An essay on the chemical and medicinal qualities of the water of Candren Well, in Renfrewshire: with introductory observations on waters in general / [Robert Lyall].

  • Lyall, Robert, 1790-1831
Date:
1814
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An essay on the chemical and medicinal qualities of the water of Candren Well, in Renfrewshire: with introductory observations on waters in general / [Robert Lyall]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Water is an essential constituent in the or¬ ganization of all living bodies; and as it is continually expended during the process of life, that waste must also be continually supplied* and this supply is of such importance, that it is not left to reason, or to chance, but forms the object of an imperious appetite. When taken into the stomach, water acts by its temperature, its bulk, and the quantity ab¬ sorbed by the lacteals, and mixed with the blood. Water about 60° gives little or no sen¬ sation of heat or cold ; between 60° and 45° it gives a sensation of cold, generally followed by a glow and increase of appetite and vigour; below 45°, the sensation of cold is permanent and unpleasant, and it acts as an astringent and sedative; above 60° it excites nausea and vomiting. In the stomach, and in the intestines, it acts also by its bulk, producing the effects arising from the distension of these organs, and it is probably in part decomposed by them. It likewise dilutes the contents of the stomach and intestines, thus often dimi¬ nishing their acrimony, and aiding digestion. The part of it carried into the system by the lacteals, dilutes both the chyle and the blood, and afterwards assists in the formation of all