SC - Is drinking water "period"

[Robin Carroll-Mann]

A while back, I mentioned a chapter on water in a 16th century health 
manual.  I've been taking a break from trying to translate it, since the 
language is very... medical and hard to render into English.  I'll try to get 
back to it soon. 

In brief, however, Dr. Luis Lobera de Avila (court physician to Carlos V) 
recommends water for the treatment of various illnesses.  Sometimes it 
is administered cold, sometimes boiled with herbs.  I cannot tell from 
this if people of the time voluntarily drank water as a beverage.  Medical 
and nutritional texts generally reflect what people *should* be doing, but 
not necessarily what they *are* doing.


Lady Brighid ni Chiarain
Settmour Swamp, East (NJ)
mka Robin Carroll-Mann
harper at idt.net