Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1897-01-23
WATER IN HOT WEATHER.
Dangers From tho Use of Ios Water Mod.
crately Hard Water Favored.

Dazgors From tho Use Of Ios Water Mod
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 tho body is oppressed with
heat. The half pint or more Of ice water
drunk rapidly cannot fail to cause a
chill. Second, when the fluid is tax
ON 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 refrigerutors con.
tain a porcelain water tank for main.
tanning a continuous supply of cool
drinking water. Water in u porous
earthen jar, placed in a draft Of air,
will rapidly cool to pleasant tcmpora.
ture. Such porous jaIs are now sold in
the oriental stores in all our largo cities.
Cool water slowly drunk may be taken
freely and at comparatively sbc~t il.
tervals Small bits Cf ice oHn be eaton
without injury. a sharp pain at the
back of the neck, at the base of the
bTain, or at the suprao1tital spaces,
above the eyes, indicates q chill of tho
nerves, and warns against further eat
ing Of ice or drinking Of ice water. It
is like eating ices and shcrbots. The
safety lies in tie length Of time occu-
pied in consuming the fluid.
Not only in ice, but in water, must
we look for sewage contamination.
Sometimes the purost in appearance is
dangerous from this cause. The simplest
test is that of Heisch-put a teaspoon
full Of pure loaf sugar in a clear, glass
stoppered bottle; add about half pint
of the water to be tested; close the bot
tie, shake it to dissolve the sugar, and
place it in a sunny window for two
days. If there is any milky or cloudy
appearance, the water may bc 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 aeratcd 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-
tion 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.
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 sanitary point Of
view, pure, moderately hard waters are
brighter, clearer and cooler than soft
waters and less apt TO absorb organic
life or contagion Of any sort. The lime
in small quantity is wholesome. Gov
ernment commissions in Europe have
decided on moderately hard water as
favoring longevity, according to the au-
thority quoted.