Radioactive Drinks for Sale in Rotorua

From its discovery by Marie and Pierre Curie in 1898 until the 1930s, radioactive material was seen as something of a wonder chemical. Many and various applications were quickly found for its unique properties. The craze caught on around the world, including New Zealand, where radioactive gas was bottled and sold as a beneficial general tonic and cure-all.

Bathing in radioactive water was also offered at a beautiful spa-house in Rotorua. The government and the tourist department had high ambitions for the Tudor-style bathhouse which opened in 1908. Its imposing facade was matched by a luxurious interior featuring elaborate marble sculptures. The public were invited to soak in mud baths and Turkish baths, and deep pools of natural mineral water for the treatment of chronic disorders.

It was run by a specialist in medicinal springs, Dr Arthur Wohlmann, who had worked at the Royal Mineral Water Hospital in the renowned British spa town of Bath. During a visit to England in 1913 Wohlmann was introduced to what was said to be the therapeutic benefits of radioactive mineral water and on his return to New Zealand he convinced the government to purchase a £250 machine from England—known as an activator—capable of producing radioactive water. The machine was installed at the bathhouse in 1914.

The activator took the form of a ceramic vessel which held a small quantity of radium bromide, which emitted radon gas into the water, making it radioactive. It was given to patients as a drink, and the recommended intake was four to six glasses imbibed over the course of a day. Wohlmann’s theory was that this would "maintain the charge in the blood" with expected benefits that included enhanced sexual activity, increased urine production and better digestion. His view was that drinking the infused water was the most satisfactory method of administration over other methods because it "stayed in the body much longer".

Radon water could also be introduced to the body through rectal or vaginal douches, or by injection. Other 'treatments' included patients soaking in hot baths of radioactive water and inhaling radon gas. Sales of the water peaked in 1916 when more than 8500 glasses were sold. Its popularity declined over the following years and by 1922 sales were down to only 300 glasses a year. The product was withdrawn completely in 1925. There is no readily available information on the health complications that New Zealanders might have suffered as a result of these treatments.