Thermophore

The comforting thermophore and warming pan were once luxury items. As the Greek name thermophora - carrying warmth - suggests, they were used to warm bed sheets. It has been known since the 16th century originally as a "szkandela," i.e., a tin can of round, oval, or heart shape, which hot water was poured into and closed with a cork. Due to the price of tin and silver, which was also used to make warming pans, only the wealthiest could afford them. They were even the subject of will bequests and have become much more widely available since they began to be made of copper, brass, aluminium, and then stoneware. Particularly the stoneware ones served their purpose well, providing a bit of pleasure for the dwellers of less affluent and under-heated houses, where often the only source of heat was the kitchen stove. A tightly sealed stoneware bed warmer kept the heat much longer than those made of metal, which were prone to leaking. At the beginning of the 20th century, a distinctive form of rubber hot-water bottle came into use and soon replaced those made of other materials. Nowadays, hot-water bottles are no longer useful in homes designed to maintain a constant and comfortable temperature. Those made of plastic are classified as medical devices used to keep the patient warm, providing relief from certain illnesses and ailments. Iwona Karwowska