For centuries, prosperous invalids have been flocking to spa resorts featuring mineral springs, on the assumption that “taking the waters” (drinking them and/or bathing in them) is good for what ails them. Is there any scientific proof that it is?
It depends on what ails you. FDR famously “took the waters” for his polio, and there’s no evidence it did him any good. It was popular in those days for polio victims and arthritis victims. A long soak in a hot spring probably felt wonderful. Other folks “took the waters” for constipation, and for the belief that a periodic blowdown of the bowel was a good thing. Those folks were very satisfied with the therapy. The smelly, sulfurous waters had a dramatic laxative effect.
So, was there a real health benefit from mineral spring spas? Only if you were bound-up. Otherwise, it’s only the feeling of being pampered, and they do that very well. In my own state, look into French Lick or West Baden Resort. Oh, and bring your golf clubs. 
His wife disliked them, so she stayed home. But his mistress came along to the hot springs with him. So while they didn’t do anything to help his polio, but I bet it ‘did him good’ in other ways!
“These pipes are CLEEEEAN!”
Didn’t “taking the waters” sometimes involve some of what we would call water aerobics these days? (I know I’ve seen pictures of people doing goofy-looking stuff in bathing suits at those places.) I imagine that could be quite useful for people with polio-related paralysis, for example.
A tourist attraction that smelled like a giant clap of flatulance :eek:
I “took the waters” at a southern European spa last week, and I can say that looking at a bevy of Italian beauties wandering around without significant encumbrance of clothing was of real benefit to me. On the other hand, this effect was offset by the herds of corpulent Germans in the same condition. Overall, I’d say it was kind of a wash.
I always thought “taking the waters” was dumb, until I hung out in a spa in the Cali desert. The water was of such a mineral composition that I could bob around in it all day long, never get wrinkled or waterlogged, and it felt silky-smooth on my skin, and had no smell at all. Chilled, the waters from the spring were the best-tasting water I’d ever consumed.
Now I go back there yearly with Mrs. Mercotan, to “take the waters”.
Do I get a health benefit? It’s certainly relaxing, I swim a LOT (especially after hiking in the mountains and desert), and there’s some lovely eye candy (besides the Mrs.) to divert me in the pool too. My mental health improves due to those visits. But I won’t claim more benefit than that.
I’ll probably regret asking this, but how exactly did they “take” the waters for that purpose?
In the Lithia Spings in Georgia, the water has actual dissolved lithium salts in it—which can have a mood-enhancing effect if you soak long enough/drink it (just as taking lithium aids some people with clinical depression).
Most spa water tastes nasty-stuff like magnesium, managanese, sulphur and iron make for terrible-tasting water. The main thing is, its a vacation-and if you drink the smelly, nasty water, you can count on a little weight loss. Plus, most european health insurance covers visits to a spa.
Lithium isn’t generally used for clinical depression. It is used primarily for bipolar disorder and this discovery can be miraculous for people like me that have bipolar disorder. I have also read that the effects of lithium were noted early on through such springs however and it was the example I was going to give. I have no idea if it is really true but seeing a bipolar person going from off their rocker to normal just from bathing in a spring over time would be impressive and a real health benefit.
Lithium is an element and similar to other things that might be called simple vitamins but it is easily toxic and the therapeutic dose is uncomfortably close to the toxic dose. I have a hard to believing lithium could be absorbed in just the right quantities to help people with bipolar disorder through skin absorption and bottled water. However, even if it is a mistake, it really works in the clinical setting so God bless whoever spread the rumor.
I recall reading that there are several hot springs that have water which has dissolved RADON gas! If inhaled, radon can cause lung cancer-I wonder how many people have gotten cancer by “taking the waters”. it’s an odd thing-europeans seem to have the idea that foull-smelling waters is somwhow "good’ for you-of course, the laxitive effect of such water is probably the only real effect of this. :eek:
Well, on that, there’re people with arthritis who go to the US Southwest to sit in abandoned uranium mines.