Antique roadshow and the Bedroom set

[Gilhelmi]

I was watching it (on PBS). They had a Butifule "Bedroom set" made of silver. It was given to the woman's mother as a wedding present in the 1940s, from another woman who had also been given it as a wedding present 50 years earlier.

What is a "Bedroom set"? you ask

A Bedroom set is what they used before 'indoor pluming" and contains a washbowl, a pitcher (for water), a mug (for shaving), and a Chamber pot (for crapping ). All made of pure silver.

A pure silver pot, that you make a number in.

It appraised very high, about 20lbs of silver, a full set (all the right maker marks), so it was significantly higher then the price of silver.

But, I still can not wrap my head around pooing in a pure silver pot.

[NecessaryCatharsis]

If you were going to poop in a pot, silver would probably be the way to go. It is supposed to have anti=bacterial and anti-fungal properties, is easy to clean, and doesn't pick up odours easily. We used to give the horses colodial silver for low grade infections, and wash their wounds with it (used it on myself a few times too) at one of the stables I worked at. Used less antibiotics there than any other stable I've been, so there could be something to that.

Also the expression 'born with a silver spoon in his/her mouth', same reason, and the antibacterial/anti-fungal whatever meant that way-back-when kids fed with silver baby spoons were 'lucky' and supposedly sick less often than other kids.

[Sapphire Silk]

We still use silver in medical applications in people. Silver nitrate sticks are used to stop bleeding. It's embedded in dressings and used quite commonly in burn care. It's also coated on foley catheters to prevent UTI's.

Copper also has anti microbial properties. Researchers in Brazil recently published a study of copper coating bed rails reducing nosocomial infections (that is, hospital acquired) by a substantial margin.

100 years ago, banks were unreliable. A series of bank "panics" (we'd call them depressions today) wiped a lot of people out, so people were more likely to save by buying goods that could easily be resold for the value of their metal in a pinch, or by burying their money in jars in the backyard. The time the items in question were made, there was a serious effort to get the United States on the silver standard (didn't happen, thank goodness; would have devalued our economy).

If you could afford silver for your chamberpot, you did. Not only was it a status symbol that you could afford such things, it was a way to conserve your assets.

[Sheldonrs]

I could never use a silver chamber pot. It would clash with the pure gold I crap every day. :-)

[dalesys]

I could never use a silver chamber pot. It would clash with the pure gold I crap every day. :-)

That'd be a clanger...

[EricKei]

Slightly different definition from the modern-day usage -- now, a bedroom set/bedroom suite (the latter is inexplicably pronounced as "bedroom SUIT" in every furniture ad I've ever seen) refers to a bed/mattress set with a matching dresser and a couple of other bits of furniture

[Marmalady]

silver.... is supposed to have anti=bacterial and anti-fungal properties, is easy to clean, and doesn't pick up odours easily.

It's also the reason why churches use chalices made of silver for the communion wine (bearing in mind that the same cup will be shared by several people, although of course it is wiped with a linen cloth between communicants)

[Argabarga]

Silver's ability to seemingly naturally "cleanse" things of disease, by methods unknown in the pre microbiology world, is probably how the idea got started that silver bullets can kill evil creatures.... they can probably kill the regular kind too.

[Sapphire Silk]

Silver's ability to seemingly naturally "cleanse" things of disease, by methods unknown in the pre microbiology world, is probably how the idea got started that silver bullets can kill evil creatures.... they can probably kill the regular kind too.

Silver IS toxic to humans in large doses.

[dalesys]

Silver IS toxic to humans in large doses.

... or sufficiently large MV² ... said chamber pot could make a good-sized cranial induration ...

[Jay 2K Winger]

Silver IS toxic to humans in large doses.

A lot of things are lethal to humans in sufficient quantities.

[dalesys]

A lot of things are lethal to humans in sufficient quantities.

Dihydrogen monoxide...

[Gilhelmi]

I did forget about the anti-microbial properties of silver. Also, I agree with the "buying something in case of economic downturn", I usually buy coins or bullion, but I guess I could see someone buying a useful item too.

I heard about one woman who died from Water Poisoning.
Short version: In 2007, a radio station held a contest "Hold your wee, for a Wii". It ended in the woman dying. In 09' a jury ruled against the radio station, and awarded the family 16.5 million dollars. Mostly because the show received numerous calls telling them how dangerous it was. The host mocked the callers and ignored the warnings.

[Sapphire Silk]

... or sufficiently large MV² ... said chamber pot could make a good-sized cranial induration ...

Well, I didn't say HOW it was toxic . . . .

Dihydrogen monoxide...

One of the most potent killers known to man. It's in everything: our drinking water, the air we breathe, in the soil, in our food supply, in our medications, in the oceans . . . you just can't get away from the stuff.

Short version: In 2007, a radio station held a contest "Hold your wee, for a Wii". It ended in the woman dying. In 09' a jury ruled against the radio station, and awarded the family 16.5 million dollars. Mostly because the show received numerous calls telling them how dangerous it was. The host mocked the callers and ignored the warnings.

Yeah, I heard about that. It had me all day. Fraternities have pulled this stunt as well, with equally tragic results, as part of Pledge Week/hazing.

[dbuzman]

The British Army issued silver impregnated underwear.

"It is coated to prevent bacterial infection, and we have tried to arrange the seams so that they don't chafe".