Ebook Drinks of the World

To remedy this loss we must drink, as a stoppage of the supply would kill sooner than if solid food were withheld, for then the body would, for a time, live upon its own substance, as in the cases of the fasting men of the last two years but few people can live longer than three days without drinking, and death by thirst is looked upon as one of the most cruel forms of dissolu tion. To palliate thirst, however, it: is not absolutely necessary to drink, as a moist atmosphere or copious bathing will do much towards allaying it, — the one by introducing moisture into the system by means of the lungs, the other through the medium of the skin. Thirst is the notice given by Nature that liquid aliment is required to repair the waste of the body; and, as in the case of Hunger, she has kindly provided that supplying the deficiency shall be a pleasant sensa tion, and one calculated to call up a feeling of grati tude for the means of allaying the want. Indeed, no man knows the real pleasures of eating and drinking, until he has suffered both hunger and thirst. Water, as a means of slaking man's thirst, has been provided for him in abundance from the time of Father Adam, whose Ale is so vaunted by ab stainers from alcoholic liquors. But Water, unless charged with Carbonic Acid gas, or containing some mineral in solution, is considered by some, as a con stant drink, rather vapid and Man, as he became civilized, has made himself other beverages, more or less tasty, and provocative of excess, and also more orless deleterious to his internal economy. The juice of luscious fruits was expressed, the vine was made to give up its life blood and, probably through accident, alcoholic fermentation was discovered, and a new zest was given to drinking. A good servant, Alcohol is a bad master; but that it satisfies a widely felt craving, probably induced by civilization, is certain, for most savage tribes, emerging from their primitive and natural state, manufacture drinks from divers vegetable substances, more or less alcoholic.