[Sca-cooks] Water Purity was: Mustards

[Micheal]

 Oh well so much for supper break thanks needed to loose weight anyway. Just 
the lovely thing for my graphic imagination.
 Da
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <kingstaste at mindspring.com>
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Sent: Friday, December 10, 2004 2:15 PM
Subject: [Sca-cooks] Water Purity was: Mustards


> During the mustard thread, there arose discussion about water quality:
>
>> > But water was probably as common a liquid to use in
>> > England at that time as vinegar...
>
>> In England, when? I was thinking that water would have
>> to be boiled, otherwise you would be taking a chance
>> on using water which was contaminated with microbes.
>
> 'microbes' ... yeah ... and _everything_ else.
>
> Stefan, how could they have generally known about health
> hazards of water in the Renaissance?  In Holland, about
> 1595 the microscope was invented by Zacharias Jansenn
> (his business was grinding lenses for eyeglasses).  Later,
> Anton van Leeuwenhoek began to make microscopes as a hobby.
>
> I recall reading a comment (IIRC, NY Times) that modern
> archeological examination of period cesspools (coprolites)
> in London showed that the residents played host to every
> parasite known to man.
>
> Vincenzo
>
> I would add that there are other indications that water purity was
> considered, at least on a medical level.  There are illustrations* that 
> show
> doctors examining a patient's urine in a vessel called an orinel.  It's a
> clear glass, rounded bottle with a lipped mouth.  Color and clarity were
> checked as well as smell and taste for diagnosis purposes.  It wouldn't be
> much of a stretch to think that they would also check such standards in
> drinking water sources, at least in some enlightened areas and times.  Not
> that you would find microbes that way, but you can see a lot if you're
> looking for it.
> Christianna
> *citations coming, sources not currently available ;)
>
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