The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-08-01
THE PRESS.
FRIDAY MORNING, AUG. 1.
what to Drink In Hot Weather.

What to Drink In Hot Weather.
t. = Correspondence of the Press.l
NEW YORK, July 31.-The season of
excessive heat sure to occur at some
period of the summer always sets afioat
in the press considerable discussion con-
corning summer beverages. OF these the
most important is pure water, frequently
water cooled with ice, and we are warned
with more or less emphasis to abstain
from its free use under certain penalties
AS to ice water, that is, water in which
ice is constantly melting, we would join
in the interdict unless it is drunk with
proper caution and with an understand
ing of its true dangers. These are, first,
the sudden flooding of the stomach with
a large quantity of icy fluid when the
body is oppressed with heat; the natural
temperature Of the stomach is 102 degs.
Fair. and that of ice water is 80 dogs.
The half pint or more of ice water
drunk rapidly cannot fail to cause a
chill. Second, when the fluid is taken
profusely it may drive the blood to the
brain and through the capillaries in such
excess as to occasion congestion.
A really fearful circumstance of this
nature occurred recently in the case of
lad who repeatedly ran from his play
into his fathers store, drinking from the
ice water tank immoderately. The re-
suit was natural, but rare in medical ex-
perience; the entire capillary system was
congested, and an unusually painful
death ensued from surface hemorrhage.
The third, more remote, danger from the
use of ice water, even in moderate GUAM
titles, is from infected ice; freezing does
not destroy poisonous germs, and the ice
may be gathered from water contami-
mated with the drainage from barns OF
outhouses, or from sewerage deposits.
Pure water placed in an ice box. in a
covered pitcher or carafe, will become
cool enough to drink in short time.
Some of the improved refrigerators con-
tain a porcelain water tank for maintain
ing continuous supply of cool drinking
water. Water in porous earthen jar,
placed in draught of air, will rapidly
cool to pleasant temperature.
Cool water slowly drunk, SO that the
mouth and throat are cooled by its alb
sorption, may be taken freely and at
comparatively short intervals. 1t is like
eating ices and sherbets; the safety lies
in the length of time occupied in con-
Stunning the fluid. The celebrated scien-
fist Mattieu-W Williams drank three gal
Ions of spring water during stiff mount
ain climb without any i'll effect He i'm
bibed slowly and suffered no inconyen-
fence.
Not only in ice but in water must we
look for sewerage contamination. Some
times the purest in appearance is dan
gerous from this cause. The simplest
test is that of Heisch: Put teaspoonful
of pure loaf sugar in clear, glass stop
pered bottle, add about a half pint of
the water to be tested, close the bottle,
shake it to dissolve the sugar and place
1t in sunny window for two days. If
there is any milky or cloudy appearance
the water may be considered impure; if
it remains clear it may be used without
anxiety. Filtering will remove solid
impurities from water, but to overcome
poisonous conditions only boiling will
suffice. AS some persons consider boiled
water insipid it may be aerated by rap
idly pouring it from one pitcher to an
other in an atmosphere free from dust.
Water that has remained in uncovered
vessels in living rooms is not fit to drink.
The japanese or Chinese water coolers
protect drinking water from all contain
hnaIlO'A by dust or the air.
Inc water from old wells in towns
that have grown in popnlation is ant to
cause local epidemics from the organic
matters filtered through the ground from
drains and sinks; such waters cause
diarrhpa and dangerous fevers. When
there Is no other water available it
would be better to collect rain water,
allowing the first washing from the roof
topass out of the tank; but this slight ac-
emulation of dust would be compare
lively innocuous. Rain water near cities
might accumulate organic deposits from
the passing winds, or smoke, or salt from
the atmosphere near the sea. Rain fall
ing far from dwellings contains oxygen,
nitrogen, ammonia and carbonic acid
among its chemical elements; that which
is gathered toward the end of storm is
the purest and best Water from melted
snow is pure, but it is apt to be insipid
because of its freedom from mineral ele-
ments and gases.
Or the well and spring waters the soft
contain potash and soda; the hard waters
contain lime, magnesia, the phosphates
and sulphates; they are apt to disturb the
digestive organs; by boiling hard water
the Objectionable elements can he nra-
cipitated, and the pure water may then
be poured from the sediment.
In cooking the lime or gypsum of hard
water hardens vegetable caseine; succu-
lent vegetables would soften too much in
soft water if salt were not added to it,
losing flavor and nutriment. From a
sanitary point of view pure, moderately
hard waters are brigh ter, clearer and
cooler than soft waters, and less apt to
ABSORB organic life or contagion of any
sort; the lime in small quantity is whole
some. Government commissions in Eu-
rope nave decided on moderately hard
water as fayoring longevity.
The sanitary effect of pure water is SO
well understood that we cannot but mar.
vel that SO many persons drink whatever
happens to be brought to their dwellings
without inquiry as to its source and mode
of transport. Are the lessons of reneatad
epidemics of typhoid origin needed 70
rouse us to the gravity of the question of
a safe and pleasant water supply for all
the communities of the land?
j. C.