SC - lead vs. salt use

[Siegfried Heydrich]

    Um, salt increase was a result of lead poisoning? I would think it the
other way around. First, lead pipes were used for plumbing way back to
pre-imperial Rome, which may account for some things . . . Lead was used for
eating ware as well, and period pewter would NOT be considered 'food safe'.
I could see that as more and more chemically reactive salt was added, it
would have leached the leads out into their food, especially from things
like pewter spoons and cauldrons.

    Sieggy

- ----- Original Message -----

> Hi all.  I was just having a talk with someone I work with who gave me
food
> for thought.  She and I were talking about historical cooking and then
lead
> poisoning and how there is a direct corralation to the increase in salt
use
> as a result of lead poisoning.  She was saying that basically this could
be
> traced back to the fall of the Roman empire.
>
> Now, I musts admit here, I am a very gullible person.  My household takes
> great mirth in it.  But I wanted to throw this out to the list and see
what
> you say.
>
> Olwen