80 
condition, per se, is a demand by the entire system for water. 
Water is therefore the typical beverage, and that sample of 
water is the most perfect beverage which is the freest from odor 
or taste, and from any other property than that of supplying the 
demand of the system for this liquid. Nevertheless, because the 
local distress of thirst is ‘lieved by many things taken in the 
water we must extend our definition of beverages to include 
many modified forms of water. 
It is thus both convenient and scientific to divide beverages 
into the simple and the modified. Simple beverages are those 
forms of water in which any existing modification is not inten- 
tional or desired, the water itself being the only element for which 
the beverage is drun 
The slightest possible modification of the simple beverage is 
that in which some pleasant taste or odor has been imparted to 
the water. A little greater modification is that in which gum is 
added, which, by coating the fauces, decreases the amount of 
evaporation and consequent distress. n illustration is water 
with oatmeal stirred into it, or in which sassafras leaves have 
been macerated. An sional step is taken when hee 
acid gas is added to deaden the nerve- -endings whose sensations 
of thirst distress us. A much longer step is that of adding 
alcohol, which stupefies the nerve-centers, rendering us insen- 
sible to the sufferings of our thirst. The stronger forms of 
alcohol, containing comparatively little water, are thus not 
beverages at all, but sense-paralyzing or stupefying drugs. 
Their continued use brings about profound derangements of the 
netvous system, functional and organic, from which arise a les- 
sened ability to attain to pleasurable states, or even leading to 
positively painful states. These conditions in turn call for other 
drugs, intended to produce artificial pleasurable states, or to 
deaden us still more to our painful ones. These powerful drugs, 
taken in liquid form, are less often denominated beverages, but 
sometimes are, with obvious inaccuracy. Tea and coffee may 
be cited as illustrations of this class. 
Considering these classes in order, it is to be noted that the 
civilized world has little knowledge of the extent to which prac- 
