The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-11-24
THE HOME.


10 as iheApeuSlVe dS III is ab present. IL
becomes almost duty to possess one.
The water to fill them is always attaina-
BILE, and the comfort of the possession
will amply repay the expense. Frequent
ly they relieve pain in far simpler and
more effectual manner than does any
medicine. A bag placed on the side of
the neuralgia face will cause the blood
to flow to that part and bring nourish-
ment to the starving nerve. A fit of in
digestion may be overcome in a similar
manner. The weak heart may be assist
ed by IL very scantily-illed bag being
side. In the summer hotel on rainy
day it will make one quite fearless Of
the half aired sheet and chilly bed and
thereby ward off that attack of the
"blues" which cold, unreasonable sum-
mer weather often produces.
Then again, carefully concealed in its
dark colored bag, what comfortable
comp anton for long, cold country drive.
Always soothing, never contradictory,
it is actually a e-saving machine. The
writer remembers bringing up mother
less puppy dog, with an inherited deli
cacy OF constitution, with the sole asss-
tance of a feeding bottle and hot water
bag. He throve in strength to the ex-
tent of demolishing most of his pre-
servers wardrobe, but he never meant
harm.
Many as are the blessings of hot water
bottles, it must not be forgotten that it
is also source of some danger. Always
see that the stopper is absolutely tight,
and never use it without thick cover.
Many painful burn has it given, es-
pecially to an unconscious patient or to
an old person. In old age, the c1rcuia-
ton being weaker the vitality becomes
low. A thick cover will keep the watsr
longer warm, as we'll as insure against
burns. Filling the bag quite full will
also cause the heat to be retained for
longer time, but will not be as COM
Portable as when half full. When not in
use, the bag should be emptied. Good
Housekeepin 6.
Pure Drinking Water.
The problem of supplying drinking
water in thickly settled districts is be-
coming very grave one, and it is worth
while to give it the most serious con-
sideration.
1t is fact we'll known By sanitary
experts that after long periods OF dry
weather, succeeded by very heavy rains,
the death rate increases with surpris-
ing rapidity. Fevers and other germ dis
eases multiply until an epidemic is
threatened.
The great mistake people make on the
water question is in supposing that wat
er that looks, tastes and smells perfectly
clean is necessarily all right. When we
take into consideration that the germs of
the most deadly diseases are discoverable
only with the aid of the most powerful
microscope, we may readily understand
how few millions of them, more or less,
may be taken into the system without
our knowledge. Once settled in their
comfortable environment, they grow and
flourish until the mischief is too far adj
vanced to be counteracted. Every family
should have good filter, and that filter
should be renewed as often as once in
two or four weeks. according to the con-
dition of the water Very few people
realize what deadly thing an impure
filter is. Instead of removing the cause,
it simply amounts to carefully swept
and garnished residence for 1nyriads of
disease germs of various kinds. They
flourish undisturbed in the fltering
medium, building their homes on the
grains of sand that are to them very
much what the Palisades would be 10
us-remote and unoccupied territory,
with encouragement for increasing and
multiplying to an unlimited extent.
The sand and charcoal filter is very
good as far as it goes, but needs con-
slant renewing. And this is, to many
people, so much trouble that they COM
pIacently swallow bacteria and bacilli by
the hundred thousands.
Physicians agree that the only safe wat
er to drink is that which is boiled. The
boiling should be thoroughly done in a
clean vessel and then may be set aside
to cool. If it can then be filtered
through glass funnel, with blotting
paper or fine cotton or linen as filtering
material, it will be at it's best under the
circumstances, or the ordinary filter,
frequently renewed, may be used.
Water which is boiled, If held up to the
light, may be seen to contain floating
particles These are easily removed by
an ordinary blottlng paper filter, and if
this is done in clear, cool air, the process
of aeration will be quite tolerably per-
formed. The water should then be bot
tied and put into the ice box until COO.
enough to use.
1t is not good plan, under any cir
cumstances, to put ice into water. Ice,
especially that gathered in thIckly popu-.
lated districts, is said to be the essence of
all impurity, and it is not at all unlike
ly that the distress and illness attributed
to ice water is caused not so much by
the cold as by the presence of countless
germs that attack the system.
1t is important that every person drink
OF inf Of fay HaV and