Water is one of the most important of our foods and comprises nearly or quite 70 per cent. of the body weight. Taken both in food and drink, a fully developed man will take into his system probably three quarts of water in twenty-four hours. The average man, as a rule, does not take water enough. As to how the water is taken depends on the environment of the individual. In some European countries, notably in France, very little water is drunk. Light wines are universally used, and from these most of the water necessary for the system is obtained.

It is of great importance to see to the water supply of the household. Many of the most serious diseases, among them typhoid fever and cholera, are carried into the system by impure water. Where no proper filtration plant is established in cities and towns, the only safe plan to adopt is to boil all water used for drinking purposes, and not to add ice to the water to cool it, but set the vessel containing the drinking water on the ice. The use of copper sulphate to purify water is still sub judice. The outlook is now promising. Ice is capable of conveying many pathogenic germs. Water is eliminated from the system through the skin 28 per cent., through the breathing apparatus 20 per cent., through the kidneys 50 per cent, and through the bowels, etc., 2 per cent.

Distilled water is a proper and safe drink, and has been spoken of before. Rain water, if properly gathered, with proper safeguards as to cleanliness, etc, is about like distilled water. Mineral matter in water as usually found, up to, say, five grains to the gallon, is not objectionable. If it runs up to fifty grains or more to the gallon, as lime, chloride of sodium, etc., it becomes objectionable, and may affect the solvent power of the water physiologically. These hard waters may cause dyspeptic symptoms and favor the formation of calcareous deposits, etc. Running water in streams, even if impure, is said to cleanse itself by oxidation of the organic impurities. I do not know the ratio as to distance, but the Chicago Drainage Canal is cited as an instance of not contaminating the waters of the streams into which it enters.

The drinking of water eliminates waste from the system, but it should not be used too freely while eating and thus dilute too much the digestive juices. Water does not fatten, as before said; it washes out waste products and promotes tissue change. To quench thirst, sip water as hot as you can possibly endure it; this is far better than taking it cold if the thirst is unquenchable and there is a reason for not taking much fluid.

As to the temperature of water at the time of drinking it, the proper temperature depends much on the environment. It is well not to fill the stomach with ice-cold water suddenly, even in the hottest weather. Under these conditions, it often happens that the more you drink the more you want. This is especially so during digestion. Hot water is often useful in washing out the stomach before eating.

There are many bottled waters on the market, some aerated, some still. There are a number of so-called lithia waters. I know of no lithia spring in this or any other country that contains sufficient lithia to affect the system when drunk in ordinary quantity. The good purpose these waters serve is to furnish a safe water supply to those travelling, where change of water often affects the system to disadvantage, and they encourage those to drink water who otherwise would not take sufficient to cleanse their systems of waste products. Aerated waters are largely used. It is well to guard against taking these too freely, and the same may be said of so-called soda-waters, ginger ales, etc. The harm here may come from improper syrups and flavorings and trash generally. If soda-water drinkers would confine themselves to plain soda and use no mixed drinks, they would doubtless be better off. If too much of these waters be consumed, especially the alkaline waters, it leads to what the celebrated French physician, Trousseau, called the "mineral-water cachexia." Among the best of our table waters is the Poland water, from the Poland Springs of Maine. There are all sorts of waters on the market and their use should always be supervised by a physician for the given case. There are alkaline waters, purgative waters, alkaline sulphur waters, chalybeate waters, acidulous waters, etc. Dr. Carl von Noorden highly recommends the saline waters, the chloride of sodium waters, to be taken freely in all cases of gout and the so-called uric acid diathesis. It is well to have so distinguished an authority to recommend these waters for such cases. Heretofore many authorities have rather advocated the very conservative use of sodium chloride or common salt in uric acid conditions. Von Noorden relies on the Homburg, the Carlsbad, and Kissingen waters chiefly. Many of our drinking waters contain a fair amount of common salt, and according to this high authority may be freely used by the gouty. In our own country we find many of our sulphur springs high in sodium chloride, and especially at Saratoga we find this so in the High Rock, the Congress, the Star, Empire, Excelsior, and Carlsbad. It is indeed difficult to go amiss for good saline waters in this country.