Deborah Harrell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote,
Actual but non-moral consequences also occur
in the 'sins of the fathers (and mothers)' realm:
congenital syphilis and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome come to
my mind. ...
Good point. I wonder whether Fetal Alcohol Syndrome helped push the
notion?
How much alcohol causes the syndrome? Could watered wine, such as the
ancient Greeks drank (like beer nowadays), cause the syndrome? Wine
and beer are old, although distilled spirits are not. (As far as I
know, they are post-Roman, Arabic.) I think of gin and its
equivalents as causing fetal alcohol syndrome, but I don't know
whether the dosages you can get from watered wine or from beer have
the same effect. If so, then the ancient powers that were -- the most
rich at the time -- would likely have suffered.
(This brings up another question: to what extent is the claim that
rich and powerful Romans liked wine with lead salts in them; and to
what extent did this hurt them? Certainly, I have heard the stories,
but I do not know the extent of their truth.)
Speaking of gin, I think I will have a gin and tonic right now. It is
hot and humid, and the mosquitos are out, although I doubt any this
far north carry malaria. (Anyhow, good reasons.... :)
--
Robert J. Chassell
[EMAIL PROTECTED] GnuPG Key ID: 004B4AC8
http://www.rattlesnake.com http://www.teak.cc
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