186 THE WONDERFUL HOUSE THAT JACK HAS 



of pure water is one of the greatest helps in accom- 

 plishing our inner house cleaning. In a previous 

 chapter we read that drinking too freely of water at 

 meals may be an injurious practice, because, if cold, 

 it is likely to lessen the supply of digestive fluids, and, 

 if taken in too large quantities, it may over-dilute 

 them. 



But a glass or two of water just before retiring at 

 night, or two or three glasses a half hour or more 

 before meals, especially before breakfast, are most 

 effective in keeping the inside of our bodies clean and 

 healthy. At such times the work of stomach-di- 

 gestion of the previous meal is nearly or entirely com- 

 pleted. The water helps to cleanse the various organs 

 and tissues through which it is carried, and also stimu- 

 lates the kidneys to remove injurious products from 

 the blood. Thus, this liquid, so commonly used to 

 clean the outside of many things we can see, is equally 

 useful in cleaning the inside of our bodies which we 

 cannot see. There are people who get into the habit 

 of drinking little or no water except what is in their 

 coffee or tea. Some insidious disease forces them to 

 consult a physician, when they discover what a serious 

 mistake they have been making and how much benefit 

 they might have derived from drinking a plentiful 

 supply of pure water. 



But what about the temperature of our drinking 

 water? Is that of any particular consequence? It 

 certainly is, for the stimulating effect of water depends 



