September 18, 1985: New York Times headline–Mineral Water From Georgia Being Bottled. Mineral-rich water from a spring that was once known for its supposed curative powers is being bottled for sale again for the first time in almost 50 years.
Water flowing beneath the 750 million-year-old granite formation underlying much of metropolitan Atlanta picks up minute amounts of salt, potassium, magnesium and lithium, a rare light metal that gave Lithia Springs its name and its reputation. Lithium, a potentially dangerous substance in large doses, is used in the treatment of manic depression.
In the late 1800′s and early 1900′s, tourists and invalids flocked to Lithia Springs, a small city 20 miles west of Atlanta, to drink and bathe in the mineral water. A Congress of Physicians was held there in 1887, which recommended the salty-tasting water for dozens of ailments including kidney stones, typhoid fever, eczema, nervous prostration, and ”diseases of delicate women.” [Typhoid fever? Really?]
To enjoy more opportunities to take a look at the past in water history, go to this link.
