the nytimes magazine had this funny excerpt from a letter that mark twain wrote to his wife in 1874:

"My darling, I want you to be sure & remember to have, in the bathroom, when I arrive, a bottle of Scotch whisky, a lemon, some crushed sugar & a bottle of Angostura bitters. Ever since I have been in London I have taken in a wine-glass what is called a cock-tail...before breakfast, before dinner & just before going to bed...to it I attribute the fact that up to this day my digestion has been wonderful -- simply perfect. It remains day after day & week after week as regular as a clock"