Wine? Excessive drinking? Maybe the problem was more with drunkenness than it was with lead in water. Does the U.S. today have a bigger and bigger appetite for drinking, and more importantly, illegal drugs resulting in overdoses?
Are you really ignorant of the effects of lead on people?
Ever heard the term "Mad as a Hatter?" Hatters used lead to process the felt they used to make hats. (sorry)
Romans as well as many other people of the time added lead to the wine to make it taste sweeter. The aqueducts they built to carry water great distances to supply the towns (not just Rome; I've been inside one at Nice France) were lined with lead.
quote:
Lead Poisoning - Topic Overview
Lead poisoning occurs when you absorb too much lead by breathing or swallowing a substance with lead in it, such as paint, dust, water, or food. Lead can damage almost every organ system.
In children, too much lead in the body can cause lasting problems with growth and development. These can affect behavior, hearing, and learning and can slow the child's growth.
In adults, lead poisoning can damage the brain and nervous system, the stomach, and the kidneys. It can also cause high blood pressure and other health problems.
quote:
Lead Poisoning
What is lead poisoning?
Lead is a highly toxic metal and a very strong poison. Lead poisoning is a serious and sometimes fatal condition. It occurs when lead builds up in the body.
Lead is found in lead-based paints, including paint on the walls of old houses and toys. It is also found in:
• art supplies
• contaminated dust
• gasoline products sold outside of the United States and Canada
Lead poisoning usually occurs over a period of months or years. It can cause severe mental and physical impairment. Young children are most vulnerable.
Children get lead in their bodies by putting the lead containing objects in their mouths. Touching the lead and then putting their fingers in their mouths may also poison them. Lead is more harmful to children because their brains and nervous systems are still developing.
Lead poisoning can be treated, but any damage caused cannot be reversed.
It is accumulative, so low doses over many years builds up.
You think a weekend hangover is worse? Really?
Perhaps you should move to Flint Michigan and drink the water there.
Enjoy
Edited by RAZD, : JonF, thanks