"The human system is made up of many chemical elements, the principal part of which is water. The second largest element is carbon and next to it is nitrogen, while calcium is the largest element of the mineral sub stances. Those of less quantity are magnesium, sodium iron, sulphur and traces of other metals."

Doctor, Must Our Food Contain All The Elements Of The Body?

"That is the conclusion from the experiments that have been made, although some of the elements are so small no demonstration has ever been attempted. It is but natural to conclude though, that if water, carbon and nitrogen and lime are indispensable that all the other elements would be so."

I Take It From What You Say That Water Is The Most Important Of All Foods?

"That is true. There is nothing taken into the system so indispensable as water, for it constitutes about 70 per ct of the weight of the body,and as the evaporation from the body is large, and being a vehicle for carrying off the waste and poisonous products of the system, more water is required than any other food, and if it is not frequently supplied, the blood would become too thick to circulate and death would result."

Doctor, I Suppose You Have Seen The Statement In Advertisements Of Liquors That Water Kills More People Than Whiskey?

"Yes," said the doctor, "and strange as it may seem, there is some probability that the statement is true; at least, it would be a good question for debate."

You Don't Mean To Say That People Drink Too Much Water, Do You, Doctor?

"As a rule, they don't. More drink too little than too much. It is not the quantity but the quality that kills, as the people of Hamburg learned in 1893 when they were scourged with the cholera."

Is There Much Impure Water?

"Much! Why don't you ask whether there is any pure water, for such a question would be more in accord with the facts."

What Are Some Of The Sources Of Polution?

"Wells are polluted from surface water by spilling dirty water on its covering, by filtration from barnyards, privies, feed pens and street sewage. River and lake waters by sewage, decaying vegetable matter, and refuse of all sorts thrown into them, but this belongs to sanitation to be treated in a separate volume and we should not venture out too far."

Cannot The People Tell By Seeing Whether It Is Clear?

"No, the clear sparkling water may be laden with death dealing impurities which may be vegetable or chemical, and may even have typhoid or cholera bacteria in it, but by boiling, it can be made wholesome and many impurities may be removed by various methods of filtering."

But People Object To Boiled Water, It Tastes Too Vapid?

"That can be easily overcome by agitating, like making milk shake or lemonade; in fact, the aeration these drinks get by being shaken is partly what makes them so pleasant."

Can You Give Some Suggestion As To How Much Water A Person Should Take In Twenty-Four Hours?

"We take much of our water in what we call our solid foods; but unless we eat watery foods, like green fruits, the smallest requirements would be at least three pints daily, in addition to what would ordinarily be consumed in the foods including milk, tea and coffee. Of course, exercise, temperature and the size of the individual would all be varying circumstances and one would drink a great deal more water in very hot weather than in moderately cool or cold weather."

Do People Injure Themselves By Drinking Water?

"That is putting it mildly to say the least. Every tank and pitcher of ice water ought to be labeled with skull and cross bones."

Why So?

"Did you ever snow-ball? If you have, you have noticed that though your fingers would be for a time nearly frozen, after a while they would sting and burn with heat."

Yes, I Have Noticed It. Is That The Way Ice Water Acts?

"It is. When the blood returns, that has been driven avay by the cold water, reaction takes place and if continued, the excessive flow of blood causes congestion, resulting in inflammation and general derangement of the stomach, usually known as ice water catarrh. It's a prolific source of what is generally known as summer complaint, indigestion, cramps, dull headaches and general languor,and dilatation of the stomach walls or enlargement of the stomach. There is another thing. Have you ever noticed if you take a large draught of ice water when you are very hot that you feel somewhat as if you were going to faint? Well, that results from the shock to the nerves in the blood vessels thereby affecting the activity of the heart and the fainting sensation is not caused by the heat as is generally supposed."

"That may be all very true, doctor, but think how cool it keeps one."

"Where did you learn that? That is one of the most absurd notions of the age. We get cool by what assists in radiation of heat, and whatever opens the pores of the skin and allows the heat to escape, makes the body cool. Trying to warm a tank of ice water in the stomach does not take away the heat from the system; but on the contrary prevents its escape from the body."

Then You Would Advise The People Not To Drink Ice Water?

"1 would substitute cracked ice, which answers the place much better and is much more effective in rapidly lowering the temperature of the body. If ice be retained in the mouth until melted, the water becomes warm before it reaches the stomach. This entirely avoids the evil effect of ice water and prevents congestion with its train of ills."

This Does Not Give Much Water, Does It Doctor?

"No, it is not the quanity of ice water that is drunk that gives such satisfaction, but the contact of cold to the mouth and throat, and melting ice seems to answer the demands of internal heat better than any other agent at our command."

"But cracked ice is not always easily obtained."

"Then it is better to only use part ice water and part of water much warmer, but people may drink ice water in very, very small quantities and very slowly. No one should drink more than a "gill of very cold water at a time. No cold drink of any kind should be taken sooner than three hours after meals. In hot weather where there is an inclination to drink too much, a little water should betaken with greater frequency."