The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-07-03
VARIOUS SUMMER BEVERAGES.
How Some of the Common Inter-Ab-
dominRl Washes are Produced.
L. Pna

Summer drinks are taken TO quench thirst,
not to increase it. Thirst is caused by too
much heat in the body, due to the too
great proportion of heat-producihg food con-
sumed, such as fatty. farinsceous, and sac
charine articles of diet.
Liquids are taken to carry Off this heat
from the body through the pores of the
skin and thus to preserve q normal temper
ature in it.
Now, if the drinks which we take to sllay
thirst in the summer season are Of them
selves charged with heat producing matter.
as is the case with unduly sweetsned soda
drinks, root beers, etc. The end for which
they are imbibed is defeated, and the
thirsty citizen who aims to quench his thirst
by such beverages finds it increased, and
keeps on drinking, much to his discomfort
and little to his relief.
He has an idea that acid drinks are cool
ing, and goes into a well-known place where
temperance drinks only are supplied.
There he asks for lactart, acid phosphate,
orangeade, or lemonade, and, while he is
given certain amount OF the acid, IL is
smothered in syrup; and it is so with all
drinks taken from the soda fountain, save
the plain soda water itself, which is one of
the best beverages extRnt to Quench thirst.
This leads to the consideration Of the soda
fountain itself, so called, and the agency it
now has in furnishing summer drinks. The
80 called soda water Is not soda water at all
put water impregnated with carbonic acid
gas, deriving its name, however, from the
fact that when it was first made carbonate
Of soda was used to obtain the carbonic
acid
Now, carbonate Of lime or marble dust 10
used and carbonic acid is liberated from it
by the agency of sulphuric acid. which hav-
lug greater affinity for the lime, seizes it,
freeing the gas and forming a sulphats of
lime.
The water impresnated by this gas is no
more soda water than 1t is q lime water
It is neither, in fact, but a carbonic acid
water IL it is anything. The gas 10 pro-
duced in a strong vessel, and transmitted by
pipes into the retorts containing the water
to be impregnated under a pressure Of about
200 pounds to the square inch.
A retort will hold about fifteen gallons Of
water, but only ten gallons are put In. room
being reserved for the mixture OF the gas
with the water. This combination is etfeoGed
by agitating the water in the retort by sub
iscting the retort to q kind of osclllating
movement by which each end is raised aud
lowered alternately and the water thrown
from one end to the other.
An agitation of some ten or twelve min
utes usually suffices to charge the water IN
der PRESSURE which has increased in the
fifth.
1t may here be stated that the soda water
OF to-day is quite q different affair from
what 1t was in former years. Then ordinary
service water, and in some cases spring
water was used Now only distilled water
is used to be impregnated with carbonic acid
gas.
This water is produced from a steam
boiler, as is we'll known, by condemnation
from the steam, the latter being run into a
cooling chamber or condenser, where the
heat is ahstra ted from it by running cold
water over the surface. The distilled water
when first condensed is at high tempsra-
ture, and, TO cool 1t, it is run through coils
in an ice box which are surrounded with
ice
When water is warm or hot it will not
take up the carbonic acId gas, and the lower
its temperature the more readily the latter
will combine with it.
Now from this source the soda fountain
is derived the great bulk OF our summer
temperance drinks, and it is a satisfaction
to know that the charged water is ALSO
lutely pure.
Carbonic acid, which is SO dangerous to
breathe, appears to have good, if not a
tonic, effect on the stomach. In wines and
beers, where it is produced by fermentation,
it is the life of these drinks, for without 1t
they would be fiat and tasteless to a degree.
The art of Introducing 1t artidcially into
non-alcoholic drinks is q great benefit to
humanity. The effect of the extended en-
ploymenJ of the soda fountain now is that,
if person is thirsty and wants "a cooling ef-
fervescing drink, he repairs to the nearest
apothecary store, or place where summer
drinks are dispensed, and calls for any kind
of drink he may desire.
The compromising of SUCH drinks is very
simple and very quickly accomplished by
the clerk. The various extracts, such as
root beer, and favors, such as vanilla, lemon,
etc, are already prepared and combined,
and are drawn from faucets in the fountain
to the required amount in the b Dttom of the
tumbler. Then the glass is filed with the
carbonized water and a palatable drink is
ready for the customer.
The only criticism that oan be made on
these drinks for summer consumption is
that they are too sweet, and, therefore, too
heating.
Perhaps the public taste demands these
over sweetened drinks. but the public taste
is wrong. AS before stated, If it is desired to
Quench thirst, glass Of plain soda is the
best drink that can be taken. even better
than spring water.
So-called tonic bottled beers are made In
the same way thai the drinks are COM
pounded at the soda fountain. The required
amount of syrup with the favor Is drawn
charged water.
These tonic drinks are produced in large
quantities, and are good and wholesome as
a beverage, but after the bottle-which is
quite large-is opened once or twice, the
oarbonic acid gas escapes to a greater or
less extent, and the latter draughts from
it are comparatively fiat. Still, where the
soda fountain cannot be afforded, this is
good substitute for 1t.
A few kinds of root beer are still made,
placed in retorts and charged with carbonio
acid gas. The trouble with such beverages,
owing to the saccharins ingredients in them,
is that when drawn from the faucet they
foam to such degree as 10 be undrinkaole,
aud TO dispense them In potable form the
shopman must draw the beer in large yes
sells and allow it to condense; when a glass
of beer is called for he places it under the
faucet, draws a small amount OF foam in
it and then fills in the beer from O pitcher.
There is another class Of summer drinks
styled nerve foods, nerve tOnics, etc. whose
bitter or tonic principle is usually an ex-
tract of wormwood or some other bitter
vegetable juice or e1tract-which may
merit mention, as they have grown into ex-
tended use on account of their tonic proper
ties in part, but quite largely from liberal
adver tising. These nerve food beers are
made in the same way that the ordinary
tonic beers are, only that in addition to
favoring extracts they contain the bitter