Evaporation.-Our supplies of drinking water are, of course, derived originally entirely from the rainfall. We need not consider now how the water found its way into the air. Without entering into the details of the process of evaporation, all that the present object requires is, that we clearly recognize the fact that spring, fountain, river and lake are all alike fed from the clouds which float over our heads and send their rain upon the just and upon the unjust. Hence, then, man is wholly dependent for his supply of this vital element upon the rain which comes down from heaven. He may dwell upon the most arid plains, but he drinks from the stream which flows beside or underneath his feet—which stream is itself fed by floods that fell perhaps a thousand miles away—and what-ever mystery attaches to subterranean waters, we may be sure that, by a long enough circuit, we can trace every drop back to the clouds.

Additional Articles from the Book of Medicine:

• Deadly Affect of Water Impurity
  
  

  Deadly Affect of Water Impurity.  — according to the late Dr. William Budd, it also appears to be highly probable that, the poison of typhoid fever enters the system by drinking water, infection is more certain than when it is disseminated by the hair and is breathed into the lungs.  It’s part of the statement, he instances an outbreak which occurred in Wales, where out of ninety or a hundred persons who attended a ball, fully one third was shortly afterward laid up with fever.  Although the water was not examined, there was satisfactory reason to believe it was polluted with sewage.

   

  Even in public places where you would expect the aristocracy or at least the rich people together, water impurity was such a problem that sewage could be mixed into the drinking water supply at a ball.  Clearly this highlights the fact that discovering this problem was still relatively new compared to attempt to deal with the problem effectively.  This was such a new problem, that they were literally dying from it because they could act fast enough, and maybe they didn’t even know that they were supposed to act fast.  For all we know looking at this account, replacing their Movado watches might have been of higher importance than investing money in improving their drinking water supply.

• Modern Science Gives us Vision
  
  

  One of the things that the Great Workman (see my last post) do not give us as people is universal good vision.  When I was in fifth grade my vision went south and I had start wearing glasses.  A few years later when I went in the eighth grade I tried wearing contacts.  They were hard contacts and I remember walking out of the doctors office being amazed that I could see the leaves on the trees. 

  Since they were hard contacts I stopped wearing them within about two weeks.

  A few years later disposable contacts came out and I bought my first box of disposable contact lenses for about $100 a box, that included about six contacts in each box and I needed two boxes one for each eye.

  The work contact lenses for the next 10 years and the prices really went down and I started to purchase my contact lenses online.  I haven’t worn any contact lenses since 2001 I have LASIK surgery.

  I was amazed today to see just how cheap contact lenses have become.  I was looking through a contact lenses site and noticed the prices of the contacts I used to purchase were now down to about $10 a box.

  

  Notice the price of the Acuvue 2 lenses!

  When I decided to have LASIK, I partially made my decision based on how much it would cost to keep buying contacts and  glasses over the next 10 years.Prices of drop dramatically and my choice probably would’ve been different if I had made that decision today.

• Giving up of Oxygen
  
  

  Before I begin this next section, I wanted to point out the title it has a most curious title. I can’t wait to figure learn what it might mean. It sounds as if someone might give up an addiction, however I believe that addiction was not understood 90 years ago as it is today. Although people did work to give up ‘vices’ that today are known to be addictive such as alcohol, tobacco, opiates and other items.
  

  Giving up of Oxygen. –the atmospheric air laden with its life-sustaining property, oxygen, having passed in to the lungs, gives up that vital element and receives in its place the carbonic acid gas, water, and other refuse materials which the blood is picked up in its journey through the body, and which are no longer fitted to circulate in the blood and preserve the vitality of the body. No tonic invigorates so well as a few, deep, full inspirations of pure, cold air.

  ________________

  well I didn’t expect what I received in that section. The last sentence though definitely sounds a little bit hokey. Older maybe invigorating, but that doesn’t certainly make it healthy. It just makes a cold.

  Oddly there are a few unscientific studies that have been circulated over the last decade or two that offer a contrarian exception that heat therapy might actually be good for a person that is sick. I suspect that the correct answer is that the body needs or prefers a stable temperature that is neither too hot nor too cold in order to remain healthy or regain health.