Water Purification Long Ago?

[Monk]

Has anyone any idea how explorers and soldiers long ago used to purify water? I'm thinking early explorers in Africa, Asia, India and 1800s and 1900s for example. What did folks do before all the water tablets and purifiers?
Monk

 

[Tricky]

I Know that the french, romans and some parts of the middle east used to use 1 part red wine to 3 parts water for purifying (apparently red wine has phenol compounds obtained from the wooden casks that kill certain water borne bacteria)

I also remember a program where ray mears used spagnum moss and some charcoal from his fire for a boshed up water filter but i dont know if it was something used hundreds of years ago :?:

As for India , Africa etc i dont know if they did bother (apart from boiling of course ), dysentry was and still is a problem is these countries


now to convince my wife that i need to take a few bottles of red wine with me everytime i go for a jaunt in the woods ): for purification needs only of course

 

[PC2K]

maybe they just boiled it ?

 

[Stuart]

they just boiled it, they may not even have known that it wa the water that made them ill

 

[tedw]

I think they mostly boiled it, and lots or WW2 vintage military manual demonstate how to make platoon-sized water boilers from oil-drums etc. But also many of the African explorer's journals suggest they drank mainly native beer. Same in medieval Europe as the brewing process actually produces a healthy product - it was pretty weak stuff, so little risk of drunkeness.

Ted W

 

[jakunen]

I knew there was a justifiable reason for listing beer under 'Essentials' in my kit lists... :uu:

 

[Adi007]

There were many and varied ways used to purify water. Turning it to beer was one popular solution employed. (I wonder why?) Bear in mind thought that out guts are not as well equipped to dealing with many of the nasties (apart from man made pollution). However, boiling was widespread. Boiling is a major use of fuel though, so you can see why clean wells and springs were regarded as sacred.

 

[Monk]

Boiling and drinking beer..ok. I recall reading somewhere about using herbs or maybe charcoal but then as pointed out, maybe they didn't know enough to boil the water. Just interesting...I do remember hearing one time someone claimed that he read the Japanese Army in WWII used to use some herb for water purification but I have never ran across this info.
Monk

 

[Wayland]

A blast from the past....... :welcome:

 

[Wayland]

One of the reasons the British Army did so well on campaign was the good old British liking for tea.

To make the tea you have to boil the water.

This was also a raeson alchohol was used so much in the past. Most brewing methods start with boiling water.

 

[spamel]

Very true, in fact if I remember right, Michael Palin said that it is best to drink tea rather than coffee as tea is always brought to the boil in places like India, and this is how he has never got a rumbly tummy from drinking in places like India.

Maybe that dead parrot should take a leaf out of his book!

 

[Stuart]

I'm thinking early explorers in Africa, Asia, India and 1800s and 1900s for example.

a good source for the thinking and techniques employed by explorers of the 1800 and early 1900 can be found in the book 'The art of travel' by Sir Frances Galton published in 1854

it was the explorers bible of the time and many of the famous names in early exploration would not leave home without a copy:

To purify water that is muddy or putrid - With muddy water, the remedy is to filter, and to use alum, if you have it. With putrid, to boil, to mix with charcoal, or expose to the sun and air; or what is best, to use all three methods at the same time. when the water is salt or brackish, nothing avails but distillation

Putrid water should always be purified by boiling it together with charcoal or charred sticks, as low fevers and dysenteries too often are the consequences of drinking it. The mere addition of charcoal largely disinfects it. Bitter herbs, if steeped in putrid water, or even rubbed well about the cup, are said to render it less unwholesome. The Indians plunge hot iron into putrid water.

it must be noted of course that this was written in the 1800 and so the advice does not tally with modern recommended practice

 

[EdS]

1 part red wine to 4 parts water was used as well.

The tannin in the wine kill many of potential parasites

 

[JonnyP]

Quote:
Putrid water should always be purified by boiling it together with charcoal or chared sticks, as low fevers and dysenteries too often are the consequences of drinking it. The mere addition of charcoal largly disinfects it. Bitter herbs, if steeped in putrid water, or even rubbed well about the cup, are said to render it less unwhoesome. The indians plunge hot iron into putrid water.

it must be noted of course that this was written in the 1800 and so the advice does not tally with modern recommended practice

I wonder what herbs he was talking about, there's herbs and there's herbs. Any mention in the book Stuart, would be interested to know.....

 

[torjusg]

Waters used to be much purer before logging, cattle farms and other nasties. I have heard that the indians of the amazon used to drink straight of the main river in the old days.

And also, if you are accustomed to drinking straight off the rivers, I assume you are not so easily harmed as if you have always drunk bottle water.

 

[ArkAngel]

So if you have cloudy/particles in the water, is it always best to try and filter this out first using say a sock with grass in it or something like and then boil it? or would boiling on it's own suffice and just not look too appetising?

 

[BorderReiver]

I think the large cholera outbreak in Soho in 1854 shows that in those days people didn't realise that water was a carrier of the causative organism.The cause was put down to miasma in the air.

At least in cities folks weren't that aware.

 

[Goose]

I watched a good programme about the history of the tea break, and why we drink tea with milk and sugar.
The mill workers needed rehydrating and water was full of bugs so needed boiling, make tea.(coffee originally, tea was too expensive and was for the upper classes!(until transport got cheaper?))
Boiling water made the cups crack, can't add cold water first(bugs!) so use milk still gets bugs but at least you can tell by the smell.
The sugar was added to give the workers a bit of a boost at midday.
Apparently that is why the NATO cuppa is with milk and two sugars!

 

[Goose]

So if you have cloudy/particles in the water, is it always best to try and filter this out first using say a sock with grass in it or something like and then boil it? or would boiling on it's own suffice and just not look too appetising?

It is worth filtering before boiling as apart from making it look better some of the bugs inside the particles can survive the boiling. Or boiling clear water is more efficient.

 

[chrisvreugd]

there where times that they just drunk beer, the whole day!

...or wine....