Section 3. THE ACTION[1] OF[2] WATER.
Reading edition
The action of water on[3] our food[4] is very important. There[5] would be no carrying of food into the system but for the agency of water. It dissolves everything[6] that[7] we take[8], and nothing[9] that we take as food can[10] become nutriment that[11] is not dissolved in water.—Dr. Lankester.
Notes in this chapter
Note 1 · ‘action’, here = operation, Wirkung, f.Note 2 · Use the gen. of the def. art. The definite article is always required before nouns representing the whole of a given class, and before abstrNote 3 · on = upon.Note 4 · food = victuals, Speisen, pl.Note 5 · This sentence must be construed in a somewhat different way; say: ‘Without the agency (Vermittelung, f.) of water, no food (Nahrung, f.) wouNote 6 · everything = all.Note 7 · ‘that’, here was. The indefinite relative pronoun was is the pronoun generally required after the indefinite numerals alles, etwas, manches,Note 8 · ‘To take’, when used of food, may be rendered by essen, trinken, or genießen, which latter verb should be used here.Note 9 · ‘nothing — food’, may be briefly rendered by ‘keine genossene Speise‘.Note 10 · can — nutriment = can serve as nutriment (Ernährung, f.). The verb dienen requires the prep. zu, which governs the dat. and must here be conNote 11 · that — water = before (ehe, see App. § 17) the same (f.) is dissolved in water.