Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-10-09
sats stl2" olIEY AND WATER THIRST
QUENCHER IN EARLY TIMES
The Soft Drink Is Not New Di-
version.

The soft drink IS no new diversion. and
the inference from this fact might be
drawn that not all dwellers in the dim,
remote past We're hard drinkers of hard
stun, a fact which would seem to con-
travene much literature descriptive OF
the habits and thirst Of our ancestors
A suggestion, or, perhaps, a taste, Of
some of these very old soft drinks and in
nocuous tipples may be had by reference
to the advice given his patients by a VEN
cradle physician who lived when our pres
ent business forms and social customs
which many are pleased to call Civiliza-
tion, were young, or perhaps unborn.
The name OF that physician is now of no
especially Importance. but II the reader
insists @bpon having II, why here 1t is:
His name was Sangrado, and he was
Spaniard. No doubt there re old Chron-
icles which will give more information
than that relating to him. He was a great
believer In the efficacy Of pure water a.
a potion or potatiou, and he wrote this:
Health consists In the suppleness and
hunecation of the parts, Drink water in
great abunda nee. it IS g universal men
strum that dissolves all kinds OF salts.
But II thou feelest in thyself any reluc-
tance 10 the simple element there are in
nocent aids in plenty that Rill support
thy stomach against the iusiptd taste Of
water. Sage. for example. and balm will
give IL an admirable flavor, and an iufu-
mary will render it more delicious"
Before the virtues and the vices OF the
grape were suspected, before the head
aches, quarrels and good-felIowsnip We're
distilled from the peach or cherry and
long centuries before the Intoxicating
possibilities Of barley. rye and corn we're
recognized, a home and hosnely tipple
was made OF honey and water. II salts
ned the same kind Of thirst which
many old-fashoned children of recent
age slak6d with sugar and water
sweetsned w6ter-nothing else. Honey
water goes back To the youth nf the
human family, for honey as a sweet
and as "duiciher' long sutedated the
sugar OF cane.
Water favored with the essences OF
flowers, barks and roots were common
family preparations. To them was
ascrbed medical qualities. but n was
easy to confer this repute upon things
grateful 10 the taste. IL 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 a
very widespread belief that these pala-
table pTspara tons We're remedial for
many of the ills OF the flesh. but they
were copiOusly drunk because they were
wet and agreeable
Sage tea was an old beverage and ses-
safras tea had a great vogue, a vogue
which fingers to some extent among US.
1t Is drunk as spring medicine. but II
Is undenisbly fragrant and even to some
.foB-to-date palstes has a pleasing flavor
kes le OF the things which impressed the
Is forliest white settlers IN this part or the
Ialinslntry. and OF which they glOwipgly
hion. ote as one OF the charms and appeal,
ite a. feature OF tho new world, was the
Of ssssafras-
y atgead was temperance drink In early
rred rope before It was perverted. or i'm
bon owed, according To the point of view
usseg Fermentation. 1t was honey ant
he alter and spices, and many found In il
&c 4 potent liquid. Among early Ameri
nee ans mead was a gentle and havorng
n matter, usually sarsapaTilla-