Next to pure air, pure water or water with no harmful ingredients or infusions in it, is important.

It has been demonstrated that the body can live without injury at least 90 days without solid or liquid food, but it can not live without injury twenty-four hours without water.

Some people like to disguise their water before drinking it by mixing it with rotten hops and barley, and in other ways too numerous to mention. It is better to drink lots of water this way than not at all, but for all that it isn't the right way, and the foreign matter in such adulterated water is usually harmful.

Fact is, you can't improve on Nature; she furnishes just the right kind of drink in its natural state, and you should use it that way and use it frequently and liberally and without fear of any harmful consequences.

I am reminded of a life story told me by an invalid. When she was a little girl, she read about some people who were out on the desert and who died from want of water. This story so impressed her child mind that she resolved to try and live on just as little water as she could, so in case of a like emergency she would be prepared to go without it. She constantly denied herself this great essential of physical health, and became a chronic invalid. Not infrequently a mistaken idea like that will ruin a human life.

If you want an absolutely safe rule, here it is: Drink lots of water, and drink nothing else.

I consider it unnecessary to demonstrate that the drinking of alcoholic beverages is harmful to the human organism. Any drink that has the power to dethrone man's reason and make a maudling idiot or a raving maniac of him, is certainly not a good thing, nor can he indulge in such a drink even "moderately" without moderate injury, in proportion to the indulgence.

I once belonged to the temperance crusaders, a bunch of people who were very sincere in trying to cure other people's bad habits, and not conscious that they themselves had habits, almost if not quite as bad, that needed curing. The constant use of tea and coffee may be more harmful to the physical organism of the user than an occasional glass of beer or a highball. Although such drinks as coffee and tea do not fill one with a desire to go home and beat the brains out of one's children, or commit other acts of violence, nevertheless they have their positively injurious effects on the body and mind.

You may think coffee is not harmful; that will be natural to a coffee drinker. You will perhaps say, "I don't feel good without my cup of coffee each morning," - neither does the alcohol victim feel good with out his dram, nor the morphine fiend feel good without his "shot," but that's no argument for whisky and morphine - nor will it hold for coffee either.

One never fully appreciates the effect of coffee on the body until one has taken the trouble to eliminate caffeine entirely from the system and then makes an experiment. The writer once made this experiment as follows: Years ago my wife had typhoid fever, a very severe case of it that required a constant watch by her bedside. Towards the end of this trying period after I had lost sleep for weeks, in fact had no chance for regular sleep, I found nature would assert herself and close my eyes when I was taking care of the patient. I was in danger of falling asleep at a most critical stage of her sickness. I had heard that coffee would keep people awake, and so I took a cupful one evening. I shall never forget the effect of that cup of coffee; it kept me awake, to be sure, but it made me very sick. I could actually "taste" that coffee out in the ends of my fingers, and feel its effect all over my body. Under my severe physical strain I perhaps felt this more than I would in a normal state, but it was conclusive proof to me that such stuff is not good for the human body.

(This is no ad for "Boostum." You may be "posted" on this subject; if not, don't try to cure one bad habit by getting into another one. I would not take the position here that these manufactured "excuses" for coffee are as harmful as coffee; for people strongly addicted to the coffee habit they might be an easy way of getting rid of it. I say "might"; I don't know; personally, I have no use for them.)

There are drinks besides water that are pleasant and helpful, such as are made from pure fruit juices - lemonade, orangeade, sweet cider, fresh grape juice, etc., a good plan is to make these yourself.

A very strengthening and satisfactory drink can be made by simply soaking oatmeal in water. It is good for workmen on hot days, and as we all ought to be workmen, it ought to be good for all of us.

As for bathing, it is a shame that our present civilization, so-called, pays so little attention to this part of social life; I say "social life," for I believe that there will come a time when the great public baths will be a general meeting place for the people. "Society" gathers now at some sea coast and enjoys the daily plunge and promenade on the beach, but the working people stay at home and swelter through the hot summer days, cooped up in their little box-like homes (?) without even the convenience of a bathtub.

Is it natural for people to swim? Ask the first kid you meet if there is a swimming hole any place about; if there is one within five miles he will tell you, for he has been there. On investigation you may find the place to be some mud hole, but it beats nothing at all, at least so reasons the kid. I have seen the newsboys jump in the fountain in the public square at Cleveland, Ohio, jump in with their clothes on, and jump out and skedaddle as soon as a copper hove in sight. The normal boy is crazy about swimming, and there should be a good big clean proper safe place for every boy to swim in, and as we are all children grown up, this place should have room for the entire community.

Swimming is not only a cleansing process, but a healthful and natural exercise, one of the best, and it's a shame that so many have been and are being denied a chance to enjoy this great sport.

From the standpoint of cleanliness meat eaters should bathe very often. Vegetarians who live on clean food also need to bathe frequently, but their bodies will not be offensive even if the opportunity for bathing is very limited.

There is such a thing as taking too many hot-water baths, though few people ever hurt themselves in this way. There are not a few people, however, who "wash the outside of the cup" with great frequency and unction, but who are "full of dead men's bones" inside and all manner of uncleanness. Personally, I'd rather be dirty outside and clean inside - it's more important; but it's better to be clean both inside and outside.