Antimonial cup facts for kids
An antimonial cup was a small metal mug, usually about half a pint in size. These cups were made from a metal called antimony. They were very popular in Europe during the 1600s and 1700s. People also called them "emetic cups." This is because if you left wine in one for about 24 hours, the wine would gain a special quality. It would make you either throw up (emetic) or go to the bathroom (laxative). The natural acid in the wine reacted with the metal of the cup. This reaction created a new substance in the wine.
Contents
History of Antimonial Cups
Ancient Uses of Antimony Cups
Long ago, in ancient Rome, people at big banquets sometimes used special goblets. These goblets contained wine mixed with antimony. The idea was to help people throw up after eating too much food. This way, they could keep eating more.
The Return of Antimonial Cups
Antimonial cups became popular again much later. In 1566, a law in England banned the use of antimony. To get around this rule, people started making metal cups that had antimony as one of their ingredients.
If wine stayed in one of these cups for about a day, it would absorb some of the antimony. The acid in the wine reacted with the metal. This made the wine into a kind of medicine. People who were sick found this drink helpful because it would "cleanse" their bodies. Families often passed these special cups down through generations. This made the cups seem even more powerful. Antimonial cups were used in England and America from the early 1600s to the late 1700s. Back then, they were often spelled "Antimonyall Cupps." They were also common in monasteries.
Rare Antimonial Cups
Today, antimonial cups are very rare. Only a few are known to exist. Six are in Great Britain, all in London. Two are in the Netherlands, one in Basel, Switzerland, and one in Ariccia, Italy.
One famous antimonial cup is believed to have belonged to Captain James Cook. He was a famous English explorer. This cup is now in the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London. No one knows for sure why Captain Cook had this cup. It might have been for stomach problems or even for scurvy, a disease sailors often got.
The cup was loaned to the museum in 1983. It came from a family who had owned it for many years. They thought it was a regular communion cup. Captain Cook was involved in a big expedition in 1759. The cup might have been bought by a later owner of the family, who collected items related to Cook.
How Antimonial Cups Worked
What the Cups Were Made Of
According to a book from 1728, antimonial cups were made from a type of antimony or antimony mixed with saltpeter. When wine or other liquids were left in the cup for 24 hours, the liquid would absorb some of the antimony. This special liquid would then cause a strong reaction in the body, making someone throw up or have a bowel movement.
Special Inscriptions
There is an antimonial cup at the Geological Museum in London. It has a special message on its lid. The message says, "You are a wonder of nature and for all people a certain cure."
These display cups were often made of "plate pewter." This is a mix of about 89% tin and 7% antimony. Some cups, called "triple pewter," had less tin and more antimony, up to 15%.
Using the Cups Safely
The antimonial cups used in England and America were usually about two inches tall and two inches wide. They could hold about four ounces of wine. Even though other medicines were available, many families had their own antimonial cup.
The instructions for using them were usually to fill the cup with white wine at 6 PM. Then, the next morning at 7 AM, you would drink all the wine to make yourself vomit. For children, the instructions said to drink only half the amount. If it didn't work in a couple of hours, they could drink the rest.
The strength of the liquid depended on how acidic the wine was. If the wine was too acidic, the mixture could become too strong. This could be very dangerous and cause serious harm.
