The museum exhibits a mineral water bottle made from glass. In the 19th century it was called “Gunyadi Janos”, and nowadays it is called “Hunyadi Janos”. This natural curative water has a high content of dissolved minerals and comes from thermal springs near Budapest. “Hunyadi Janos” has a bitter taste and a laxative effect.
The water was named after Janos Hunyadi, a Hungarian military and political leader during the 15th century, the voivode of Transylvania, and the father of future King Matthias I. In 1862, Hunyadi mineral water began to be bottled and exported to England, France, Germany, and the Russian Empire.
The first edition of the Great Medical Encyclopedia had an article stating: “Hunyadi Janos, bitter mineral spring water from an area near Budapest in Hungary. The dissolved solid ingredients (44.505 g per 1 liter) include sodium sulfate (23.112 g) and magnesium sulfate (17.749 g). … its long-term use causes gastroenteritis.”
This mineral water was believed to have a health effect and became a popular drink with the Russian intelligentsia. Famous people often mentioned the beverage in their letters and literary works. The poet Sasha Chorny even wrote a humorous poem called “The Seeker”:
