Page 11 - Polska_na_Zdrowie

Health resorts yesterday
„Od trosk wolny wstąp do tego miejsca,
Abyś wolny od chorób mógł wrócić and today
do domu”
Health resorts have a very long tradition. From time immemorial, sick
– napis na bramie wejściowej do Term Antonina w Rzymie. people have wandered to places where there were mineral springs.
In legends and applications we find information about animals
w Warszawie powstał na Służewcu w 1840 roku z inicjatywy that instinctively followed the sources of healing waters, not only to
dr. Ludwika Sauvan. Z tego okresu zachowało się do dziś quench their thirst, but also to immerse sick parts of their bodies in
kilka ujęć wody źródlanej, m.in. w Parku Łazienkowskim. their waters. Primitive man, watching animals, often followed their
W Polsce łaziennictwo rozwinięte było bardzo szeroko, example and benefited from the properties of healing waters and
a ludzie obsługujący łaźnie należeli do bogatych. W XVII mud. It is assumed that the first waters used for human treatment
wieku zaniechano budowania łaźni i zabiegów wodo- were hot springs.
leczniczych w Polsce. W tym czasie zamiast wody i mydła The healing effect of water baths on the human body was known in
używano pachnideł i pudru. Dopiero w latach 20. i 30. ancient Greece even before Hippocrates. There was a special order
XX wieku nastąpił ponowny, gwałtowny rozwój kąpieli of escalculations, which established the clinics – „Temples of health”
higienicznych, hydroterapii i lecznictwa uzdrowiskowego. located near the sources. The first baths were supposedly founded
in Crete. The ancient Greeks greatly appreciated bathing in baths
Królowie w cieplicach and in swimming pools. There was a bathhouse in every rich house,
Historia uzdrowisk polskich sięga dawnych lat. Pierwsza and the visitor usually started his visit by bathing. The Greeks were
wzmianka o Cieplicach-Zdroju pochodzi z 1137 roku, o Ląd- famous for caring for the appearance of their own body, while the
ku-Zdroju z 1242 roku, a o wodach iwonickich napisano Romans used the baths primarily as a place for socializing.
traktat już w 1520 roku. Iwonicz należy do najstarszych In Germany, the first baths were built in the year 1200. They were
uzdrowisk polskich i swego czasu był najbardziej znany used for steam baths. In addition, cold baths were used extensively
nie tylko w kraju, ale i za granicą. Do Iwonicza przyjeżdżali as tempering treatments. In Great Britain, the Order of Bath is the
pacjenci z Węgier, Czech i Rusi. royal distinction to this day. In Finland, baths and saunas have been
Zachowały się opisy leczenia w uzdrowiskach wielu zna- known for a long time, and in Russia there have been banya.
nych i sławnych ludzi. Kroniki polskie z XI wieku podają Also in the lands inhabited by the Slavs, there were city baths with
water drained from the rivers by means of wooden pipes. Such pipe-
lines were already known in the 16th century. In the 17th century, the
building of baths and hydrotherapy were abandoned. At that time,
perfumes and powder were used instead of water and soap. It was
only in the 1920s and 1930s that the rapid development of hygienic
baths, hydrotherapy and spa treatment took place.
The history of Polish health resorts dates back to the old days. The
first mention of Cieplice-Zdrój comes from 1137, about Lądek-Zdrój
from 1242, and about the waters of Iwonicz, the treaty was written
already in 1520. Iwonicz is one of the oldest Polish health resorts
and, at one time, it was best known not only in the country but also
abroad. Patients from Hungary, the Czech Republic and Russia came
here. There are descriptions of treatment in the spas of many famous
people, princes, kings, politicians, writers, musicians and poets.
The outstanding scholars who created the basics of Polish balneo-
logy are: Marcin Miechow, who in 1522 wrote a treatise on hydrothe-
rapy, dr Józef Struś from Poznań, Wojciech Oczko considered father
of Polish balneologists, Erazm Sykst, Jakub Moneta and dr Józef
Dietl. Its development was also influenced by many world-famous
balneologists of foreign origin, such as Wincenty Priessnitz, who
invented the shower or Sebastian Kneipp.
Currently, health resort treatment in Poland is an integral part of
the health care system. It is available to a wide range of patients from
Poland and abroad. In Polish health resorts, patients with various
diseases are treated. They find help in many sufferings, while taking
a rest and enjoying many pastimes – although to a lesser extent
from their ancestors.

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