Baths healing powers

[Imperial Dave]

https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/roman-baths-healing-properties-0020907

And the queues these days are shorter than the NHS......

[Ian61]

Interesting. Many years ago I heard a lecture which suggested another idea regarding the Baths healing properties. A common ailment in this area was Somerset gout which is thought to have been due to lead poisoning due to slivers of lead being used to keep the cider barrels watertight (cidertight!?😁). Lead takes the place of calcium in the body so flooding the body with calcium rich Bath water would help move it and the pressure on the kidneys sitting in the Baths would help push the lead out into the urine. The last bit I am more sceptical about but as a whole it does suggest a better than placebo effect.

[Nick Harbud]

Yes, the BBC Timewatch series did a piece on the problem of lead in cider.  Not only were a lot of the vessels made from lead (it being resistant to the acidic cider liquors) but it was a common practice to add sugar of lead (lead acetate) to sweeten the rougher ciders.

Cider workers were partly paid with product, more productive workers receiving a higher daily allowance.  The 8-pint workers were apparently much valued.

[Imperial Dave]

lead pipes

fnarr fnarr

[Ian61]

lead pipes

fnarr fnarr

If only the Romans had preferred hard water to soft!!! - but actually they still did some pretty stupid things with lead including the lead acetate trick above and in cooking pans.

[Imperial Dave]

still, the Mendips did well out of it....