The Hot Tub: Quite a History!

Have you ever asked yourself where the word "SPA" came from? Being somewhat of a linguistics geek, in my research I was surprised to find that the word "spa" actually has routes back to Rome, where Roman soldiers would take hot baths to relieve injuries and heal their aching bodies. They called these baths "Sanus Per Aqua", which eventually was shortened to "spa". In fact, there is a small town in present-day Belgium(once a part of the Roman Empire) named Spa, famous for its natural hot springs.

The benefits of "hot tubs" and "spas", words that now really mean the same thing, have actually been around for thousands of years. The oldest known spa (mineral bath) still in existence today is found in Merano Italy. Studies have shown that the use of this spa dates back 5000 years! Wow, now that's what I call built to last!

The Egyptians used baths for therapeutic purposes as early as 2000 BC(no, this does not mean "Before Chlorine"). These earliest "hot tubs" were simply a caldera in which sizzling stones had been placed to heat the water.

Around 500 B.C. mineral and thermal baths started to show up in Greece. They were often built near natural hot springs and volcanoes and were used by Greek celebrities as a meeting spot where they would exchange philosophical views and treat physical ailments. Hippocrates, considered by many to be the founder of medicine, even recommended hydrotherapy for the treatment of disorders such as jaundice and rheumatism. Apparently Hippocrates was quite the visionary, considering the National Arthritis Foundation is a major sponsor of today's hot tub industry.

As far as the history of spas in the United States is concerned, Berkeley Springs of West Virginia and Sarasota Springs of New York are recognized as two of the most popular hot tub spots in early America. In fact, famous names such as George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and General Philip Schuyler have all been linked backed to these locations.

Another interesting fact regarding the history of hot tubs and famous characters in America, Franklin D. Roosevelt received therapeutic baths and muscle treatments for his debilitating pain of polio during his administration from 1933-1945. He even made Warm Spring, Co. his "little White House" and dedicated the treatment facility to others with disabilities.

The hot tub of today is typically traced back to an Italian family of seven brothers. One of these brothers, Joseph Jacuzzi, developed and patented a portable whirlpool pump out of necessity for an ailing relative suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. The pump was later refined and coupled with jets using air injectors that produced a froth of bubbles. This air-water mixture proved to be highly therapeutic and the invention spawned what has become today a multi-million dollar industry across the United States and the World, and of course, "Jacuzzi" became a household name.