Summary of Camper English's Doctors and Distillers

Book excerpt: Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1The practice of providing work beer to employees was not limited to ancient times. It was common into the Industrial Revolution, when employers were not trying to create a drunk and docile workforce, but instead wanted to keep people hydrated. #2 The history of alcohol use dates back to the ancient Egyptians, who used it both in medicine and as medicine. The Ebers papyrus, a scroll compiled of older Egyptian medical and magical texts, contains instructions for herbal medicine, surgical procedures, and spells and incantations to cure ailments like crocodile bites and baldness. #3 The ancient Greeks, who were more accustomed to the Mediterranean climate, considered beer to be a foreigner’s beverage. They did not drink their wine neat, but usually mixed it with water. The Greeks knew that water alone could be unhealthy, as they wrote about it in Airs, Waters, Places. #4 Hippocratic authors distinguished different types of wine for its color, concentration, smell, and age. They claimed that white strong wine was beneficial for passing urine and inflamed organs, and that it was also beneficial in acute diseases.