MEHADIA  , a

market town of Hungary, in the county of Krassb-Szoreny, 287 M . S.E. of Budapest by rail . Pop . (1900), 2492 . The town is the site of the ancient Roman colony Ad Mediam, near which passed the Roman road from the Danube to Dacia . It contains the ruins of a fortress, and other Roman remains . In its neighbourhood are the famous Hercules baths (Hungarian, Herkulesfurdo) . These are situated in a narrow rocky ravine in the valley of the Cserna, where there are 22 hot springs, of which nine are in use, the most powerful being the Hercules spring . The springs are all strongly impregnated withsalts of sulphur, iodine, bromine and chlorine, and their average temperature is 700 to 145° F . They were famous in the Roman period under the name of Thermae Herculis or Fontes Herculis . Their popularity is attested by numerous inscriptions and relics . After the fall of the Roman Empire they fell into disuse until 2735, but in modern times they have been much frequented .