Royal Treat

So, you could say that King James I was the only person in England who had ice houses. During summer, he used to take his guests inside the ice houses and there the guests were served cold drinks. A hot day and a cold drink, perfect combo. King James, I was a great host. 

Popular Trend

Ice was in demand. People who weren’t in the business of selling ice also started selling them. They brought ice from the place where they could find snow and then they sold it in the market. Due to industrialization, more people were getting rich and they wanted to live a royal life and just like King James I who had ice houses in his names these newly rich people wanted to have at least one in their name. So, basically ice houses became a status symbol. If you had one of the ice houses, you were considered rich.

A Competition

Soon, ice houses were everywhere. Though nobody can say for sure how many of them were built but it is believed that around 2,500 still exist all over London. In the 18th century, everyone wanted one ice house. It was said, “A gentleman without an ice house would surely have been shown a cold shoulder by his contemporaries.”

A Business Idea

When everyone wanted one ice house as this was the new business idea because of the demand of the ice people started building one on their property. The ice was imported from North America which was then sold in the market. The competition became tough and soon ice’s price saw a downfall and everybody was enjoying the luxury.

What Else Can We Do?

Other than treating the guests the taste of a cold drink that had a chilly effect, the ice was also used to conserve food and meat. Ice was a new way to preserve the stock. The demand was high and only a few had the luxury to built an ice house. So, the price of ice soon skyrocketed. Because of that, everybody wanted one ice house. Who knows how many ice houses are still there? But one thing we know is that this discovery changed everything about the past.

Local Anesthetic

Not only ice was in high demand because it became a royal commodity but it was also used for medicinal purposes. You might have guessed by now what are we talking about. The dentists used it as some kind of a local anesthetic while treating their patient. We know what happens when we hold a cube of ice, our fingers become numb, right?