Literary notes about potable (AI summary)
The word "potable" has been employed in literature to denote substances fit for consumption, with its usage varying according to context. In the works of William H. Ukers, for instance, "potable" is applied to coffee—both in describing an innovative brewing attempt by creating an aqueous extract and in experiments aimed at making affordable, drinkable coffee ([1], [2]). In contrast, classical texts like Strabo's Geography refer to water, categorizing it by its taste and suitability for drinking, distinguishing potable water from other types such as saline or sweet ([3]). Moreover, discussions on public health, as seen in writings on medicinal plants, underscore the importance of converting non‐potable water into potable water for widespread military use ([4]). This diversity in reference showcases the term's adaptability to both food science and public hygiene contexts.
- Then we tried to make a potable coffee by making an aqueous extract of raw coffee, evaporating to dryness and roasting the residue.
— from All About Coffee by William H. Ukers - These experiments were made to ascertain whether a potable coffee could not be offered to the public at as low a price as the raw or roasted now is.
— from All About Coffee by William H. Ukers - There is also a variety in the quality of water; for some waters are saline, others sweet and potable,
— from The Geography of Strabo, Volume 3 (of 3) by Strabo - It corrects the unhygienic properties of non-potable water and therefore enters into the army and navy ration of nearly all the nations of Europe.
— from The Medicinal Plants of the Philippines by T. H. Pardo de Tavera
