The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-06-24
To Boil Water
BY JANE EDDINGToN.

The waters We use in cooking and
at the table may be ciassed as "ordi-
nary household water" which may or
may not be natural water" and raw
water and cooked water There IS Quit.
a world OF difference between these
latter. which cooks ought better TO ,n-
dcrstand and which drinkers only
with peril 10 their health can afford to
disregard.
II we go TO the dietitian Gaut!er for
what genuine drinkable water should
be. We find that 1t should be fresh.
iimpid. free OF odor. slightly alkaline.
agreeable. free from putrefactlon. and
1T for common domestic consumption"
This is a sort OF counsel OF perfec-
ton TO which most people give little
heed. They drink water which Is hard
on their stonachs rather than easy,
and too often think they cannot help
Themselves But IL IS very vital 10
health that they dhould help them
selves. and more vital that discontorts
which develop some time after drink
ing should be avoided.
Cold boiled water. ~ fat and taste
less because unaernted. deprived OF It's
minerals, etc. can be acldulated and
made safe IN many ways. Our fore
mothers toasted bread and drank toast
water. II Is believed that Thoroughly
Drowned bread will disinfoct raw water.
Toast water was made an hour before
drinking. II Is fiat, but may be flavor
ed.
One ~ tho first writer's on the chem
'stry OF cooking takes up FIRST the sub
jcct OF the boiling OF water" which
he defines as one OF the most rudi-
mcntary operations OF cooking and
the most frequently performed" He
remarks that dissertation between
raw and cooked water may seem pc
dantic. but the difference is "consider-
able. very practical and important"
For one thing fhe air and gases dis
solved in II arc given of so that 1t
becomes 80 Hat and tas,cless unless
II is "acrntcd" again. II also frees Il
from some or it's mineral Impurities.
Lime often forms a film on tho vessel
IN which the water is boiled. But
some other minerals arc soluble In
water In almost any state.
II may not be necessary to remove
either the minerals or tho air but
thor" is another class or Impurities
which arc harmful especially TO people
VINO arc not In tho best OF health, or
Ia "ha; tho doctors call a state OF
r- -ptivity" great number Of per-
sons believe II is necessary or the de-
cree OF fate that they be in this state.
when tho sure ant!dote for II Is right
eating.
but while the strong and perfectly
vigorous and those who have fought
few or no battles with disease can
forget that there exists such things AS
bad bacteria, bacilll m!srococci, etc.
tho vitnlly depleted mus, bear them
ever in mind They are as genuine
pests as typhoid-carrylng mosquitoes
aud lesser !uidgets OF the air. though
q m
There are those who believe that
the Kitchen OF the future Will DO
equipped with a microscope for the
discovery OF Just such animals. which
arc very likely 10 he present in milk
and even in leo cream. II $50 people
In public institution the world Is
likely 10 know IT. but equal numbers
are poisoned by foods elsewhere
The milk Is anlayzed. and ~ the
mystery is still unsolvcd the water
might be, for pollutions which would
be very slight In cold weather might
become very virulent In warm weather
because all low forms OF animal life
at certain temperatures multiply with
exceeding rapidity aud die az rapidly
II is not exactly pleasant to think
that We consume these when cooked.
but II they are in water and we boil
1t. that is what happens. and they be-
come harmless, while very poisonous
raw.
The germ theory seems TO b. IN
higher reputc than ever to-day. Moro
diseases than ever are accredited to
n germ" There is no recipe other
than that for boiling water for cook
Ing germs. but from the chemical side
there Is lot 10 the mere boiling CT
water, because tho chemist understands
what may be lurking In raw water