What drugs were used in Versailles?

Tobacco, herbs and possibly opium in lauanum - snuff and coffee, though coffee was very expensive. Coca leaves didn't travel well and were not used. The sniffing of that white stuff was fantasy.

Did people used to watch Kings poop?

At the grand couvert, the king dined with his family - and nobles literally sat on stools to watch them. Visitors to Versailles often viewed the ceremony, as well. A young Mozart, for example, received the mark of royal favor when he was beckoned to stand next to the royal table.

Did Versailles stink?

Built on swampland, Versailles was described by a visitor in 1764 as an odiferous cesspool of dead cats, urine, excrement, slaughtered pigs, standing water, and mosquitoes. Inside the palace, things smelled different. Many royals in Louis XIV's day eschewed hot water baths, believing them bad for the health.

What drugs were popular in the 1700s?

Purgatives, emetics, opium, cinchona bark, camphor, potassium nitrate and mercury were among the most widely used drugs. European herbals, dispensatories and textbooks were used in the American colonies, and beginning in the early 18th century, British "patent medicines" were imported.

What did they eat at Versailles?

Meat. The meat of choice in Versailles was poultry, consumed in large quantities and boiled in stock to preserve its tender white flesh. A new species of fowl from the West Indies took over from the much-cherished swan and heron that were fixtures at medieval banquets: turkey. For a long time, red meat was cast aside.

VERSAILLES' DIRTY SECRETS - Toute L'Histoire

What did they drink at Versailles?

While there was a bounty of food and drink on constant offer at Versailles, the drink of choice for King Louis XV was hot chocolate. And so, the king's favorite became everyone's favorite. The cocoa drink was a delicacy back then and was thought of as an exotic choice for the royals.

What did King Louis XVI eat for breakfast?

For breakfast, Louis XIV enjoyed a cup of broth or a bit of his favourite kind of bread dipped in wine, or things like cold sliced meat. Accounts vary on whether the King enjoyed a cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate.

What did the Victorians sniff?

Today cocaine use presents a series of major problems for governments to tackle. But in the 19th century it was fervently hailed as the perfect solution to a very specific issue – safe anaesthesia during surgery.

What is the oldest drug?

Some of the earliest evidence of Cannabis use dates back to around 8000 BCE, making it the oldest drug ever discovered. Cannabis is also considered one of humanity's oldest cultivated crops. Like the other drugs on this list, Cannabis was initially used for medicinal purposes, such as an anesthetic during surgery.

What is the miracle drug?

Miracle drug is an informal term to describe a drug (hypothetical or real) that can cure hitherto incurable medical conditions. Aspirin and penicillin were described as miracle drugs when first introduced; more recently the breast cancer drug Hercpetin has been so described.

What king did not bathe?

King Louis XIV (1638-1715) was terrified of bathing; he's said to have taken only three baths in his life. That fear was shared by the noblility in the 17^th Century – it ws thought that was thought that water spread disease (so the less you bathed, the less vulnerable you were).

Were there bathrooms in Versailles?

There are several toilets and free changing tables for babies at your disposal all over the Estate. In the Palace, there are toilets and changing tables before the ticket checks in the South Ministers' Wing and after the ticket checks in the basement of the Dufour Pavilion (Entrance A).

Did servants live in cupboards in Versailles?

But where did they stay? Most apartments consisted of a bedchamber, a cabinet and perhaps a wardrobe. The lucky ones could add a few antechambers or had rather large rooms. In this context, the servants' quarters were in the wardrobe.

What is the French lever?

The levee (from the French word lever, meaning "getting up" or "rising") was traditionally a daily moment of intimacy and accessibility to a monarch or leader, as he got up in the morning.

What happened to Marie Antoinette's head?

Lamballe refused to take an oath against the monarchy, and on September 3, 1792, she was delivered to the hands of a Parisian mob; they cut off her head and paraded it on a pike outside Marie-Antoinette's windows.

What were knockout drops?

a popular name for a combination of chloral hydrate (formerly in common use as a sedative but now rarely employed clinically) and alcohol, used surreptitiously to produce a sudden loss of consciousness. This combination was called Mickey Finn and might be considered an early example of a date-rape drug.

What was the first illegal drug?

In the United States, the first drug law was passed in San Francisco in 1875, banning the smoking of opium in opium dens.

What drugs did the ancients use?

The ancient Sumerians used opium starting about 5000 BCE. Ancient Egypt used alcohol in 3500 BCE, while ancient China used cannabis (the source of marijuana) around 3000 BCE. Ancient people in what is now Switzerland ate poppy seeds (the source of opium) in 2500 BCE.

What was put in a snuff box?

Information about Snuff Box

Snuffboxes were used for containing snuff, a mixture of ground tobacco and scented oils, and were very popular in the 18th century when snuff-taking was fashionable. Highly decorated and valuable objects, they became collectors' items in the 19th century.

What drugs were used in the 1800's?

Drugs that were isolated (or “discovered”) during the first half of the century included alkaloids such as strychnine, emetine, morphine, quinine, and caffeine. Salicylic acid, and later, salicin, was also isolated from willow bark. A pharmacist making up prescriptions in his shop. Woodcut, artist unknown, 1800s.

What was Marie-Antoinette favorite food?

It is said that Marie-Antoinette hardly touches the dishes: She prefers to have lunch in private in her apartments. She particularly appreciates boiled or roasted poultry, as well as fish and pâtés. Her favorite dish was the cabbage can. She also likes fruit, eggs, cheese (especially those from Trianon).

Who brought the first chocolate to Versailles?

Chocolate was first brought to France by Spanish Conquistadors, and it was quickly reserved for the nobility and upper classes. From Louis XIII to Marie-Antoinette, the kings and queens of France greatly appreciated this hot drink which took the French Court by storm.

How did the Sun King get gangrene?

All the documented evidence indicates Louis XIV died of gangrene on his leg caused by diabetes. The year was 1715, without modern medicine; he died a painful, horrible death surrounded by physicians who were perplexed by his condition.

What kind of bug crawled into the Queen's ear in Versailles?

Thoughts on Versailles: The Queen's mysterious ear bug…

It is called Triatoma infestans and very ugly.