“Two-thirds of all the patients that come to my office come because they drink tea and coffee. When I can get them to give up tea and coffee, they can get well.”—Dr. Foote. Omaha.

Tea and coffee hinder the digestion of all the food elements, both nitrogenous and carbonaceous. They cause extreme nervousness and irritability.

“To a certain extent, tea produces intoxication.”

“The second effect of tea drinking is headache, wakefulness, palpitation of the heart, indigestion, trembling of the nerves and many other evils.”

“The influence of coffee is in a degree the same as that of tea, but the effect upon the system is still worse.”

Theobromine, the essential element of cocoa and chocolate, is identical with the thein and caffeine of tea and coffee.

“Some of the best authorities claim that the quantity of theobromine in chocolate is greater than that of theine or caffeine in tea or coffee, and also that in equal quantities, theobromine is a stronger drug than caffeine or theine.”—Dr. George.

A.B. Prescott, Ph.D., M.D., for many years Dean of the chemical department of the University of Michigan, says in his “Organic Analysis,” published by D. Van Nostrand Co., New York City in 1892, pp.77 and 513: “Coffee contains 1 per cent. of caffeine.” “Dry cacao seeds contain 1.5 per cent. of theobromine.” “The physiological effects of theobromine are like caffeine but are obtained by smaller doses.”

The increasing use of chocolate and cocoa in and with everything is alarming, and we feel that we must raise our voices in warning against this “habit,” since many are innocent in regard to its nature. “The use of unnatural stimulants is destructive to health and has a benumbing influence upon the brain, making it impossible to appreciate eternal things.”

As our bodies are made up so largely of water it is necessary to take a sufficient amount to keep the tissues bathed and built up, but it should not be taken with our meals, for solid foods cannot be digested until the liquids have been absorbed, and when retained in the stomach too long food ferments, making an inebriate of the water drinker.

Fluids also dilute the digestive juices so that they lose their power to act. Do not drink for a half hour or more before meals, or within 1 to 3 hours after—persons with slow digestion or subject to acidity, 3 hours.

If very cold or hot drinks are taken, the temperature at which digestion is carried on is affected, causing another delay.

As a rule, the body gets the greatest benefit from water taken early in the morning.

Pastor Kneipp recommended the use of small quantities of water (1 teaspoonful), often. If one is situated so as to be able to take a few swallows frequently, it is better than to deluge the stomach three or four times a day; as a steady, gentle rain is more beneficial than a torrent.

Hot water, at one time the great panacea, is responsible for many cases of serious indigestion by causing the muscles of the stomach to relax and become weak. A cup of hot water occasionally, when one feels that he has taken a little cold, will help to ward off the cold but it should not be often repeated.

The advice of one doctor of great sense and considerable reputation was “Drink cold water when thirsty.”

Pure Distilled Water is unquestionably the best drink. Mineral Waters sometimes have a beneficial effect when used for a short time, but that is lost by their continued use and after a few weeks the individual begins to suffer with serious stomach and kidney difficulties. “Very Hard Water is not only unpleasant to the skin and difficult to make into a lather, but, what is more important still, it exerts a more or less harmful influence upon the digestive system. Constipation is not infrequently the direct result of the constant use of hard water. Wherever possible apparatus should be used for the purpose of distilling hard water. If this is impracticable, boiling the water will materially reduce the hardness. The flatness of boiled water is easily and quickly remedied by aerating it. Pouring water back and forth from one glass to another will speedily restore its oxygen.”—English Good Health.

The liberal use of Fresh Juicy Fruits helps out in the amount of fluids. I have known a few people who ate no meat and almost no vegetables, but did use juicy acid fruits in abundance, who never felt the pangs of thirst, and they were in exceptionally good health, with great powers of endurance.

The change of water in travelling affects many people unfavorably and often it is difficult to obtain pure water. The substitution of juicy fruits at such times banishes the difficulties.

Fruit Nectars

We make “fruit nectars” by adding lemon juice, sugar and water (the less sugar the better, a sugar syrup is preferable) to pure fruit juices and to combinations of fruit juices. Some, such as grape and black raspberry, will bear a good deal of water, but pineapple and other delicate flavored juices very little.

If pineapple is combined with another juice, let it be something without a strong, positive flavor (as orange or strawberry), or the pineapple juice will be wasted. A strong and a neutral flavored juice, red raspberry and currant for instance, go well together. Lemon juice gives character to all. Peach and grape juice, or apple and grape juice are good combinations.

To fully enjoy the flavors, do not serve drinks ice cold.

Banana Lemon Nectar

Syrup—3–4 cups water, ½ cup sugar, boil; add ½ cup lemon juice, cool. Cut 1 large banana in small pieces; pour syrup over, let stand in refrigerator 2 hours or longer; strain or not; serve with thin slices of lemon.

Orange Banana Nectar

Cut half a small orange into sections, rind and all and add to banana syrup about 20 m. before serving. Before straining, put sections into glasses, pour the strained syrup over them and serve.

Orange Nectar

Add sections of orange to lemon syrup without the banana.

Mint Orange Nectar

Add shredded mint to orange nectar.

Lemonades

Lemonade, with but little sugar, has no equal as a drink because of the purifying effect of the lemon juice upon both the water and the individual.

A strong lemonade requires less sugar in proportion than one having a large quantity of water. A sugar syrup is best for sweetening, and the less used the better.

Mint—Sprinkle fine cut spearmint into lemonade 10 to 15 m. before serving. Very cooling and refreshing.

Egg—1 egg, 2 tablespns. sugar, 2½ tablespns. lemon juice, water to make 2 glasses. Beat egg and sugar, add lemon juice and beat, then add water.

White of Egg—2–2½ tablespns. lemon juice, white of 1 egg, 1 tablespn. sugar. Beat white of egg and sugar, add lemon juice, then water.

Milk and Egg—1 egg, ¼–½ cup milk, 1 teaspn. or more lemon juice, a little grated rind of lemon. Beat yolk of egg and add cold milk, turn into glass; beat white of egg with a trifle of salt and add half the lemon juice; add remainder of lemon juice to the yolk and milk, lay white on top and serve at once.

Egg Orangeade

Beat the white of 1 egg with the juice of 1 large sweet orange, strain.

To Prepare Fruit Juices

The most desirable juices for drinks are made from fresh, ripe, uncooked fruits by crushing, and straining through a cloth. It is better to pour cold water over some fruits and let them stand for a while before straining. Apples may be sliced or chopped and water added.

For canning fruit juices, see pp.60, 61. The liquid from soaking acid dried fruits in water for several hours (without cooking) is refreshing; also the juice in which chopped raisins have been steeped.

Cranberry Juice

Crush or grind 1 qt. of cranberries, pour 1 qt. of boiling water over, cool; add sugar after straining and stir until it is dissolved.

Cereal Coffees or Drinks

The bulk of the so-called “cereal” drinks on the market have some commercial coffee in them, as well as chicory. There are a few, however, made of combinations of grains, or of fruits, nuts and grains, only. Those containing chicory require a long boiling, according to the directions on the packages, to destroy the rank, harsh flavor of the chicory; and the ones made of parched grains without caramel in any form are improved by long steeping to develop the mild flavor. But it is a great mistake to boil those having a characteristic, agreeable flavor any more than we used to boil Java or Mocha. To make these, put the cereal (from 1 teaspn. to 1½ tablespn. to each cup of water according to taste) into perfectly boiling water, allow it to just boil up, then stand on the back of the range where it cannot boil, for from 5–10 m. Serve with nice rich sterilized cream (hot better). When cream is not obtainable and the drink must be served, hot scalded milk gives a better flavor than unscalded milk, but as a rule, it is better to omit the coffee when you have no cream.

Never make cereal coffee in a tin coffee pot that commercial coffee has been made in. It would ruin the flavor. We do not advise the drinking of even cereal coffee, but use it to win people from injurious beverages.

To Make a Cereal Drink

It is very convenient to know how to make a cereal coffee, though if one’s time is worth much and a good coffee is to be obtained, it is cheaper to buy it. The following recipe is one that I have used for years and it is excellent. None of the whole grains equal bran for the drink.

• 1 qt. wheat bran pressed down lightly
• 1 pt. corn meal
• ½ cup hot water
• ? cup nice-flavored dark molasses

Mix bran and corn meal and pour over them the molasses and hot water which have been combined. Rub all together with the hands until smooth; set in a warm oven and stir occasionally until well dried out, then increase the heat of the oven, stirring the mixture often; at the last have the oven very hot and stir almost constantly until cereal is a dark chestnut brown, which will take but a short time at the last. Remove from the oven and stir until cooled a little so that it will not brown more by its own heat, and put into a close covered can.

When preparing to serve, use ½–1 cup of the coffee to each quart of boiling water, let it just boil up and stand for 5 m. Different combinations of grains are browned and ground for drinks. Barley is much liked by some, rye by others. Carrot and celery roots dried and browned are good, and browned peas are excellent.

Tea-Hygiene

Celery and raspberry leaf tea have been served in some of the restaurants in New York City for several years and are both good. Either the tops (fresh or dry) or seeds of celery may be used. Crush the seeds before steeping. I have also used mint, anise, tarragon, catnip and thyme for tea and found them all pleasant drinks. Steep them for 15–20 m., strain and serve with cream only. You will be surprised I am sure when you try them. Do not allow catnip tea to stand with the leaves if to be re-heated.

Bran Tea

Brown bran delicately. Take 2 tablespns. for each cup of water, boil up well or steep for 20 m. Dried unbrowned bran may be used with longer cooking.

Cold Cereal Coffee

Pour hot coffee over cream or cream and sugar. Cool. For luncheon or supper.

Eggnog

1 egg, ½–¾ cup of milk, 1 teaspn. or no sugar, flavoring or not. Beat or shake until foamy, pour into glass and serve with or without whipped cream on top. Eggnog does not necessarily contain liquor.

Hot Eggnog

Beat 1 egg with or without a teaspn. of sugar and a few drops of vanilla. Pour ½–¾ cup of hot milk over, stirring. Turn into warm glass and serve at once.

Cream for Coffee

Beat 1 egg to a foam, add 1 tablespn. white sugar and pour a pint of boiling hot milk over, stirring briskly. Prepare at night for morning.

Cream for Coffee No.2

Pour 1 pt. boiling milk on beaten yolk of 1 egg mixed with 2 tablespns. cold milk. Set back on the stove to scald but not boil.

“Food should not be washed down. No drink is needed with the meals. Eat slowly and allow the saliva to mingle with the food. Hot drinks are debilitating. Do not eat largely of salt; give up bottled pickles; keep fiery spiced food out of your stomach; eat fruit with your meals, and the irritation which calls for so much drink will cease to exist. But if anything is needed to quench thirst, pure water drunk some little time before or after a meal is all that nature requires.”