From: bzs@world.std.com (Barry Shein)
Subject: Re: Who came up with the idea...
Organization: The World
	<1993Jan5.173756.6765@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu>
	<1993Jan5.182158.29141@llyene.jpl.nasa.gov>
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 07:58:46 GMT


>We know now that boiled water is healthier than non-boiled water, 
>and we know why, but it wouldn't be known a priori, especially when 
>people did not know the causes of disease.  (What!  Little bugs I can't 
>see in my water!  Lock this madman up!! :)

Although people did not know the reason (and often made up reasons)
they frequently did do things like this simply because they stumbled
across the benefits. For a great book on this sort of thing I
recommend "Plagues and Peoples" by William Hardy McNeill, it's a good
swath of human history re-examined through the eyes of an
epidemiologist and very readable.

Sometimes people got it right, oftentimes of course they didn't. But,
as another example, just because they didn't understand the germ
theory of disease doesn't mean no one figured out contagiousness. The
Bible (OT) details that it was pretty clearly understood when the
Bible was written, read Leviticus* for dozens of prohibitions on
sleeping in a sick person's bed or wearing his or her clothes (and
advice to burn same.)

For something to ponder along the same lines tho not food: Who figured
out that sex caused babies? Think about it! You do this, um, thing,
and then months and months later there's an observable effect! Even
the first observable signs of pregnancy take several weeks. How/When
did they/we make the connection? Well, obviously we/they did..

One connection (a lot of) people didn't make was that you could avoid
infection by washing a wound in booze. This is too bad as Jack Daniels
himself died of an infected toe that no doubt could have been avoided
had he just soaked it right from the start in his own famous whiskey
(story has it that it all started when he kicked his safe having
forgotten the combination again.)

Much of what we associate with "witchcraft" and "magick" was just
people seeking out things like this, but not being able to explain
those techniques which worked, so it was attributed to manipulating
demons or spirits and often called evil even if the effect was
positive. But c'mon, you knew that, they couldn't tell you what
salicylic acid was, but they could tell you that willow bark tea would
cure your headache (to wrap it all back to the beginning of this
story.)

--------------------

* Ok, you won't go read Leviticus but I have it on-line, here are some
choice samples that I think demonstrate a basic knowledge of
contagiousness beyond mere fear. Remember that the use of the word
"leprosy" in the KJV is probably indefinite and referring to various
diseases, likely yarrows among them:

13:52 He shall therefore burn that garment, whether warp or woof, in
woollen or in linen, or any thing of skin, wherein the plague is: for
it is a fretting leprosy; it shall be burnt in the fire.

14:9 But it shall be on the seventh day, that he shall shave all his
hair off his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair he
shall shave off: and he shall wash his clothes, also he shall wash his
flesh in water, and he shall be clean.

14:43 And if the plague come again, and break out in the house, after
that he hath taken away the stones, and after he hath scraped the
house, and after it is plaistered; 14:44 Then the priest shall come
and look, and, behold, if the plague be spread in the house, it is a
fretting leprosy in the house; it is unclean.

14:45 And he shall break down the house, the stones of it, and the
timber thereof, and all the morter of the house; and he shall carry
them forth out of the city into an unclean place.

14:46 Moreover he that goeth into the house all the while that it is
shut up shall be unclean until the even.

14:47 And he that lieth in the house shall wash his clothes; and he
that eateth in the house shall wash his clothes.

15:3 And this shall be his uncleanness in his issue: whether his flesh
run with his issue, or his flesh be stopped from his issue, it is his
uncleanness.

15:4 Every bed, whereon he lieth that hath the issue, is unclean: and
every thing, whereon he sitteth, shall be unclean.

15:5 And whosoever toucheth his bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe
himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

15:6 And he that sitteth on any thing whereon he sat that hath the
issue shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be
unclean until the even.

15:7 And he that toucheth the flesh of him that hath the issue shall
wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the
even.

15:8 And if he that hath the issue spit upon him that is clean; then
he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean
until the even.

15:9 And what saddle soever he rideth upon that hath the issue shall
be unclean.

-- 
        -Barry Shein

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