Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1896-07-24
WATER IN HOT WEATHER.
Dangers From the Use Of Ice Water-Mod-
erately Hard Water Favored.

Dangers From the Use OF Ice w ater-MO0.
erately Hard Water Favored.
Ice water-that is, water in which
ice is constantly melting-should be
drunk with caution and an understand
ing Of its true dangers. These, as point
ed out by writer in the New York
Times, are, first, the sudden flooding Of
the stomach with large quantity Of icy
fluid when the body is oppressed with
heat. The half pint or more Of ice water
drunk rapidly cannot fail to cause q
chill. Second. when the fluid is tax
en- profusely, it may drive the blood to
the brain and through the capillaries in
such excess as to occasion congestion.
The third and more remote danger from
the use of ice water is from infected ice.
Freezing does not always destroy poi
sonous germs, as boiling does. Pure wa
ter placed in an icebox, in a covered
pitcher or stoppered carafe, will become
cool enough to drink in short time.
Some Of the improved refrigerators con-
tain porcelain water tank for main
tanning continuous supply of cool
drinking water. Water in porous
earthen jar, placed in draft Of air,
will rapidly cool to pleasant tempera.
ture. Such porous jars are now sold in
the oriental stores in all our large cities
Cool water slowly drunk may be taken
freely and at comparatively short in
tervals Small bits of ice can be eaten
without injury. A sharp pain at the
back Of the neck, at the base Of the
brain, or sat the supraorbital spaces,
above the eyes, indicates a chill Of the
nerves, and warns against further eat
ing Of ice or drinking Of ice water. It
is like eating ices and sherbets. The
safety lies in the length Of time occu-
pied in consuming the fluid.
Not only in ice, but in water, must
we look for sewage contamination.
Sometimes the purest in appearance is
dangerous from this cause. The simplest
test is that Of Heisch-put teaspoon
full of pure loaf sugar in clear, glass
bottle; add about half q pint
of the water to be tested; close the bot
tie, shake it to dissolve the sugar, and
place it 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 in
sipid, it may be aerated by rapidly
pouring it from one pitcher to another
in an atmosphere free from dust. The
japanese or Chinese water coolers pro-
tect drinking water from all contamina-
ton by dust or the air and also keep
cracked ice unmelted for long time.
The manufactured ice now in general
use is free from germs Of disease and
may be used safely with distilled or FL
tered water.
J OF the we'll 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 be precipitated and the
pure water may then be poured from
the sediment. From q sanitary point Of
view. pure, moderately hard waters are
clearer and cooler than soft
waters and less apt to absorb organic
life or &C ntagion Of any sort. The lime
in small quantity is wholesome. Gov
commissions in Europe have
decided on moderately hard water as
favoring longevity, according to the au-
thority quoted.