188 THE WONDERFUL HOUSE THAT JACK HAS 



lant, and by softening the contents of the digestive 

 canal, it aids in the expulsion of waste. 



There may, of course, be times when medicine is 

 necessary to help in our internal house cleaning; but 

 it should be prescribed by a physician, or at least be 

 something of well established value in the household. 

 The habit of taking doses of any kind should be care- 

 fully avoided. Our bodies are wonderful self-oiling, 

 self-cleansing machines. Furnish them an abundance 

 of air, water, exercise, not too much food, and suffi- 

 cient rest, and they are likely to continue strong, clean, 

 and healthy. These are the natural ways to build 

 and repair them. Medicines should be rarely used 

 unless a doctor advises. Of this we may be certain : 

 if we learn to make the right use of these common 

 building and repair materials, we shall be so strong 

 and well that spending money for medicine will rarely 

 be necessary. 



Let us review our knowledge of this useful liquid. 

 Where does it come from ? Is it all alike and equally 

 beneficial? We have all seen steam come out of the 

 teakettle and condense into water again as it strikes 

 the cold surface of the window. Water that is con- 

 densed from steam is called distilled water, and it is 

 very pure, for whatever mineral or other substance 

 might have been in solution before the steam was 

 formed, was left behind. 



That greatest of all fires, the sun, is constantly 

 causing moisture to rise from that greatest of all tea- 



