The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1914-09-10
SOFT DRINK IS OLD|A LAND OF CANES
Ancient Physician Believed in
Efficacy of Pure Water.
If One Disii<ed the Taste OF Water
1t Could Be Favored With the
Essence of Flowers,
Banks and Roots.


The soft drink is no new diver
sion, and the inference from this
fact might be drawn that not all
dwellers in the dim, remote past were
hard drinkers Of hard stuff, fact
which would seem to contravene much
literature descriptive of the habits
and thirst of our ancestors.
A suggestion, or perhaps taste, Of
some of these very old soft drinks
and innocuous tipples may be had by
reference to the advice given his pa
dents by venerable physician who
lived when our present business forms
and social customs, which many are
pleased to call civilization, were
young, or perhaps &nborn. The name
of that physician now Of no espe-
cial Importance, but If the reader in
sists upon having it, why here it is:
His name was Sangrado, and he was
a Spaniard. No doubt there are old
chronicles which will give more in
formation than that relating to him.
He was great believer in the efficacy
of pure water as potion or potation,
and he wrote this:
Health consists in the suppleness
and humectation Of the parts. Drink
water in great abundance; 1t is uni
versal menstrum that dissolves all
kinds of salts. But If thou feelest in
myself any reluctance to the simple
element, there are innocent aids in
plenty that will support thy stomach
against the insipid taste of water.
Sage, for example, and balm will give
1t an admirable flavor, and an infusion
of cornpoppy, gillyfower and rose
mary will render It still more deli
cious."
Before the virtues and the vices Of
the grape were suspected. before head
aches, quarrels and goodfellowship
were distilled from the peach or cher
ry, and long centuries before the in
toxicating possibilities of barley, rye
and corn were recognized, home and
homely tipple was made Of honey and
water. 1t satisfied the same kind Of a
thirst which many old-fashioned chill
dren Of a recent age slaked with SUI
gar and water-sweetened water
nothing else Honey water goes back
to the youth of the human family, for
honey as a sweet and as "dulcifier'
long antedated the sugar of cane.
Water favored with the essences of
flowers, barks and roots were COM
mon family preparations. To them
were ascribed medicinal qualities, but
it was easy to confer this repute upon
things grateful to the taste. 1t was
good for the palate and therefore good
for the rest of the body. Today men
ascribe curative properties to certain
liquids. while other men and women
cry them down as poison. Perhaps
there was very widespread belief
that these palatable preparations
we're remedial for many of the ills OF
flesh, but they were copiously drunk
because they were wet and agreeable.
Sage tea was an old beverage and
sassafras tea had a great vogue, a
among us. 1t is drunk as a spring
medicine, but it is undeniably fra
grant and even to some up-to-date
palates has pleasing flavor. One of
the things which impressed the earli-
est white settlers in this part of the
country and of which they glowingly
wrote as one OF the charms and ap-
pealing features of the new world was
the abundance of sassafras
Mead was a temperance drink in
early Europe before it was perverted,
or improved, according to the point
Of view, by fermentation. 1t was hon.
ey and water and spices, and later
ground malt with fermentation trans
formed it into a potent liquid. Among
early Americans mead was gentle
and harmless drink of sweetened wa
ter and flavoring matter, usually sar-
saparilla.
When the art or practice Of distil-
Iation came to be understood by a
few select spirits many herbs were
changed into ardent waters. A very
early recipe for making one Of these
Installations, cordials or herb tonics
gives the following ingredients, with
their needful proportions:
Juniper berries, enula campana
roots. caIamus aramaticus, gallingall
wormwod, speire mint, red mint, cara
way and angelica seeds and saffron.