Its proper character, however, is that of a cooling summer vegetable, not very nutritive, but serving as a corrective, or diluent of animal food.

WARM WATER.Warm water is preferable to cold water, as a drink, to persons who are subject to dyspeptic and bilious complaints, and it may be taken more freely than cold water, and consequently answers better as a diluent for carrying off bile, and removing obstructions in the urinary secretion, in cases of stone and gravel.

During the early periods of the disease, all that is required are cooling diluents, given frequently, and in small quantities at a time; and upon approaching convalescence great carefulness must be paid to the amount of nourishment allowed, lest the disease be rekindled: strict compliance, therefore, to medical directions must be given.

Water N. water; serum, serosity^; lymph; rheum; diluent; agua [Sp.], aqua, pani^. dilution, maceration, lotion; washing &c v.; immersion^, humectation^, infiltration, spargefaction^, affusion^, irrigation, douche, balneation^, bath.

Adj. watery, aqueous, aquatic, hydrous, lymphatic; balneal^, diluent; drenching &c v.; diluted &c v.; weak; wet &c (moist) 339.

The only inert and useless gas in an arrangement like this is the nitrogen of the air, which being in large quantities does act as a serious diluent.

So, if any of my young friends should be tempted to waste their substance on white kids and "all-rounds," or to insist on becoming millionnaires at once, by anything I have said, I will give them references to some of the class referred to, well known to the public as literary diluents, who will weaken any truth so that there is not an old woman in the land who cannot take it with perfect impunity.

Prepared as tea, however, it makes a grateful diluent drink in fevers; and in this way it is commonly used, either by itself, or acidulated with the juice of lemons.

But in these cases be sure that the patient requires diluents for quite other purposes than quenching the thirst; he wants a great deal of some drink, not only of tea, and the doctor will order what he is to have, barley water or lemonade, or soda water and milk, as the case may be.