I remember a while back that there was a question concerning the
commonly heard claim that we should be drinking eight glasses of water
per day. I believe that someone on TIPS had asked about the origins of
this rule, or some related question. I have been reading a book by John
Burnham (1987; _How superstition won and science lost: Popularizing
science and health in the United States_, Rutgers University Press). It
seems that this claim was first made by health educators sometime around
1915--with the number of glasses ranging between four and eight. The
rule was usually presented in lists of other "health habits." Here is
one such list meant for young children of the time (quoted from Burnham,
p. 60):
1 A full bath more than once a week
2 Brushing the teeth at least once every day
3 Sleeping long hours with windows open
4 Drinking as much milk as possible, but no coffee or tea
5 Eating some vegetables or fruit every day
6 Drinking at least four glasses of water a day
7 Playing part of every day out of doors
8 A bowel movement every morning
Such rules were taught beginning in kindergarten and the first grade,
with no scientific justification given for how they might lead to
improved health. In 1935, a health educator by the name of D. B.
Armstrong criticized the promulgation of such lists (quoted in Burnham):
" 'Drink at least four glasses of water a day.' Sometimes this rule
reads six, and sometimes eight glasses a day. This sounds like good
advice, but have you ever attempted to verify it on a basis of
scientific experiment?" he asked. Or, he asked, what evidence shows that
fresh air prevents colds? "Then, exercise--" Armstrong continued. "
'There is no better way to prolong life.' Of course, there is no better
way to shorten life for some people.... 'Full bath more than once a
week.' What health condition will that promote?" Armstrong admitted that
frequent bathing would be esthetically advantageous but doubted that it
would affect mortality statistics. (p. 62)
Burnham's thesis is that the popularization of scientific knowledge,
which originally had been performed by scientists during much of the
19th century, was increasingly taken over by journalists and other
nonscientists (such as educators) during the 20th century. This led to
an increase in false beliefs and superstitious thinking: there was a
decline in the scientific substance of such popularizations of science.
I find Burnham's book to be interesting because it has helped me to
understand the origins of some of the myths that we often deal with when
dealing with our students. In fact, he has an entire section on
popularizations of psychological science that I am looking forward to
reading.
But I need to go now. I still have three more glasses of water to go,
and then on to moving my bowels.
Jeff
--
Jeffry P. Ricker, Ph.D. Office Phone: (480) 423-6213
9000 E. Chaparral Rd. FAX Number: (480) 423-6298
Psychology Department [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Scottsdale Community College
Scottsdale, AZ 85256-2626
"The truth is rare and never simple."
Oscar Wilde
