We depend on it for our survival. Most people get enough fluids from food and beverages throughout the day. The simple solution is to drink more. Typically, a female body contains a lower percentage of water than a male one. The thirst is real. Water is essential to life. We work with and through partners to increase access to financing for those who need it most. Some organs contain much more water than others. An older review states that water is the most important nutrient in the body. The amount varies, depending on age, sex, weight, health, physical activity, and the climate where a person lives. Is '8 X 8' a good guideline? Can we drink coffee instead of water? For example, babies have a high percentage of water in their bodies, which decreases with age. (The movie, sadly, reverts to the traditional image of a broom. Dorothy confronts the Wicked Witch of the West, throws a bucket of water on her, and the Witch melts into a puddle of scum. The rocky material that formed Earth contained some water. … Indeed, the old Witch never touched water, nor ever let water touch her in any way.”. Water: Do we really need 8 glasses a day? I was going to tell you to go read the book, you ignoramus, but then I realized the book isn’t clear either. Hard water is water that has high mineral content (in contrast with "soft water"). We’re also aware that wiccans aren’t really melted by water, thanks very much. Similarly, the impact of Dorothy’s house landing on the Wicked Witch of the East breaks down the adhesion of her molecules, so she crumbles to dust. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. It helps prevent constipation. It would take a lot of comets to fill the ocean, but comets could well have made a big contribution. Water exists as molecules. (The movie alters this scenario.) What is the origin of the song “There’s a place in France/Where the naked ladies dance?” Are bay leaves poisonous. Comets are mostly water ice. Water is considered to be the most important factor behind existence of life on earth. The basic need has shaped how human societies have advanced over time. On a more symbolic level, there’s a long tradition of water being antithetical to witches. Liquid water is generally considered one of the likely preconditions for extraterrestrial life, along with sources of heat and organic materials. (Cecil cited this article in his column about Oz symbolism.) Water is used to flush waste and toxins from the body via urine. Baum’s Wicked Witch of the West is petty, afraid of the dark, selfish, and mean–a spoiled child, in many ways, and very much Baum’s own creation. You’ve probably heard of atoms, the tiniest building blocks of all matter in the Universe. THOUGH THE SDSAB DOES ITS BEST, THESE COLUMNS ARE EDITED BY ED ZOTTI, NOT CECIL, SO ACCURACYWISE YOU'D BETTER KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED. Your body has lots of important jobs and it needs water to do many of them. Water is the principal solvent in the body. Taking a different tack, Celia Anderson, in “The Comedians of Oz” (Studies in American Humor, Winter 1986-87), notes gleefully that the Wicked Witch “is justly destroyed by that emblem of household drudgery, a bucketful of water.” This is more amusing since, in the book, the Witch enslaves Dorothy and forces her to perform menial household chores. Water exists throughout the body. The body and blood are largely made of water, and so we need a lot of fluid…, How much plain water do we really need? Water Helps Keep Skin Looking Good. Water makes up more than half of your body weight, and a person can't survive for more than a few days without it. The percentage of water in the body varies slightly, depending on factors such as age and sex, but is usually within the 45–75% range. But still, why should water affect her so? Cecil cited this article in his column about Oz symbolism. The water in cells On average, each American uses 2,000 gallons of water a day when you calculate the amount of water it takes to make the food and products we consume. “See what you have done!” she screamed. We play an important role in helping to meet this urgent need. Water is found in three different forms on Earth – gas, solid, and liquid. A majority of the human body consists of water. This seems like pretty basic chemistry, so why don’t we just smash them together and solve the world’s water ills? There is no clear limit for drinking too much water. If you enjoyed the Oz book(s) and movie, you might also like Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, a “biography” of the Wicked Witch of the West from childhood to Dorothy. Human body is made of 70 percent of water, much of which is lost though urine and sweat, which is the reason why experts and nutritionists emphasise upon the need to be hydrated at all times. Solid water is ice, including the frozen, white caps at the top and bottom of the world. This can provide a rough estimate of whether a person is in a healthy range for percentage of body weight. Hard water is formed when water percolates through deposits of limestone, chalk or gypsum which are largely made up of calcium and magnesium carbonates, bicarbonates and sulfates. What happens if you drink too much water? The following tables give the average percentages and ranges of water in the body, according to sex and age: Body size, shape, and balance of muscle and fat can all affect the percentage of water in a person’s body. The chart below gives the highest to the lowest percentages of water: Regardless of water content, all parts of the body need water to work properly. Debra Sullivan, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., CNE, COI, protecting the spinal cord and other sensitive tissues, removing waste by urination, sweating, and bowel movements, choosing water instead of sugar-sweetened beverages, adding a wedge of lemon or lime to water to improve taste, not waiting until feeling thirst to drink fluids, drinking a glass of water before and after exercise, taking a sip of water between each bite of food at meals, drinking a full glass of water when taking medication. All rights reserved. newsletter. STAFF REPORTS ARE WRITTEN BY THE STRAIGHT DOPE SCIENCE ADVISORY BOARD, CECIL'S ONLINE AUXILIARY. Hard drinking water … A commonly prescribed trial for an accused witch was the ordeal by water: the suspect was tied up and tossed into a river. A water tower is an elevated building supporting a water tank constructed at a height sufficient to pressurize a water distribution system for the distribution of potable water, and to provide emergency storage for fire protection. The best of The Straight Dope, delivered to your inbox. They should always drink more fluids in hot weather or after exercise. A person should always make sure to drink extra fluids in the heat. What does the Chicago lyric “25 or 6 to 4” mean? and that you are officially considered an ‘astronaut’ once you travel more than 50 miles above Earth’s surface. While the average percentage of water in a person’s body is around 60%, the percentage can vary from roughly 45–75%. After Dorothy has some conversation with the Munchkins and the good Witch of the North, they noticed that “the feet of the dead Witch had disappeared entirely and nothing was left but the silver shoes.” The Witch of the North explains that “She was so old that she dried up quickly in the sun.”, We note the reference to being “dried up.” (As an aside, the silver shoes in the book became ruby slippers in the movie. By “the book," of course, we mean The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, published in 1900 and a children’s favorite ever since. The water breaks down the weak adhesion of her body so that she melts away. Going one step further, Dr. Douglas A. Rossman, writing “On the Liquidation of Witches” in the Baum Bugle, Spring 1969, suggests that the melting of the Wicked Witch is a chemical process. Could you please fill me in? Son of Dex says this is similar to the way sugar dissolves in water. Why does water make the Wicked Witch of the West melt? (4) After Dorothy throws the bucket of water on her: . (1) When Dorothy first arrives in Oz, her house falls on and kills the Wicked Witch of the East. Water supply is already limited. Water is associated with baptism, and thus the water of the river rejects the witch as satanic. Water insulates the brain, spinal cord, organs, and fetus. The amount of water in the body changes slightly with age, sex, and hydration levels. This article will discuss the percentage of water in the human body, why it varies, and why it is important. If she floated, she was guilty, and would be burned at the stake (hence, the water-and-fire making a neat little symbolism). Water, activism and visible poetry: Thoughts while underway Friday 7 August 2015 anchored in Gorge Harbour, Cortes Island Around each corner, in each encounter, is the potential for surprise, magic, time travel, fantastical possibility. How did some crime fiction come to be described as “hard-boiled”? A good rule of thumb is to drink fluids throughout the day. the Witch began to shrink and fall away. Why do we cry? This water distribution means that people with a higher percentage of body fat are likely to have a lower percentage of water in their bodies. Learn about the symptoms, causes, and risk factors…, Dark-colored urine and thirst are classic signs that someone is dehydrated. It is essential to drink enough water to support all functions of the body. Note that it’s not just “splashing some water on her face," she gets doused with a whole bucket, in both book and movie. For example, we all know that water puts out fire, anything that goes up will surely come down (gravity, duh!) Other containers were made from clay or woven materials.The mobility of soldiers during wartime, the increase in outdoor activities such as We cry for a variety of reasons. Click here to learn more about the benefits of drinking water. “I am very sorry, indeed," said Dorothy, who was truly frightened to see the Witch actually melting away like brown sugar before her eyes. Water is one of the key reasons for human survival and civilization in general. We also note that the Wicked Witch is afraid of the dark, an amusing reversal of expectations. Robert Burns, writing a note to his poem “Tam O’Shanter” in 1790 says: “It is a well known fact that witches, or any evil spirits, have no power to follow a poor wight any farther than the middle of the next running stream.” So the association of water as hostile to witches is a long-standing tradition that Baum possibly drew from. Drinking enough water every day is crucial to Keep the body uses fluid!, too fatty tissue Witch was the ordeal by water, meaning that humans are fact... To drink enough water every day is crucial to health and plays a part in all! 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