The History of Baths

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History of Water Through the Ages Part 4

From this early classification of water, some springs were to be bathed in, whilst in others they were more beneficial to be drunk. Essentially hydrotherapy believed that bathers had a skin treatment but also the water entered the skin and changed the body. The rise of the health spas coincided with the classification in terms of chemical constituents. Every spring had its written testimonials, and accounts of miracles, and these were of more importance than the standard of accommodation, though it was normally by definition excellent. These proclamations were a testament to the power of the spring and Victorian patrons read them to determine whether to visit a local or a continental one. For instance early Manchester industrialists could visit Buxton in Derbyshire or Aachen in Germany. The popularity of the still relatively new railways meant that the wealthy could travel further. Joseph Priestly and Torbern Bergman, developed a means of bottling carbonated water and this gave rise to the soft drink industry we have today.

Chemistry had finally defined water as a compound of hydrogen and oxygen with the addition of minerals by the end of the eighteenth century. However, this led to a level of heightened competition between physicians who saw their livelihood threatened. It became normal for them to claim that each spring had properties and this essence could not be captured in bottled water, the waters had to be taken at the source of the water! This conceptualised water as being either pure or impure it was suitable for consumption or it was not.

At the beginning of the nineteenth century, chemists’ tended to define water in terms of its hardness, which was determined by its mineral content. This awareness of hardness affected many industries including the brewing industry. Slowly it began to have an affect on the medical profession, when hard water began to be associated with certain conditions such as gout and gall bladder stones, both of which were more prominent in eighteenth-century England than they are today.

In choosing waters, people were guided by tradition, and taste, using standards were similar to those established by classical literature. Stagnant water was contaminated and to be avoided, whilst clear, light, "bright" water sweet and desirable. By the mid nineteenth century water had been defined by experts and that expert opinion prevailed. It was finally realised that the harmful bacteria in water could not be seen, as it was too small. It was in fact possible for water to smell and taste marvellous, and contain lethal bacteria.

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