Table of Contents Table of Contents
Previous Page  51 / 308 Next Page
Information
Show Menu
Previous Page 51 / 308 Next Page
Page Background

of

THE

foundation

of

all

those

fluids

that

are

to

be

taken

into

consideration

for

our

purpose

is

formed

by

one

of

the

most

universal

elements

on

our

globe

the

water.

It

is

a

conditio

sine

qua

non

both

for

building

up

and

preserving

the

whole

organic

world.

A

cell,

the

most

primitive

of

all

living

beings,

e.

g.,

a

bathybius,

as

well

as

the

most

highly

developed

ones,

as

we

see

them

in

the

higher

organisms

of

the

vegetable

and

animal

king-

doms,

contains

water

as

a

fundamental

basis.

Although

there

are

cells,

and

groups

of

them,

that

may

retain

vitality for

thousands

of

years,

even

when

in

dried-up

condition,

yet

this

does

not

affect

the

relatively

higher

developed

beings

in

the

least.

"

Corpora

non

aguntnisi

fluida

"

is

an

old

chemical

rule,

and,

indeed,

stoppage

of

all

functions,

or

even

death,

would

occur

as

soon

as

the

necessary

water

should

not

be

supplied.

Water

is

indispensable

for

fulfilling

the

physical

and

chemical

processes,

among

which

ranks

highest

the

process

of

diffusion,

or

the

Endosmosis

and

Exosmosis.

We

feel

the

lack

of

water

involuntarily,

and

call

this

feeling

"

thirst."

The

inclination

of

satisfying

this

feel-

ing

by

drinking

water,

or

water-containing

liquids,

is

forced

upon

us

by

nature.

Thus,

thirst

compels

us

to

drink,

and

is,

therefore,

one

of

these

instinctive

im-

51