"Ma had sent them ginger-water. She had sweetened the cool well-water with sugar, flavored it with vinegar, and put in plenty of ginger to warm their stomachs so they could drink till they were not thirsty. Ginger-water would not make them sick, as plain cold water would when they were so hot."
From the book, "Little House on the Prairie,:" by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Pa was doing haying in the hot summer. The sun was beating down as he drove his horse team and loaded hay onto the wagon to be stomped down, before more was added, to repeat the process.

Dehydration was as much a risk back then, as it is now. Back then, they also had their ways of preventing it. Did they know they were serving medicinal beverages, or was it common sense? This is one of the recipes that was probably used:

Recipe:
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ginger (powdered)
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 quart water

Dissolve the sugar and ginger powder in the vinegar

Shake with cold water

Serve chilled.



Or, the concentrate:
(Recipe yields a concentrate which should be diluted to taste before serving.)

4 cups water
2 c. sugar or honey
1 c. molasses
1 c. apple cider vinegar
1 - 2 tsp. ginger

Put all ingredients into a non reactive saucepan and heat to a simmer, stirring frequently. Turn off the heat and continue to stir until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed and sugar and molasses are dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Pour into a pitcher and serve or, for best flavor, refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to blend and mellow.

To serve, dilute to taste and serve chilled or over ice.

Interesting that 1 medium apple contains 1 milligram of sodium and 159 milligrams of potassium. Honey or molasses contain sugar. Ginger has been traditionally used for stomach complaints.

The WHO rehydration formula uses sugar, table salt, which contains sodium, and "lite" salt, which contains potassium. Soda has traditionally been used for stomach problems.

Our ancestors, though considered "primitive," had some wisdom. May we honor their wisdom by passing on what we learn, or remember.