CHAPTER XXIII 

 THE HYGIENE OF NUTRITION (Continued) 



WATER; MEAT; SUGAR 



Water. There are particular foods which call for indi- 

 vidual notice; one of these is water. The fact is already 

 familiar that this compound so abundant in nature is also 

 the largest item in the income of the human body. It is 

 an essential part of all the tissues, and its percentage in 

 their make-up cannot be materially reduced while life 

 continues. It has been described before as an important 

 vehicle of excretion, and we have seen that when it evapo- 

 rates it often provides for the removal of heat, which would 

 otherwise accumulate in the body to its hurt. When the 

 discharge of water is unusually great the feeling of thirst 

 is roused and dictates a renewal of the stored supply. 



We can vary considerably our practice of water drinking. 

 Hence this is a matter often dealt with by writers on 

 hygiene. The common teaching is to the effect that one 

 can hardly drink too much water unless it be at mealtimes. 

 The beneficial results supposed to accrue from free drink- 

 ing are assumed to include the avoidance of constipation 

 and the promotion of the elimination of dissolved waste by 

 the kidneys and possibly by the liver. There seem to be 

 no reasons for doubting the soundness of these popular 

 ideas. The drinking of a great deal of water is an excel- 

 lent habit, and consumption of tea, coffee, and other 

 beverages in which water is the principal constituent has 

 this in its favor it leads people to take much more water 

 than they would otherwise. 



It is probably correct to say that the duties of the kid- 

 neys are made lighter when we give them more water to 



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