I was discussing with friend that in the middle ages people drank beer as it was safe to drink.
We both agreed on that point, but he claimed that it was because the cost of fuel. Whereas I asserted that it was due to the population not knowing that boiling made water safe to drink.
So was there a period that the general population in Europe drank alcohol instead of water due to it being safer? And was this due to lack of knowledge, cost of fuel or some other reason ?
People have known that boiling water makes it safer to drink for a long time.
Hippocrates, On Airs, Waters, and Places, ~400 BC.
I will now tell how it is with respect to rain-water, and water from snow.... Such, to all appearance, are the best of waters, but they require to be boiled and strained; for otherwise they have a bad smell, and occasion hoarseness and thickness of the voice to those who drink them.
Pliny, Natural History, 78 AD
Indeed, it is generally admitted that all water is more wholesome when it has been boiled.
hi! you may be interested in this section of the FAQ (link on sidebar):