Prolonged indulgence in spirits produces the various organic diseases already described, and unless well diluted they are more harmful than beers or wines. They differ from wines and beers in not tending to produce gout, and from beer in not leading to obesity.
=Uses of Water.=—Water is a prime necessity of life. In its absence life can only exist in lowly organised beings, and in them only in a dormant state. From a hygienic point of view, the uses of water are four-fold:—(1) It is =an essential part of our food=, not only serving to build up the tissues of the body, but also preserving the fluidity of the blood and aiding excretion of effete matters. (2) It is necessary for =personal cleanliness=, of which the importance can scarcely be exaggerated. (3) =In the household= it is essential for cooking, as well as for washing the house, the linen, and various utensils. (4) By =the community at large= it is required for water-closets and sewers, for public baths, for cleansing the streets, and for horses and other domestic animals, as well as in many manufacturing processes. It is obvious that the water to be used for domestic and general purposes, need not be so pure as that for drinking purposes. Hence, a double supply was proposed for London in 1878, by the Metropolitan Board of Works—a less pure river supply for general purposes, and a deep chalk-well supply for drinking purposes. The scheme, however, rightly fell through, because of the expense of a double source of supply, and the danger that the impure water would, through carelessness or ignorance, be often used for drinking purposes, when it happened to be nearest at hand.
=Quantity of Water Required.=—The quantity of water required for all purposes has been variously stated by different authorities. The quantity required for drinking purposes is found to bear a relation to the weight of the individual, being nearly half an ounce for every pound weight, or 1½ gills for every stone weight. Thus, a man weighing 150 lbs. would require 3-3∕4 pints. Of this water, about one-third is taken in the food; the remainder, averaging 2½ pints, being required as drink. If we add the water required for other purposes, according to De Chaumont, 1 gallon is required for drinking and cooking, 2 gallons (not including a bath) for personal cleanliness, 3 gallons for a share of utensil and house washing, 3 gallons for clothes washing; and if a general bath be taken, 3 gallons more; making a total of about 12 gallons, to which 5 gallons must be added if there is a water closet.