VARIOUS DIETS AND TREATMENTS – WATER AND ITS THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS
Several years have passed since I visited the headwaters of the Amazon river, but I still remember watching the natives bathe in the dirty waters of a tributary of the Marafion. In other tropical areas I often saw the same thing happen, natives enjoying themselves in the muddy water, in some cases the water being absolutely black, while other streams appeared more yellow or red. The Indians and, especially, their children would romp about in these dirty
rivers without any fear of becoming sick as a result. At any rate, they always seemed very happy and seemed to enjoy their dip. In spite of the obviously good effect a swim seemed to have on them, I never mustered enough courage to go in the water myself.
However, one day* I felt exceptionally tired and worn out and decided to derive some benefit from the refreshing water. After all, the temperature was 40 °C (105°F) in the shade and took a lot out of me after a while, especially as it was combined with extremely high humidity. I had to keep reminding myself of the need to breathe deeply in order to cope a little better with the unbearable atmosphere. All I wanted was a refreshing bath to bolster my spirits. Even so, I still did not have the courage to jump in the river, but it occurred to me that I could ask a native woman to go and fetch me some water in a large earthenware jug. I stood on a bamboo footbridge between two huts and as she brought the water I poured it over my head, letting it run down all over me. The Indian woman was kind enough to keep bringing one jug of water after another, and it was not long before I felt quite refreshed, even though the water was not as cool or as clean as I would have wished it to be.
*821/28/1*
