Why So Much Water?


You've probably heard that you're supposed to drink eight glasses a water a day to stay healthy, but where did that claim come from? My America Weekend guest Erika Janik (author of "Marketplace of the Marveloous: The Strange Origins of Modern Medicine") says it goes back to the 19th century when hydropaths and others were practicing medicine. This was a time when water was not a big part of people's lives -- not just ingesting it, but bathing in it. She explained those origins, and how that was the era when women first started getting involved in medicine in the US.

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