The hospital of the nation: The story of spa medicine and the Mineral Water Hospital at Bath

Of all English spas, Bath has enjoyed the greatest reputation as a medical centre for treating rheumatic diseases with its naturally hot mineral water having a healing tradition originating in the mist of antiquity with the legendary story of Bladud, the prince who cured himself of leprosy by bathing in the hot springs. For centuries, the inexhaustible flow of the bath waters turned the city into a haven for invalids and a magnet for doctors. The pursuit of health became Bath's most important industry. In 1738, Britain's first national specialist hospital was founded in the city, drawing patients from the far-flung corners of the kingdom with illnesses which would benefit from spa treatment. Known best as The Mineral Water Hospital, it is still thriving as the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases and is nowadays an internationally famous institution for the research and treatment of these crippling disorders.