Bathing in Baden during the imperial period and afterwards
Bathing in Baden in imperial times and afterwards
"On the use of sulphur baths and the sulphur drinking cure in Baden near Vienna" from the medical letters of spa physician Dr. Josef Hoffmann, 1905
Sulphur water as a bathing, drinking and inhalation cure
Drinking cure: Drinking sulphur water relieves the chest, complicated by mucus; serves the liver/stomach/cold and liquid intestines/serves women/restores lost memory. The drinking cure removes gases from the stomach. The internal use of sulphur water - after the removal of foul-smelling gases - results in comfortable emptying and satisfaction. Created is a rinsing room next to the drinking hall - for nasal showers and gargling the thermal water.
Interesting facts: There are 14 baths, which are naturally at different temperatures. The baths, drained and cleaned twice a day. The sulphur water works best in the months of June/July/August and September.
Swimwear
Bathing costumes worn while sitting on the elevations in the pool. Within the pool, there are also stools and benches on which you can climb and sit in the bath up to your neck. Young people and those of small stature wear wooden slippers. The women advise to take off their jewellery before bathing, because metal suffers in the sulphur water and turns black, gold remains untouched. For this reason, all the bolts and hinges on the doors were made of wood.
Treatment method
Before the bath, a bowl of milk or a light coffee with a bread roll is recommend; after the bath, an electric ordination is used. The baths taken in quick succession. As far as sweating is concerned: first the effect of the thermal bath, then the patients are rubbed with heated cloths, wrapped in a mass of warm woollen clothes and have to perspire in bed. It turned out that the effect of alternating baths with different temperatures had positive thermal stimuli on the blood circulation and the nervous system.
Effect of sulphur
Sulphur baths accelerate blood circulation in the veins. They cause the swollen bronchial glands to decongest. Sulphur water has a positive effect on patients with air hunger and severe shortness of breath. Inhalation should make it easier to remove mucus from the bronchial tubes.
Applications of sulphur water
- In case of congestion in the current area of the portal vein
- For the Production of undisturbed bile drainage
- For intestinal disinfection
- If you have a shrunken kidney
The spa doctor partly looked after the patients to the extent that he bathed together with them. He made a commitment not to let the patients out of his sight. One patient bathed 59 times without interruption, he achieved a comfortable life and remained a faithful follower of the spa town Baden for more than a decade.