The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-07-18
1.-THE MIsCHIEyO0s ICE PITCHER

"IhE mlDInlbNOUO I'VE IllNhhn
Possibly nothing that has appeared in
the North American Review for months
has attracted 30 much attention and So
licited such general comment from the
press, as the article under the above head
ing, written by ex-surgeon general of the
United States army, William A. Hammond
for the June number of that able review.
The article is an uneq uivocal arrangement
of ice water and all very cold drinks, as
the greatest possible health disorganizer
and constant menace to longevity in the
United States, where the distinguished
writer claims more ice water is drank in one
year than in all the rest of the world in ten.
He gives his reasons for condemning ice
water and Joe cold mineral waters as fol-
lows: Tn the frat place, it may cause
sudden death, especially il INDUCED in
when the body is overbeated. A very i'm.
portant part of the nervous system, called
the solar plexus, is situated Immediately
Hicted on the body just over this part Of
the syn pathetic system OF nerves will cause
death with as great rapidity as will stab
in the heart. 1t Is not the injury to this
organ OF digestion that produces instanta-
neous death, but the shock which Is given
to the solar plexus, and through it to
the heart. A big drink of ice water
reduces the temperature of the solar
plexus 80 suddenly that the action of the
heart is greatly lessened; sometimes to so
great an extent as to cause instant death.
1t is quite common for persons to feel
faint, and to become pale imme diately
after drinking glass of ice water. They
attribute these effects to heat or over ex-
ertion, or to some other cause which has
nothing whatever to do with the result,
not knowing they have 30 weakened the
heart as to prevent its sending due
amount of blood to the lungs and brain,
and that had the water been little
colder, life would possibly have been ex-
tinguished altogether. Under certain
circumstances it acts with all the force
and rapidity of prussic acid" The doc
tor is very severe with druggists who sell
mineral waters at such extremely low tenn
psrature, and then continues: "Besides
being one of the most prolific causes of
neuralgia affections, very cold drinks in
jure the teeth. They crack the enamel ,
and therefore increase their liability to
decay. Americans, as a nation, have
worse teeth than any other people in the
world, and this fact is due more to the ex-
oessive use of ice water than to any other
cause" And again he says: "The effect
upon the stomach of ice water drinking is
no less marked. As soon as the cold liquid
reaches this organ, the blood vessels,
which are enlarged during the
process of digestion, in order that due
amount of gastric juice may be secreted,
are at once contracted, and the function is
accordingly more or less completely ar
rested. Confirmed dyspepsia is neces-
barry consequence, and this frequently as
sumes the form of gastric oatarrh, than
which few disorders are more intractable.
There is some reason to believe that can
Ger of the stomach, disease certainly
more frequent among Americans than
other people, is like wise one of its conse-
quences." He also says there is strong
reason to believe that ice water is pro-
life source of that terrible mslady Bright's
disease of the kidneys. He concludes
his article by saying: "Water for drink
ing purposes should never be below
fifty degrees. am quite sure that, If ice
water should be generally discarded as a
drink, the average duration of life would
be heightened and existence rendered more
tolerable."
This advice is from very distinguished
authority, and seems of special spplica-
ton to us of the south, in our hot climate,
with it's scarce month of wintry weather.
If there is so much of danger lurking in
the pitcher, dripping with its frigid moist
ure, do not prudence and proper regard
for health demand that such an especially
American luxury be eIiled. and the fifty
degree limit, mentioned by DR. Hammond,
be strictly adhered to, for, after all, sound
health is mans dearest luxury.