On chronic skin diseases treated by the waters of Aix-la-Chapelle / by Dr. Schumacher, jr.

  • Schumacher, Carl.
Date:
1882
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On chronic skin diseases treated by the waters of Aix-la-Chapelle / by Dr. Schumacher, jr. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    Eternal City. Six hundred years passed by before the first great German emperor, Charlemagne, rebuilt the baths on the same site. It is said that he discovered the hot springs whilst hunting in the woods, which at that time covered the neighborhood. The emperor was in the habit of bathing with his whole court in the long piscines or common baths, according to a custom which continued to exist up to the end of the Middle Ages. In the Latin writings of the Middle Ages, Aix-la-Cha- pelle is called by the significant name of Aquisgranum, from which the present German name of Aachen is derived. About 1756 the celebrated English doctor, C. Lucas, in his well-known work, entitled An Essay on Waters, gave the highest praise to the improved contrivances for private baths at Aix-la-Chapelle; and these arrangements have not since been changed, except for further improvement. In 1655, shortly after the Thirty Years' War, the renowned Dr. Franz Blondel instituted the practice of drinking the waters as a means of great importance in curing certain diseases. He was much interested in Aix-la-Chapelle, and his discovery added greatly to the benefits of treatment at these baths; but in his time he must have met with much opposition from some of the medical men of his day, for in 1688, in his interesting work on Thermal Aquisgranenses, we find him devoting two whole chapters to the refutation of the unfair charges brought against his treatment, by nar- row-minded though scientific adversaries. The sulphur-springs at Aix-la-Chapelle have continued up to the present time well-known and much used for their healing powers. These healing properties have been proved to exist by the experience of centuries, by the chemical composition of the water, and by their physiological effect on the system. The water of our warm springs is very digestible. Its principal chemical ingredients are sulphur, chloride of sodium, and carbonate of soda. The waters of the Kaiser- quelle, at Aix-la-Chapelle, contain in every 10,000 grammes or about 10 litres (3 gallons) :