[13:03] Sabayna (tremlays) takes another sip of her tea, puts away the old papers, pulls a new bundle of papers onto the desk and clears her throat.
=== Introduction ===
Welcome to our lesson on the health benefits of baths. We'll cover Gorean bathing in general before moving on to the preparation and use of medicated bath oils.
My name is Sabayna, and I have been a physician in the city of Isfahan for two years. Before that, I was a perfumer and herbalist for many years before our ruler of Isfahan, Khan Hermes, entrusted me with the city's infirmary. Then I began my medical training with my mentor, Lady Nicolyn.
I continue to produce my perfumes in the spirit of aromatherapy, but I've expanded my spectrum to include medicinal baths. For this En'kara Fair, I have a market stall for bath oils very close to the physician's tent, which will now be offered as part of the joint cooperation between physicians and merchants.
For this lecture, I've set up some demonstration objects at the edge of the healer's tent. Among other things, you'll find a table with the new bath oils, which you're welcome to help yourself to. ((The bath oils are in the boxes as objects; when you unpack and put them on, a short animation will play when you click on them.
points to the table at the side with the bath oil boxes.
[13:08] Marcus (shadowstalker): thank you
=== The Gorean bathing system ===
Bathhouses are described several times in John Norman's books. They range from a magnificent, large complex with many different pools in Ar, the Capacian Baths, in volume 5, Assassin of Gor, to a room in the Crooked Tarn Inn containing ten bathtubs in volume 23, Renegades of Gor. Public baths are also mentioned in Turia and Lydius. The baths in Turia are similar in size to the Capacian Baths in Ar.
Here is a description of the baths at the Crooked Tarn Inn:
There are many types of baths, and ways to take them, for example, depending on the temperatures of the tubs, or pools, and the order in which one uses them. A common fashion is to use the first tub for a time, soaking, and, if one wishes, sponging, and then, emerging, to apply the oil, or oils. These are rubbed well into the skin and then removed with the strigil.“
Renegades of Gor, Book 23, Pages 58-59
„There are various forms of strigil, and some of them are ornately decorated. They are usually of metal and almost always of a narrow, spatulate form. With the strigil one scrapes away the residue of oil, and, with it, dirt and sweat, cleaning the pores. One then generally takes the "second tub," which consists of clean water, sponges away tiny remaining grime, residues of oil and dirt, and such, and then, luxuriating, soaks again.“
Renegades of Gor, Book 23, Pages 58-59
This provides a description of the bathing process, which is practiced equally in the large Capacian baths and in the tub baths of the Crooked Tarn Inn. The model for this is the thermal baths of the Roman Empire, with their alternating warm and cold water baths (caldarium and frigidarium) and their warming rooms (tepidarium).
Please have a look on this picture:
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Maria_degli_Angeli_e_dei_Martiri#/media/Datei:S._Maria_degli_Angeli_e_Martiri_in_Rom.jpg
This is the interior of the Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli e Martiri in Rome. In Roman times, it was the main building of the Baths of Diocletian, dating back to the late 3rd century AD. Its entire structure, including the vaults, was preserved for use as a church. In the 16th century, it was renovated and refurbished by Michelangelo.
Despite the changes made by Michelangelo, which only affected the fittings and decoration, the structural structure of the Roman bath complex has been preserved. We can imagine the Capacian Baths in Ar to be similar to the interior of Santa Maria degli Angeli e Martiri.
We also know from Roman bathing culture the method described by John Norman of rubbing oil into the skin and then removing it with a strigil that is firmly rubbed over the skin.
The strigil is a scraper similar to a hand sickle, but of course, it doesn't have a sharp edge. Here we have a tool used by slaves. The strigil must be pulled very firmly across the skin to scrape the oil from the pores. I have a few strigils lying here on the table to the side.
What health benefits do essential oils have in the pores of the skin, besides the desired effect of removing dirt and dust from the pores? Their absorption effect has been conclusively proven. During absorption, nutrient components move from areas of high concentration in the body to those of low concentration. This occurs, as has been demonstrated with conifer oils, through an increase in the number of leukocytes, or white blood cells. This promotes blood flow to tissue layers close to the skin; the nutrient components can be distributed more effectively throughout the body, counter to the concentration gradient.
