The ancient world.
Since olden days the person allocated water with magic properties. Many ancient civilisations – Вавилоняне, Egyptians, Greeks, Judea, Persians and Chineses – considered, that water possesses special curative qualities, allows to clear a body and soul of the person. At вавилонян for water procedures goddess Ia "answered", and at Hindus with water connected a name of goddess Varuna. Judea considered illnesses as punishment for sins, and ablution – way to wash off sins and to cure soul and a body. Later this ceremony was adopted by Christians.
Ancient Greeks have introduced rationalism in philosophy of Spa: they considered, that water, besides mystical qualities, possesses a number of useful physical properties. The well-known doctors of antiquity – Гиппократ, Гален and Цельс – actively practised treatment by water.
The special role was given to water by Romans. They erected the present temples of water – terms, with difficult system of pools, per capita and sweating rooms. Terms were not so much medical institutions, how many the centres of a cultural and social life of empire. Society cream gathered in baths to discuss a state of affairs in Empire.
The Middle Ages
As Rome fell into decay, lost the popularity and terms. Many of them have been thrown or destroyed. But even in Dark centuries thermal sources have appeared claimed. The church devoted sources sacred and to martyrs, transformed them into places of pilgrimage of pilgrims. Only in England and the Wales there were 30 sacred sources to which believers from all country aspired.
However, to the fourteenth century the reputation of sources has been undermined: the immoral behaviour of pilgrims and absence of elementary concepts about hygiene has led to that sources became the centres of distribution of a plague and a leprosy. As a result the church has sharply changed the relation to sources: many of them have been closed for visiting. Has struck the blow to Spa and Реформация: Protestant pastors considered ablution in sources as Catholic tradition and яро struggled with it.
Revival and Spa
In Renaissance of Spa again have become fashionable. Frequently, they played the important role in the politician. So, in XVI century the Belgian resort of Spa became a place of a meeting for the British immigrants. Catholics left Protestant England in Spa under a pretext «treatments on waters». Actually the plan on overthrow of the British monarchy and Catholicism restoration on Albion there prepared. As a result in 1571 the British parliament has removed restrictions on bathing in the British Spas and has entered special exit visas into Belgium.
In the south of Europe Spas also became popular. First of all doctors and scientists have paid attention to them. To the public there were tens the treatises devoted to bathings and curative properties of water. At this particular time in Europe especially medical sight at Spa was established. It also defined development of branch up to second half of XX-th century.
Our time
In 80е-90е year of the XX-th century there was a reconsideration of philosophy of Spa. Spas have turned from medical institutions to something большее: the centres of beauty and a healthy way of life. Spas urged not to cure the person of illnesses, and to raise quality of his life. Treatment of diseases is assigned to medicine, and here maintenance of beauty and good state of health became a prerogative of Spa. They help people to have a rest from intense rate of a life, to relax, gain strength and find composure. It special interest to ancient east technologies of Spa, for example аюрведической to medicine, and development of antistressful technologies, for example, occurrence of musical and colour therapy also speaks.
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