>> Boiling water to sterilise it.

> <---- this is a major innovation ?

Absolutely!

If you didn't have this technology and another group did then your 
survival rates would vastly exceed theirs under certain quite 
realistic circumstances.

Once upon a not too many centuries ago vast numbers of people in 
London died in Cholera epidemics because they pumped polluted water 
from sewage contaminated wells and didn't know about treating it. 
Boiling would have done the trick. Removing the pump handle was the 
solution in one case! (Probably a shiny handle I'd say).


        Russell.


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