Describe the impact of Richard Russell's treatise, A Dissertation on the Use of Seawater in the Affections of the Glands

Question

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Answer 1

In 1750, British physician Richard Russell published his treatise, A Dissertation on the Use of Seawater in the Affections of the Glands, the culmination of much research on the benefits and healing properties of seawater. He stated, "It is necessary to drink some sea water, to have baths in sea water, and to eat any sea product where its virtue is concentrated." This work helped usher in the modern era of sea bathing and interest in sea products. More and more doctors and scientists began studying seawater to determine its healing components.
Soon after Dr. Russell's work was published, the first hydrotherapy center devoted to using seawater and sea products opened in England. People traveled from all over to be treated for arthritis, lack of vitality, and many other disorders. The sea environment was seen as therapeutic, and many seaside towns in England, such as Brighton, came to be known as destinations for a "sea cure." People with asthma, tuberculosis, and nervous disorders are just some of the examples of those who sought relief at the ocean. Word of sea bathing traveled across the English Channel to the French coast, where immersion in the open sea became popular as well. Small wooden structures were provided to individual bathers out in the water so they could enjoy the benefits of seawater with privacy. With the expansion of the railway system in both England and France, travel to seaside resorts from inland cities became more and more fashionable. Around 1820, the individualized bathing cabins in the open sea gave way to buildings (hydrotherapy centers) with the baths inside. Men and women bathed separately, and the different social classes were separated.