AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
283 
“FEED A COLD AND STARVE A FEVER.” 
CATCHING COLD. 
The above is one of a class of popular 
“ sayings” which have come to be regarded 
as truisms, but many of which are founded 
entirely in error. It would be nearer 
right to say, starve a cold and starve 
a fever. We believe there are compar¬ 
atively few of the common ailings which 
may not be entirely overcome by at¬ 
tention to diet. Take a cold for example. 
By improper exposure to inequalities of tem¬ 
perature the system becomes disarranged, 
and the different functions of the body are 
performed imperfectly. The circulation of 
the blood, especially, is disturbed; the usual 
secretions do not go on ; headache and gen¬ 
eral dullness throughout the system are ex¬ 
perienced, and unless a reaction takes place, 
local inflammation of the throat, lungs, &e., 
and a partial or general fever is the result. 
Now to “ feed” the stomach and thus add 
more materials to the already overloaded 
blood, is the worst thing that can be done. 
On the contrary, let the diet and drinks be 
greatly or entirely diminished, and give the 
blood an opportunity to throw off the super¬ 
abundant matters. Avoid wet or cold feet, 
and sudden changes of temperature, and one 
or two night’s sleep with an empty stomach, 
under adouble supply of bedding, will gener¬ 
ally cure an ordinary cold. The same 
means, persevered in, will “ break up” almost 
any cold, however severe. There is no¬ 
thing better for a cold than thoroughly soak¬ 
ing the feet in hot water just before -going 
into an extra warm bed. 
A word or two more in regard to “ catch¬ 
ing cold.” It is generally thought that a 
cold is taken by changing from a warm to a 
cold atmosphere. This is hardly so. A 
cold is more the result of inequality of tem¬ 
perature in different parts of the body. A 
person may go from a warm bed and plunge 
naked into a snow bank and not take cold, 
and yet become quite sick from merely 
holding one arm in warm and the other in 
cold water. The body maybe warmly clothed, 
and yet a cold be taken by having the feet 
wet, or a slight current of air blowing upon 
an arm or upon the head or neck. So 
a person may take cold by the side of a blaz¬ 
ing fire, because the draft of air to¬ 
ward the chimney cools that part of 
the body away from the fire. One part 
of the body being clothed warmer than 
another part, will disturb the circulation of 
the blood, and induce some form of disease 
classed under the general name of a “cold.” 
One of the most common sources of a cold 
is the getting a part of the clothing wet, and 
thus cooling that part of the body below the 
general temperature of the system. On the 
contrary, a person may be entirely drenched 
with rain, and by drying the clothes uniformly, 
or changing them entirely, no difficulty will 
be experienced. Let it be kept in mind that, 
the greatest danger of “ catching cold” is 
from an inequality of warmth in different 
parts of the body. 
Letters of inquiry from J. C.; G. J.; M. S.; 
J. H. S.; Dr. S. J. W., &c.,will be answered 
in our next number, or privately by letter. 
SODA WATER. 
A friend having been directed by a physi¬ 
cian to administer “fixed air” (carbonic 
acid) to a member of his family who was 
slightly indisposed, asks our opinion as to 
the different methods of forming it, &c. 
There are a large number of substances 
classed under the head of carbonates or bi¬ 
carbonates. These are composed of a base, 
such as potash, soda, lime, magnesia, am¬ 
monia, &c.,combined with a definite quantity 
of carbonic acid (fixed air), which is united 
with the base in a condensed or solid form. 
Thus, for example, 100 lbs. of common sale- 
ratus is made up of about 52 lbs. of potash 
and 48 lbs. of carbonic acid. Marble, chalk, 
and limestone, each contain about 56 parts, 
by weight, of lime, united with 44 parts of 
carbonic acid. Common cooking soda (prop¬ 
erly called bicarbonate of soda) is made up 
of about 41 i parts of soda with 584 of car¬ 
bonic acid. 
Carbonic acid, when not united with other 
substances, is an invisible gas, having the 
physical properties of air, but about H times 
as heavy. A cubic foot of this gas weighs 
803£ grains, and the same quantity of air 527 
grains. The fact that this gas is so fre¬ 
quently condensed into a solid form, when 
united with other substances, as in the case 
of chalk, marble, or soda, was the reason of 
its being called “ fixed air.” Other gases, 
however, combine in the same manner. 
To produce carbonic acid in a gaseous or 
air-like form, it is only necessary to get it in 
a simple or uncombined state. When chalk 
or limestone (carbonate of lime) is heated, 
the heat expels this gas into the air, and 
leaves the simple lime. If we add any 
stronger acid to the chalk, limestone, or 
marble, the added acid will take the place of 
the carbonic acid, and the latter will at once 
expand out into its gas form. To see this, 
put a lump of saleratus in a tumbler of wa¬ 
ter, and pour in some vinegar (acetic acid), 
and you will at once see bubbles of this car¬ 
bonic acid rise up through the water. 
The soda-water manufacturers put into a 
vessel marble or chalk, or some other cheap 
carbonate, and pour upon it sulphuric acid 
(oil of vitriol) or hydrochloric acid (muriatic 
acid), and then contrive to catch the gas as 
it rises up. By means of an air-pump, or 
condenser, this gas is compressed into strong 
vessls, called “ fountains,” which are partly 
filled with water. A single quart of water 
may be charged with from 150 to 200 quarts 
of carbonic acid condensed into it. The 
fountains are then tightly closed, and carried 
to the place where wanted, and are there 
connected with a pipe extending up through 
a table, so that by turning a stop-cock the 
water will flow out into a tumbler. The 
compressed gas in the fountain is very elas¬ 
tic, and forces out the water whenever there 
is an opportunity for it to escape. When 
the soda-water is drawn into the tumbler, 
the pressure being removed the condensed 
gas expands into bubbles, and some escapes 
into the air. If rapidly drank as soon as 
drawn, the gas (that is, the carbonic acid or 
fixed air) rises from the stomach, though 
there is probably a small quantity absorbed 
into the system. 
It will be seen then, that the water drawn 
from soda-fountains, so called, is not really 
soda-water, but carbonic acid water. There 
is often, perhaps generally, a very minute 
quantity of soda added to the water contain¬ 
ing the gas. 
Bottled soda-water, if properly made, is 
just like that in the soda-fountain. Water 
filled with gas is forced into the separate 
bottles, and its escape prevented by tightly- 
fitting corks, which are tied in to prevent 
their being driven out by the elasticity or 
expansive force of the compressed gas. The 
bottled water is frequently sweetened and 
flavored with sarsaparilla or something of 
the kind, and a little soda added. 
There are other methods of producing gas- 
water (soda-rvater). As stated above, put 
into a tumbler of water some saleratus (bi¬ 
carbonate of potash) or cooking soda (bicar¬ 
bonate of soda), and then pour in a little vin¬ 
egar (acetic acid), and it will unite with the 
potash or soda, and let the condensed car¬ 
bonic acid escape up through the water in 
bubbles. Other acids will produce the same 
effect. One of the most commonly used is 
tartaric acid, which is a dry, white substance. 
This will act in the same manner as the vin¬ 
egar, that is, it will unite with the potash or 
soda, and set the gas at liberty. Soda-pow¬ 
ders are often put up for sale. A small por¬ 
tion of soda (bicarbonate of soda) is put into 
one paper, and an equivalent quantity of 
tartaric acid in another of a different color, 
and a dozen pairs of these are packed to¬ 
gether in a box. To use them, the soda is 
dissolved in a tumbler, and sweetening added 
to suit the taste, after which the acid is 
quickly stirred in, and a brisk effervescence 
takes place. 
The objection to all these last-named meth¬ 
ods of making soda-water is, that the sub¬ 
stances used to make the gas are taken into 
the system where they are injurious, except 
in rare cases, when they are needed as spe¬ 
cial • medicines. The gas-water first de- 
sci’ibed can do little harm, and but little 
good except as a temporary stimulant. 
The effervescence of beer, porter, ale, 
champagne, and other similar drinks, results 
from the carbonic acid contained in them, 
which has been produced by fermentation 
within the vessels, and has been prevented 
from escaping by closely corking them. 
Mead, sarsaparilla, and other syiups, are 
usually made by preparing a syrup of sugar, 
adding some flavoring extract and some acid. 
A box of white powder usually accompanies 
them, which is nothing more than the com¬ 
mon cooking soda. When the acidified syr¬ 
up and the soda are mingled, the gas is set 
at liberty and produces the effervescence 
A recipe has been sold all over the coun¬ 
try for making “ cream-soda.” This is pre¬ 
pared by simply adding a little white of an 
egg to the acidified syrup when cold, and 
mingling them well. The egg acts like soap 
in suds. It makes the particles of water 
adhere together so as to form large bubbles, 
which retain the gas for some time, and pro¬ 
duce a kind of cream or foam. 
