[Sca-cooks] I Tried a Medieval Diet, and also watered wine

[Drew Shiel]

On 21 June 2016 at 06:08, <JIMCHEVAL at aol.com> wrote:

> There is simply no evidence that medieval water in general was especially
> dangerous, given that a lot of it was rural (springs, wells, etc) and at
> any
>  rate the real damage done by cities (over-population, industry) was some
> ways  off.


   I'm always a little puzzled by this. I grew up in rural Ireland, and our
running water in the house was just diverted from a stream, fed from a
spring a few hundred metres up the hill. Most rivers here (those that are
not downstream of factories or major towns) are clear and entirely
drinkable - and that's now, in 2016. Indeed, I'd often be happier drinking
water from the Avoca or the Slaney than the water from the taps in some
parts of Dublin.

  What do people think was in medieval water to make it anything less than
safe?

  Le meas,
  Aodh

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