Mid South Memories Memphis Commercial Appeal Sept. 14, 1912
“A pure water plant, the only one of its kind in the South, is being installed at the Bohlen-Huse Ice Co. on Court, according to the president B.G. Lee. When in operation next month it will furnish lithia water which will be delivered in five-gallon jugs to officies and residences.” My great uncle Bayliss ran the Bohlen-Huse Ice Co also known as the Bohlen-Huse Machine and Lake Ice Co. most of his working life.
Wikipedia has this to say about lithia water:
History
Between the 1880’s and World War I, the consumption for bottled lithia mineral water reached gigantic proportions.[2] The most premium of all the mineral water brands were lithia waters because of their highly acclaimed health benefits. One of the first commercially sold lithia waters in the United States was bottled at Lithia Springs, Georgia in 1888.[3] During this era there was such a demand for lithia water that there was a proliferation of bottled lithia water products, however only a few were natural lithia spring waters. Most of the bottled lithia water brands added lithium bicarbonate to spring water and called it lithia water. With the advent of World War I and the formation of the new US government food safety agency, mineral water bottlers were under scrutiny. The new agency posted large fines and penalties against mineral water bottlers for mislabeled , misrepresented, and adulterated products.[4] These government actions and their publicity along with public works that made clean tap water readily assessable caused the American public to lose confidence and interest in bottled mineral water.[5]\
Research
The health benefits of lithia water have been supported by countless testimonials, but no independent scientific research had been conducted on lithia water until the 1980’s.
A published researched study in 1992 about trace elements indicated that individuals with heart disease, learning-disabilities, and incarcerated violent criminals were found to have lithium deficiencies (as measured through hair sample analysis).[6]
Research studies measuring the effects of trace levels of lithium, commonly found in lithia waters, have demonstrated neuroprotective abilities,[7] improvements in mood and cognitive function,[8] and positive outcomes as a treatment for manic depressive disease.[9]
Research studies published the British Journal of Psychiatry 2009 found that communities with naturally occurring lithia waters have lower suicide rates, mental hospital admissions, incidences of crimes, and arrests related to drug addictions.[10]
On February 8, 2011, German researchers at Friedrich Schiller University Jena published their findings in the European Journal of Nutrition (Nature Publishing Group) indicating that lithia waters lead to an increased life expectancy in humans and metazoans.[11]
A clinical pilot study using ĔDJ lithia water from British Columbia is underway at the University of British Columbia.[12] It will investigate whether daily use of lithia water will improve new brain cell formation (neurogenesis) and reduce neuronal oxidative stress (neuroprotection).