The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-06-12
A SUNDAYS TALK
On Mineral Waters Natural and Ar
tihcial
VERSAL, Utah, June s.

On Mineral Waters Natural and Ar
tificial
Contributed
In the study Of mineral waters artificial
preparations are not to be considered for
one moment. They bear but little re-
semblance to the natural waters. They are
usually carbonated drinks, with a proper
ton of alkaies, iron or EPSON salts, &C
cording as these ingredients may predom-
nate in the water of the spring which they
are supposed to represent. Chemists do
not claim absolute accuracy for the analy-
ses OF water; the combination of the ele-
ments is always empirical. How, then
even when the most scrupulous adhesion to
details is observed (Which seldom or never
occurs) can manufacturers of these pre-
parations produce an imitation identical in
action with the spring water. They can't
do it, and any person who will take the
trouble to look into the matter will see it
cannot be done.
Water is the important inorganic constit-
uent of the body. 1t forms two-thirds of
its substance, and is in more or less init
mate com bination with every organ, bone
or tissue. Chemically speaking, we are
only so much water in combination with
varied proportions of carbon oxygen, hy-
drcgen, nitrogen, chloride of sodium, phos-
plate of lime, carbonate of lime, carbonate
of soda, etc 1t is however, an exceed
ingly mobile constituent; it is continually
discharged from the body, and continually
renewed, so that, while any given tissue
or organ of the body maintains about the
same proportion, 1t does not for any length
of time retain the same particles of water
When water is taken into the stomach 1t
enters the circulation Immediately. 1t is
first absorbed by the gastric veins, and
thence passes directly to the postal vein,
and this blood vessel usually contains more
water than any other. Certain conditions
of the water, however, regulates the rapid
ity of this absorption. II an immoderate
quantity is taken at once, a sensation
of weight is produced, the absorbents are
gorged by the excess of water, endosmosis
is almost prevented, and the process pro-
ceeds but slowly. Again, the temperature
of water influences digestion. Water
much warmer or considerably cooler than
the blood readily penetrates the absorb
ents while if exactly the same tempera-
ture it produces nausea and is frequently
rejected. If, however, the temperature
verges on the extreme in either direction
the water is not tolerated, for then the vi
tally of the mucous membrane is imper-
lied.
Inc remote action OF mineral water is
its Alternative effect And this, in the ma
jority of diseases, is by far the most i'm
portant quality. Alternatives are medi-
cines which, in appropriate doses, modify
the nutrition of the body without
producing any sntecedent phenomena.
This is. precisely the result obtained
by the long continued use of the
Idanha natural mineral water bottled
at Soda Springs, Idaho. How this
occurs is readily understood when we con-
slider the constituents of the body. AS has
been before stated, we are only so much
water in combination with varied proper
tious of carbon. oxygen, hydrogen, nitro
gen, chloride of sodium, phosphate of lime,
carbonate Of lime, carbonate of soda. etc.
The water thus combined may be termed
the mater of constitution, answering the
same purpose in maintaining the body in