"A bed warmer or warming pan was a common household item in countries with cold winters, especially in Europe.[citation needed] It consisted of a metal container, usually fitted with a handle and shaped somewhat like a modern frying pan, with a solid or finely perforated lid. The pan would be filled with embers and placed under the covers of a bed, to warm it up and/or dry it out before use.
Besides the risk of fire, it was recognized that the fumes from the embers were noxious. A doctor advised his readers to avoid bed warmers, or, if needed, replace the embers with hot sand.
An alternative to the bed warmer was the "bed wagon" (moine in French, monaco in Italian, both meaning "monk"). It consisted of a large wooden frame enclosing a bucket of embers, possibly with an iron tray and an iron roof-plate to protect the bed covers from direct heat." - (en.wikipedia.org 09.03.2021)
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