Seidlitz powders is the generic name under which a commonly known laxative and digestion regulator was marketed and sold by numerous manufacturers under names such as "Rexall Seidlitz Powders", particularly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The three ingredients of Seidlitz powders were manufactured by chemical factories from the mid-19th century onwards. The name 'Seidlitz powders' ultimately derives from the village of :cs:Sedlec |Sedlec in the Czech Republic. See also [|§ Etymology] below. The municipality of Sedlec is also the source of 'Sedlitz bitter water' , a naturally occurring spamineral water which has an entirely different chemical composition and side-effects from Seidlitz powders: there is apparently no connection between the two products except the name.
Composition and use
The powders were often packaged in a small envelope containing two coloured paper wraps, one white and one blue. The white packets contained tartaric acid, and the blue packets contained a mixture of 75% w/wRochelle salt and 25% baking soda. The powdery contents of both packets were stirred or dissolved separately in water and then mixed, giving off carbon dioxide with a characteristic fizzing sound. The drink was described as "a cooling, agreeable draught". After ingestion, the powder combines with gastric juices to develop cathartic intestinal gases which can be somewhat helpful in evacuating the users's bowels. However, their use can also lead to unpleasant side effects, and can even be fatal in subjects with conditions such as hernia, bowel obstruction or other ailments.
Etymology
Seidlitz powders, manufactured by numerous chemical factories from the mid-19th century onwards, take their name from the village of :cs:Sedlec |Sedlec, near Most, Czech Republic. The village seems to have received its Germanic name some time after 1526, when the Battle of Mohács brought about the collapse of Medieval Hungary. The Lands of the Bohemian Crown fell under the control of the Habsburgs, the German-speaking rulers of Austria.
Sedlitz water, Seidschitz bitter water, etc.
Although Seidlitz powders have a digestive effect, they should not be confused with 'Sedlitz water', a well-known bitter mineral water which has been used since the 16th century as a digestion regulator and laxative. Sedlec was described in an 1867 guide to European spa towns as "a wretched-looking place, hardly meriting the name of a village, and the wells - whence the water should be derived - are a few shallow, circular pits, whose contents very seldom find their way to this country ." The Sedlitz water has a chemical analysis similar to sources in nearby towns such as Zaječická hořká from Zajecice, Korozluky and Bílina. The water itself was characterized as "a yellowish, somewhat oily-looking fluid, with a nauseous, intensely bitter taste." These and similar products - with somewhat interchangeable terminology - appear to have no connection with Seidlitz powders. Likewise, the powders have little connection with these types of mineral-rich water which were evaporated and the residue formed into pills such as Bilina digestive pastilles, not unlikeVichy pastilles.
