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Pierre de Litre
Jun. 19th, 2021 04:23 pmFun fact!
Everyone remembers that the newton is named after Sir Isaac Newton, who discovered gravity, and that the kilogram is named after Lord Humphrey Kilogram, who climbed trees to drop apples on Newton.
But few remember Pierre de Litre, who introduced water to France.
Before de Litre's time, everyone in France drank only wine, and bathed only in wine. (White wine— bathing in red was forbidden because it terrified the pathologists.)
de Litre's breakthrough revolutionised industry. Winemills (not windmills) became watermills. The invention of water also led to useful innovations such as ice cubes and bidets.
However, after de Litre's death the wine growers of France hushed up his work. It wasn't until after the Revolution that people rediscovered water.
"Eau!" they said in surprise— hence the name.
Everyone remembers that the newton is named after Sir Isaac Newton, who discovered gravity, and that the kilogram is named after Lord Humphrey Kilogram, who climbed trees to drop apples on Newton.
But few remember Pierre de Litre, who introduced water to France.
Before de Litre's time, everyone in France drank only wine, and bathed only in wine. (White wine— bathing in red was forbidden because it terrified the pathologists.)
de Litre's breakthrough revolutionised industry. Winemills (not windmills) became watermills. The invention of water also led to useful innovations such as ice cubes and bidets.
However, after de Litre's death the wine growers of France hushed up his work. It wasn't until after the Revolution that people rediscovered water.
"Eau!" they said in surprise— hence the name.
