[Sca-cooks] Metal Poisoning

[Wanda Pease]

Susan,  while lead poisoning did happen ancient Rome it unlikely that it came from pewter goblets.  More likely is  that the wine was sweetened with Sapa, also known as Sugar of Lead, (lead acetate), regularly added to the wine they drank.  According to the Smithsonian Magazine one of the problems that arises from low level Lead Poisoning is infertility.   Romans worried a lot about this since their population was going down leaving few Roman citizens to join the Army causing them to use mercenaries and local levies more and more.

Sugar of lead can kill as well.  Pope Clement II's remains we're studied and it turned out he died of Lead poisoning.  You can be sure he wasn't drinking from pewter although he did seem to like his sweetened wines.

Wanda Pease


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On May 9, 2014, at 4:44 PM, Susan Lord Williams <lordhunt at gmail.com> wrote:

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