The subject of man and water in the desert has generated considerable interest and confusion since the early days…At one time the U.S. Army thought it could condition men to do with less water by progressively reducing their supplies during training. They called it water discipline…
-U.S. Army Survival Manual FM 21-76, Chapter 13, Desert Survival
At times, going without water required less discipline than did going with it. When drawn from a sulphurous well, or poured from a new skin that made water smell like goat urine, it almost felt better to let a sip pass from these parched lips.