Sources of Ancient Healing Thermalism

Caelius Aurelianus Chronicae passiones 4.1.1

Way of Transmission
Literature
Datation
5th century CE
Language
Latin
Literary Genre
Medicine
Canonical Reference
Cael. Aur. chron. 4.1.1

1⟨…⟩ heliosis, dropacismus et lixiuii calidi perfusio et psychrolusia atque cataclysmus, hoc est aquarum e supernis illisio, natatio maritima et aquarum na⟨t⟩uralium et magis frigidarum, quae aluminis naturam exhalent, quas stypteri[a]z⟨us⟩as uocauerunt, siue ferrugineas, quas siderizusas appellant;

1[prescribe] sun-bathing, pitch plasters, a dousing with hot lye, cold baths, a shower bath, that is to say, a stream of water from above, and swimming in the sea or in mineral springs. Cold springs that give off vapors of alum (Greek styptērizusae) and chalybeate waters (Greek sidērizusae) are the best for this pur­pose.

Commentary

Tratamientos para la elephantiasis, una forma de lepra. Describe varios tipos de aguas naturales apropiadas: aluminosas y ferruginosas.

Related Sources

Celsus 2.17.1

Formas de provocar el sudor en un enfermo que lo necesite: el calor seco y el baño en aguas calientes termales, como en Bayas.

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Plinius Naturalis historia 31.4

Pliny the Elder indicates the importance of mineral and thermal springs were for humans, and how in some occassions, these springs caused the creation of some urbes because the value of these waters for health. In this case, he includes the examples of some of those cities: Puteolos (Puteoli, Italy), (Aquae) Statiellas (Acqui Terme, Italy) and (Aquae) Sextias (Aix-en-Provence, in France)

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Cicero ad Atticum 217.6

After the death of Lucius Cornelius Lentulus Crus, Cicero says that he had planned to recieve a property in Baiae as a reward for staying on Pompey’s faction.

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Related Sources

Celsus 2.17.1

Formas de provocar el sudor en un enfermo que lo necesite: el calor seco y el baño en aguas calientes termales, como en Bayas.

Read more »