WATER. 721 
WATER. 
THE general supposition is that when water is drunk, particularly 
whilst fasting from food, it is taken up quickly by the absorbents 
from the interior of the stomach into the blood. But, as Dr. R. 
Hutchison now explains, it has become incontestably established 
as a fact that water is not absorbed by the mucous lining 
membrane of the stomach at all. When water enters the stomach 
it begins to flow out into the intestine at the other end of the 
stomach, into the first intestine almost at once, the process going 
on in little gushes through the (pylorus) outlet until all the water 
has escaped. Roughly speaking, one may assume that a pint 
of water will have entirely issued from the stomach in the space 
of about three quarters of an hour. Hot water escapes from 
the stomach much more rapidly than cold; the heat increases 
strongly the movements of the stomach walls, and at the same 
time seems to cause its outlet (pylorus) to open, this being a 
powerful aid to sluggish digestion. Water is exclusively absorbed 
into the blood from within the intestines. The statement that 
a free consumption of Water at meals is apt to hinder digestion 
by diluting the gastric juice is not well grounded. Water is 
but a slight excitant of gastric digestion. If it be impure 
contaminated water, it passes out again onwards before the anti- 
septic gastric juice has time to act on any noxious germs which 
it may contain ; for which reason any such contaminated water 
is much more likely to convey disease into the system than is 
contaminated milk. This latter is detained in the stomach for 
partial digestion there, and its germs are more prone to be 
destroyed straightway. To boil water is the only way for 
rendering it reliably free from danger. If spirit, or wine, is 
added to the Water imbibed, this does not kill any germs contained 
therein, or make it any safer for drinking. In China, where the 
sewage of the densely populated country is carried off chiefly by 
the rivers, (so that the danger of contracting disease through 
drinking their water must be great), the universal use of cooked 
water in some form is a matter of history; and it is probable 
that instinct, or experience, has prompted the Chinaman to 
drink but very little water except that which has been cooked. 
The every-day national drink is weak tea, made in a large teapot, 
and kept in a wadded basket so as to retain the heat ; the whole 
family use it, and the very poor drink plain hot water just tinged 
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