Mineral Water and Spas in Greece
Since ancient times, humans have bathed in springs, the temperature and chemical composi- tion of which differed substantially from those of the ordinary ones. They did so not only for healing purposes but also for gaining and maintaining a good physical condition. Certain waters, whose temperature and chemical composition do not differ much from the ordinary, have healing properties when consumed. Ancient Greeks knew about spas and mineral waters and used them for therapy or to keep fit. Greek mythol- ogy is very rich in legends linked with spring waters and Greek gods and goddesses. Venus, the goddess of beauty, bathed in her temple with the assistance of Charites (her maidservants and female companion). The goddess of agriculture, Demetra, bathed in the river immediately after she was raped by Apollo in order to purify herself. The mother of gods and wife of Zeus, Ira, used to bathe once a year in a spring to restore her virginity. The goddess Artemis (Diana) was called “Thermia Artemis,” because she was the patron of springs; she controlled the nymphs (Naiades), who were patrons of spas. Every year, there was a big feast in the temple of Artemis on the isle of Lesbos in the exact place where the spas are located. According to Greek mythology, the spring of Ther- mopiles was created by the god of fire, Hephestus, at the request of the goddess of wisdom, Athena, for the benefit of her protege Hercules, to bathe and restore his strength after each labor. Another legend speaks of the Centauri (men with the body of a horse), who cleansed the wounds inflicted upon them by the poi- soned arrows of Hercules, in the springs of Kaifa; as a result, a bad smell started to rise from the waters (hy- drosulfide emission). Apollo, the god of the Sun, was also a doctor and he was called “Thermios Apollo”
because according to legend, he used thermal spring waters to heal. In the fifth and sixth centuries B.C.E., that is, at the pre-Hippocratic period, medicine was practiced in the Asclipeia. Asclipeia were the temples of Aesculapius, god of medicine; and the priests of Asclipeia were at the same time the persons who were able to treat a number of maladies empirically. Most of the Asclipeia were built, on purpose, in areas with spas, because hydro- therapy played a major role in the therapeutic process. The famous ones in ancient Greece, Asklipeia of Epid- auros and Kos (birthplace of Hippocrates), were located at the vicinity of spas.
The Present Status
Greece is a country rich in mineral waters and spas; there are more than 70 such resorts, and the number is increasing due to the reconstruction and modernization of previously abandoned units. Spas and mineral wa- ters are scattered all over the country (Fig 2), not only around the coastal area but also in the interior and the islands, mainly of the Aegean Sea.4 The spas in Greece are categorized on the basis of water temperature as cold (below 28°C) and hot (above 28°C). One of the most popular hot spas is the spa of Edipsus.5 The spa, very well known in ancient Greece, is also one of the hottest in Europe with water temperature up to 78.2”C
most representative waters are sulfated, chlorated, car- bonic, or radioactive. Usually, the chlorated spas are located around the coastal line and on the islands, be- cause their water is affected to a great extent by the sea. The water of the spas in the inner country contain free carbon dioxide. There are also a considerable number of springs with mineral potable water such as Loutraki’j (Fig 4), Sariza, or Souroti. The therapeutic indications of spas depend largely on the water composition. As in many other countries, spa treatment may represent the first alternative choice to drugs in chronic of nonre- sponsive inflammatory diseases. Arthritic diseases, re- spiratory disorders, gastroenterological problems, and gynecological and circulatory diseases are types of con- ditions where therapy supplementary to medical treat- ment is offered in the Greek spas. For the dermatologic disorders, sulfurous spa waters are the most appropri- ate. In vitro studies have shown that sulfurous water can inhibit the proliferation of normal lymphocytes and T cells obtained from patients with chronic immunome- diated diseases7 Recently, it was reported that sulfu- rous spa waters can inhibit ILL and IFNy release from THl lymphocytes, suggesting that immersion in sulfu- rous water can modulate some physiopathological as- pects of the memory T-lymphocyte cells.7C8 As a result, a cutaneous immunomodulating effect is produced, which is advantageous in the treatment of several in- flammatory skin diseases.
Conclusions
The most well known Greek spas with sulfurous waters are the spas of Ipati, Kammena Vourla, Kaiafa, Methana, and the historic Thermopylae.” Patients from Greece and abroad suffering from psoriasis, various types of eczema, and atopic dermatitis, visit the spas annually to complement the medical treatment of their disease. As in other European countries, the therapeutic spas and baths in Greece have been reconstructed and modernized; and they offer an atmosphere of health and physical fitness, if not through exposure to spas and consumption of potable mineral waters, at least through relaxation. It has been reported that dermato- venereologists in many countries in Europe utilize spa treatments as supplements to their drug therapy.‘“-‘* In Greece, however, dermato-venereologists are per- suaded by the benefits of balneology in the treatment of skin diseases. More research is needed to determine the value of balneology in dermatology. Spas in Greece have a glorious past, a doubtful present, and probably a most promising future.
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