Why should we be careful about drinking pure water freely ? Water is the important material in all our beverages, and we need to remember to drink it clear as well as flavored with other substances. It is found, too, in almost all our foods. Several years ago, when a number of Zuni Indians were visiting the large cities of the eastern United States, some one asked them what was the most interesting ob- ject they had seen. One of them replied, " Water. You have all you want, and you can always get it out of a pipe in the wall." To people who live in dry lands, water is a precious thing. Do you know that we can live longer without food than without water ? It helps to build the body, it aids digestion, it carries off waste matter, and it helps to keep the body at an even heat. It is given off from the body all the time, and therefore we need to drink freely many times a day. We may take it at meals'; if we do not Year Book. Department of Agrieulture, 1914. Fig. 8. — We cannot be too careful about the place from which the water comes. A cemented cover and care- fully adjusted pump prevent surface wash. 22 FOOD AND HEALTH drink it to wash down food, but between mouthfuls. Be careful to drink rather slowly ; then you need not hesitate to take as much as you want. Yet this water may bring us illness, — and this we must study to prevent. Even though water is sparkling and clean, it may still be impure. As we cannot judge by its appearance, we must find out where the water comes from. Keeping water pure. Nature has many ways of making water clean. Some of them are : letting it filter through the soil, purifying it in ponds and United states Department of AffHcultwe, Year Book, HVerS J in bOtO Ot WhlCh p . . , processes some of the r IG. 9. — A cement or stone cover, with j r 1 • r 1 a trough beneath the spout of the lower formS of life knOWn TZ'Jlii "'''''''^ '''''''''''" ^""^ as bacteria, help. But when we allow large quantities of filth to get into the water, nature cannot always work fast enough, harmful bacteria grow, and sickness results if people drink the water. Typhoid fever, malaria, and other diseases are often due to impure water. We cannot be too careful about the LUNCHEON AT SCHOOL 23 place from which the water comes ; for such a disease as typhoid is often carried to people far away, and many lives are lost because some one person or family has been careless. The picture (Fig. 10) shows how unclean material may seep into a well from a barnyard or outhouse. ■'■■■■ ■■ ■■ i \ ■ v-^^i »•-''' V '■'■•' "-;^- C' ■■■-■■-■■■ \ ' ' '' :■■.■ ■ V ' ' '■'\^'" "..V ■''■ ■^^^^^^;-^■■^■■ Virginia Health Btdletin, June, 191S. Fig. 10. — Unclean material may seep into a well from a barnyard. Let each girl and boy study the water supply at home. If the water comes from a spring, see whether the spring is cleaned every year and covered. Are farm animals allowed near it .? Is the well covered ? (See Fig. 9.) Is it cleaned every year .? Are slops ever poured near it ? It is a good plan to have cement around the well. Remember that health costs less than sickness. At 24 FOOD AND HEALTH times, if the doctor says that sickness has come from the water, it should be boiled before drinking. Be watchful, too, about ice, because freezing does not kill certain harmful germs. If the ice is dirty and, indeed, unless you are very sure that it has come from Cowtesy of Medical Review of Reviews. Common drinking glass Recently washed glass Fig. II. — Do not use public drinking cups. a clean source, cool the water on the ice and never put the ice into the water.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Why should we be careful about drinking pure water freely ? Water is the important material in all our beverages, and we need to remember to drink it clear as well as flavored with other substances. It is found, too, in almost all our foods. Several years ago, when a number of Zuni Indians were visiting the large cities of the eastern United States, some one asked them what was the most interesting object they had seen. One of them replied, " Water. You have all you want, and you can always get it out of a pipe in the wall." To people who live in dry lands, water is a precious thing. Do you know that we can live longer without food than without water ? It helps to build the body, it aids digestion, it carries off waste matter, and it helps to keep the body at an even heat. It is given off from the body all the time, and therefore we need to drink freely many times a day. We may take it at meals'; if we do not Year Book. Department of Agrieulture, 1914. Fig. 8. — We cannot be too careful about the place from which the water comes. A cemented cover and carefully adjusted pump prevent surface wash. drink it to wash down food, but between mouthfuls. Be careful to drink rather slowly ; then you need not hesitate to take as much as you want. Yet this water may bring us illness, — and this we must study to prevent. Even though water is sparkling and clean, it may still be impure. As we cannot judge by its appearance, we must find out where the water comes from. Keeping water pure. Nature has many ways of making water clean. Some of them are : letting it filter through the soil, purifying it in ponds and United States Department of Agriculture, Year Book, HVerS J in bOtO Ot WhlCh p . . , processes some of the r IG. 9. — A cement or stone cover, with j r 1 • r 1 a trough beneath the spout of the lower formS of life knOWn TZ'Jlii "'''''''^ '''''''''''" ^""^ as bacteria, help. But when we allow large quantities of filth to get into the water, nature cannot always work fast enough, harmful bacteria grow, and sickness results if people drink the water. Typhoid fever, malaria, and other diseases are often due to impure water. We cannot be too careful about the place from which the water comes ; for such a disease as typhoid is often carried to people far away, and many lives are lost because some one person or family has been careless. The picture (Fig. 10) shows how unclean material may seep into a well from a barnyard or outhouse. ■'■■■■ ■■ ■■ i \ ■ v-^^i »•-''' V '■'■•' "-;^- C' ■■■-■■-■■■ \ ' ' '' :■■.■ ■ V ' ' '■'\^'" "..V ■''■ ■^^^^^^;-^■■^■■ Virginia Health Bulletin, June, 191S. Fig. 10. — Unclean material may seep into a well from a barnyard. Let each girl and boy study the water supply at home. If the water comes from a spring, see whether the spring is cleaned every year and covered. Are farm animals allowed near it .? Is the well covered ? (See Fig. 9.) Is it cleaned every year .? Are slops ever poured near it ? It is a good plan to have cement around the well. Remember that health costs less than sickness. At times, if the doctor says that sickness has come from the water, it should be boiled before drinking. Be watchful, too, about ice, because freezing does not kill certain harmful germs. If the ice is dirty and, indeed, unless you are very sure that it has come from Cowtesy of Medical Review of Reviews. Common drinking glass Recently washed glass Fig. II. — Do not use public drinking cups. a clean source, cool the water on the ice and never put the ice into the water.

Food and health