The hot water bath that utilises industrial technology
Do you need to
loosen those tight
sore muscles in your waist or back? How about relieving all the
stress that you experience everyday? Your jacuzzi is the
answer!
A jacuzzi is a
hot water tub with
jets that
circulate the water. It was
invented and
developed by a man of the same name.
Born in 1903 in
Italy, Candido Jacuzzi
emigrated with his family to the
States (Berkeley,
California) and started up his business Jacuzzi Brothers, Inc. there. The company
initially manufactured airplane
parts, later moving on to industrial water
pumps.
It was an illness that led to the Jacuzzi family's
famous invention. Candido's son suffered from rheumatoid
arthritis, which required him to attend
monthly
hydrotherapy sessions at local
hospitals. Seeing how his son was
constantly in pain, Candido
adapted some of his water pumps so that they fitted in a tub and
treated his son at
home in between the sessions.
The jacuzzi
whirlpool1 baths first hit the market in 1955. Though
originally
targeted at housewives,
Hollywood stars such as Randolph Scott and Jayne Mansfield also used it. Their
testimony boosted the
popularity of the jacuzzi. In 1968, Candido
unveiled the first jacuzzi as we know it today. The tub now came
fitted with pipes, electrical pumps and water jets. This invention
immediately became a hit.
Hotels, places of
relaxation and
recreation, and houses of the
rich and
famous now possess the
humble industrial pumps.
In the jacuzzi, the pump works in
tandem with underwater
suction fittings to
eject water through the jets. Venturis (singular: venturi) fitted in water jets mixes air with the water, causing the
bubbly effect. This ratio of air to water is usually
adjustable. Unlike hot tubs or
spas, jacuzzis are normally
drained after each use.
Jacuzzis are now
commonly used for relaxation of
stiff muscles, to
release stress and in the
treatment of
chronic or
joint pain. The movement of water increases blood flow to the areas which are
stimulated, promoting
healing and reducing inflammation. However, people with
heart and/or circulatory
problems are advised to
consult their doctors before using a jacuzzi.
A note of caution: Even for people with no health problems, it is not
advised to enter a jacuzzi (or a
hot tub,
hot spring,
spa or
sauna) alone. This is because the heat causes your blood vessels to
dilate (expand), allowing large amounts of blood to flow to your feet. If you stand up too
quickly, you wil feel faint as a
significant volume of blood has left your head. Some people with low blood pressure might actually
faint in a jacuzzi or hot tub, resulting in loss of life.
Someone I am
acquainted with left the jacuzzi, changed and made it as far as the elevator before she fainted. Her friend had to drag her out and
alert a doctor. She was also fed
glucose on the off-chance that she might have been a diabetic. On coming to, the
doctor questioned her closely and later
educated us all about the
consequences of taking a
soak in a jacuzzi.
1 It should be noted that Jacuzzi himself did not invent the first whirlpool baths, although he did invent the self-contained variety that we know today.
Sources:
"What is a jacuzzi?" -- http://www.eawater.com/cgi-bin/d2r_jacuzzis.pl#What%20is%20a%20Jacuzzi%20?
"Who invented the jacuzzi?" -- http://njnj.essortment.com/whoinventedthe_rgty.htm