What is so unusual about that? Until the 20th century malaria was endemic in the Netherlands (Dutch wikipedia mentions 10.000 suffering from it around 1945). I assume that the situation was more or less the same in the rest of Europe.Malaria???
What is so unusual about that? Until the 20th century malaria was endemic in the Netherlands (Dutch wikipedia mentions 10.000 suffering from it around 1945). I assume that the situation was more or less the same in the rest of Europe.Malaria???
A newspaper article: http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...Uw1ZAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UkYNAAAAIBAJ&pg=1086,798268
Dr. March could harvest 140 tons of rhizomes per acre, which is 32 tons of flour. I presume this is with modern equipment and intentional management, other references I've found are 6,475 pounds of flour per acre. And that's a giant difference.
More protein than corn or rice, but slightly less than wheat or potatoes.
Only potato flour has more minerals.
Lower water content than other flours, except wheat flour.
Malaria???
In south-eastern England it was common enough to be known as 'London Ague'.What is so unusual about that? Until the 20th century malaria was endemic in the Netherlands (Dutch wikipedia mentions 10.000 suffering from it around 1945). I assume that the situation was more or less the same in the rest of Europe.
Yes, malaria was really big in some Mediterranean areas, apparently enough that independent mutations emerged and spread to favor resistance to it; exactly like the one causing sickle cell anemia, they can have nasty consequences (check out for Familar Mediterranean Fever for an example I know; I am not sure about Mediterranean Anemia, but I have been told it spread as its genes favor malaria resistance as well).
Maybe they could be cultivated later on? Maybe in the 1900s or later, someone points out the nutritional benefits or taste of cattails, and a small movement to begin cultivating them begins?
From expirieince, they're actually pretty tasty when roasted![]()
That's actually quite a great idea : could it be an alternative to the disappearance of marshes in Europe (as in Italy)?
Maybe it could be part of a 'back to nature' movement in reaction to the Industrial Revolution, or a modern environmentalist one. There is an existing push to recreate some wetlands for biodiversity reasons, it could easily become part of that.
That's actually quite a great idea : could it be an alternative to the disappearance of marshes in Europe (as in Italy)?