrh of the stomach,
therefore, hot drinks may favor secre-
tion and the better digestion of food
In the primitive state, however, hot
drinks were OF course unknown. The
animals, in winter, drink from hole in
the ice, and children do not care for hot
drinks until they have been taught to use
them. A conclusion to be drawn is, not
TO Introduce children to this practice of
rctrograde civilization too early The
child's digestion is not benefited by hot
drinks so long as he is in normal state.
Another conclusion is, not to smile super
ciliously upon your friend because he
thinks that a half-glass of ce-nater be-
fore eating gives him relish for his
food.
A third conclusion relates to milk diet.
Where milk cannot he taken because it
coaguates In Jumps, try taking 1t luke
warm or hot. Ice-cold milk provokes
secretion just as ice-cold water does, and
this sudden outpouriDg of the gastric
juice coagulates the whole quantity In a
mass. By giving the milk hot, on the
contrary, secretion is delayed, coagula-
ton occurs more slowly and haky curd
is Jne result,
a fourth conclusion refers to the hot
water While the douching of the d.
gestivc tract with hot water may be bene-
ficial for time, If persisted in after the
normal circulatory equilibrium has been
reached, it will invariably harm. As a
remedy, hot water is not harmless, and Its
administration should be controlled by
the physicians directions just as certain
ly rs the use of drugs.
last conclusion refers to cerebral
hypernmia. In the condition of flushed
face and mental confusion, which some
times results from worry or overwork,
try an Ice cream If 1t can be digested
II not, try waterloo, or even half
glass of the dcspised ice water. The
manipulating effect of the cold drink has
not yet received its due share of atten-
ton. The possible agency of the hot
drink In the production of "American
ner vousness' is also suggested. On the
other hand, the reviving effect of hot
water and other hot drinks In conditions
OF cerebral an@mia cannot be denied
Any dictum which unquaifyingly says
that cold drinks are good and hot drinks
are bad, or that hot drinks are good and
cold drinks are bad must be absurd
Both are good in their place. In the op-
lnlon OF the writer. however. the cold
drink is physiological requirement.
while the hot drink has its place in the
treatment Of pathological conditions
alone.-Dr Sarah b. Post in Sanitary Era