FONG WAN - Library

When a friend calls, it is customary for his host to serve him with a
cup of hot tea whether he needs the tea or not. The people in China
seldom drink cold water. They allay thirst by drinking either hot water
or hot weak tea.
Here in America, many persons have the habit of drinking water,
not because they are thirsty or because their systems need the water,
but because through hearing a lecture, reading an advertisement, or
conversing with a friend, they have become imbued with the idea that
the more water they drink the healthier they will be. Some persons
conscientiously drink a gallon or more a day and then wonder why
they are sick. By drinking too much water, these persons
in their
zealous pursuit of health, have overburdened their kidneys and bladder
and have brought about indigestion and stomach trouble.
In their drinking habits, animals are wiser than men. "You may
lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink." He is guided
by his natural instincts as to what his system needs. Human beings
should be careful not to flood their kidneys with water, as this causes
the blood to get hot and rush to the head. In some instances it is con-
tributory to high blood pressure. When a person is not thirsty, it is
not necessary for him to pour cold water into his stomach just for the
sake of drinking "Eight Cups a Day."
If one has a temporary cold and fever, has eaten salty food, has
worked hard and perspired freely, or has talked too much, thus over-
heating the liver, it is necessary for him to drink a cup of water to
quench his immediate thirst. However, one who is continually dry and
thirsty must seek permanent relief by taking treatment. Those who
seek to get well by merely drinking cold water, which in itself has no
curative power, will, in time, injure one or more of their internal
organs.
Fong Wan drinks no liquor of any kind, and but seldom drinks
coffee, tea, cocoa, milk, or even water. What he does drink is good
soup at every meal; soup that is wholesome and delicious.
Among his favorite soups are: Chinese lily root with duck; turtle
soup; Chinese watermelon boiled with duck and mushrooms; six herbal
compounds with pork; Chinese dried oysters in lily root soup; edible
bird nest with chicken; and ginseng root with squab. While rather
expensive, these soups are very nourishing. Besides benefiting and
building up all parts of the human system, they also have curative
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