tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861175623849452396.post1828800829269220678..comments2024-02-28T04:16:37.844-05:00Comments on History Undressed: History of Hygiene: Bathing, Teeth Cleaning, Toileting, & DeodorizingEliza Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17209596240914705136noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861175623849452396.post-58322047610128142672012-12-12T09:31:37.945-05:002012-12-12T09:31:37.945-05:00While this is very informative it should be called...While this is very informative it should be called the history of hygiene in Europe. This Eurocentric theme in history as a whole is very upsetting. As Slanderous mentioned, other parts of the world had much better hygiene than Europeans for centuries if not millenia. Many Native American tribes bathed daily even in winter. They used yuca root for shampoo, among many other methods It would be interesting for you to include other civilizations' histories as well. Funny how most people view the West as civilized, while everyone else has "culture," yet they were filthy! Luzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15362448812505146276noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861175623849452396.post-14584132590579169182012-09-28T18:41:37.904-04:002012-09-28T18:41:37.904-04:00I'm so pleased! Thank you! We are always looki...I'm so pleased! Thank you! We are always looking for guests if you want to join us! Eliza Knighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07994493785152884398noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861175623849452396.post-91095508907874706552012-09-28T13:42:50.675-04:002012-09-28T13:42:50.675-04:00I love, love this blog. I write historical fiction...I love, love this blog. I write historical fiction and this has been so helpful to perfecting those little details that make the story real. <br /><br />Sincerely Stephanie Carroll www.stephaniecarroll.netStephanie Carrollhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07387990591934896201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861175623849452396.post-3515034444736071432011-08-13T17:37:12.793-04:002011-08-13T17:37:12.793-04:00Just because something wasn't patented until 1...Just because something wasn't patented until 1857 doesn't mean they weren't being made. Toothbrushes were being mass-produced in Britain in the late 1700s See http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/tooth.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861175623849452396.post-67094291239508408862011-06-13T03:54:10.356-04:002011-06-13T03:54:10.356-04:00It was very fascinating to read your article, Eliz...It was very fascinating to read your article, Eliza! I have always wondered how people lived 200 years ago and after reading what you wrote, it makes me very grateful what we have today! Great article!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861175623849452396.post-44223217164921978682011-06-02T01:29:48.208-04:002011-06-02T01:29:48.208-04:00Sorry to arrive to the discussion so late. My firs...Sorry to arrive to the discussion so late. My first ancestor arrived in N. America in 1648 and for several generations thereafter his descendants participated in the fur trade. Many of my French ancestors had as country wives (committed but not legalized marriages, à la façon du pays) first nations women. These women accompanied the fur traders. Without these women the fur trade would not have been able to function as an enterprise as well as it did. The country wives besides acting as translators and intermediaries, mended canoes & snow shoes, made hide sails, made clothing & footwear, prepared hides, gathered firewood, made camp & cooked. An additional small but significant job was the gathering of lichen moss by the bale. Lichen moss was used as toilet paper by indigenous peoples, it was also put in papoose bundles to act as diaper, and it was used in place of rags to absorb menstrual flow. It was disposable, biodegradable and readily available. <br />This is what some of my ancestors did.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861175623849452396.post-67124141961789771832011-04-20T22:33:37.419-04:002011-04-20T22:33:37.419-04:00in the late 1970's in southern ohio we lived i...in the late 1970's in southern ohio we lived in an old farm house. we had a 2-seater outhouse that ran an electric line with a switch in the house to turn on the electric heater...we had magazines ... i however mostly read the signs for spiders approaching. wild timesAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861175623849452396.post-76944748547984701382011-03-31T01:50:35.498-04:002011-03-31T01:50:35.498-04:00Very informative! I always wondered about the shav...Very informative! I always wondered about the shaving of the legs and arm pits myself. I think I read it didn't start til the 1920's or sometime thereabouts. It certainly takes away from the romance to picture the heroine of the romance novel you are reading with big hairy tarantulas under her armpits and forests on her legs. I don't care that much about the other area being overgrown because I don't hold with grown women looking like 10 year old girls ( I'll never understand that, sure you should groom yourself but must you go to Brazil? its disturbing that men find this sexy. But I digress.) Does anyone know if it started earlier?Tigerlily3574https://www.blogger.com/profile/10767252935891711380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861175623849452396.post-38703000491753629512010-12-06T22:01:18.062-05:002010-12-06T22:01:18.062-05:00Great post!Great post!Bertnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861175623849452396.post-7600334838733972812010-11-11T09:04:40.505-05:002010-11-11T09:04:40.505-05:00I attended a lecture on the history of bathing and...I attended a lecture on the history of bathing and personal hygiene in America at the University of Pennsylvania given by a professor there who had published a book on the subject.The practice of taking a weekly bath only became commonplace after the Civil War. Before that, you were considered clean if you washed your hands, face, and changed your shirt ("linen") for a clean one.Buddy From Phillynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861175623849452396.post-19843729109705415162010-08-29T22:46:42.403-04:002010-08-29T22:46:42.403-04:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861175623849452396.post-5962918743994814892010-06-27T15:43:55.198-04:002010-06-27T15:43:55.198-04:00this is so wrong, the european world were filthy i...this is so wrong, the european world were filthy in the middle ages and throughout histories, in islam and in india, it was part of religious ritual to wash every day and after sex and going to the toilet. the british during their empire, cottoned on to the fact that this may be a good idea, instead of using perfume and defacating and urinating in pots under their beds. hygeine came from the east and was adopted by the west contrary to popular belief, see anything written by respected historian Will Durrant. It was not in the culture of Europeans to wash daily, infact the first 'baths' were found in Mahejandro, North India, 2000 years before the Romans even existed as a people.Slanderousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861175623849452396.post-2868340335599865082010-06-23T22:51:23.842-04:002010-06-23T22:51:23.842-04:00History was be quite fascinating, sexy, intriguing...History was be quite fascinating, sexy, intriguing and all together delicious. Let's peel away the layersfree dental caredentalhttp://www.accessibledentalcare.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861175623849452396.post-15301393212386853692010-06-17T11:37:10.897-04:002010-06-17T11:37:10.897-04:00What a cool history of personal hygiene. I've...What a cool history of personal hygiene. I've done a similar post about George Washington's dental history. I know it's been about seven or eight months since someone has posted here, but I think it's still very interesting.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861175623849452396.post-77529233485633820262010-04-16T04:02:17.952-04:002010-04-16T04:02:17.952-04:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861175623849452396.post-3779219243877195992009-12-12T13:41:27.006-05:002009-12-12T13:41:27.006-05:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861175623849452396.post-45021590955439621152009-10-21T10:29:59.706-04:002009-10-21T10:29:59.706-04:00Thank you Cheripye!
Yes gum is easier, lol and I ...Thank you Cheripye!<br /><br />Yes gum is easier, lol and I couldn't live without my toothbrush either!<br /><br />Good luck with your first manuscript!!!Eliza Knighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17209596240914705136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861175623849452396.post-55353318310348839482009-10-20T21:20:54.256-04:002009-10-20T21:20:54.256-04:00Thank you so much for this!
As an aspiring Histo...Thank you so much for this! <br /><br />As an aspiring Historical writer, working on my first Manuscript for potential publish I wanted to make sure I had as much information as possible and came across your blog while attempting to make use of the Web... <br /><br />The information is easy to understand and very thorough 80) <br /><br />Now lets see, I do chew fresh herbs or good smelling things to keep the breath fresh. Although Gum can be infinately easier 80) But I couldnt live without my toothbrush. 80)<br /><br />With a weak stomach I dont believe I could have survived the smells of history... Nor used a stinking box. 80)cheripyehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04482328081343691432noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861175623849452396.post-49807719059412319372008-08-12T07:13:00.000-04:002008-08-12T07:13:00.000-04:00I was in Italy a few years ago and encountered a b...I was in Italy a few years ago and encountered a business which still had the "hole in the floor" style toilet. I guess they figured if it wasn't broken, why fix it, eh?<BR/><BR/>Love the blog! It was mentioned in a Jane Austen feed I read. I've now subscribed and look forward to your future posts.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861175623849452396.post-16077620171188183242008-08-06T09:53:00.000-04:002008-08-06T09:53:00.000-04:00Another great post! Bathing especially seems to ha...Another great post! Bathing especially seems to have gone in and out of popularity through history. <BR/><BR/>(I could be wrong) but I am pretty sure bathing was very unpopular during the plague of 1347 in Europe. It was generally believed that water opened up the pores of the skin allowing disease to enter the body. A good, thick layer of grime and dirt could protect you! <BR/><BR/>Oh and another useless piece of info that I like to tell kids. The first toothbrushes that resemble modern day toothbrushes were used by the Chinese in 1498 and later spread to Europe. The big difference – the bristles used hair from a Siberian’s hog’s neck. The Europeans later used toothbrushes made from horse hair and badger hair. Can you just imagine the bacteria and germs people were putting in their mouths? Animal hair is a breeding ground for germs...not to mention it must have been especially yucky to get hog hair stuck in your teeth.Bearded Ladyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06182921236123895352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861175623849452396.post-16333888031701548532008-07-17T11:53:00.000-04:002008-07-17T11:53:00.000-04:00Thanks for the book suggestion Molly, I will have ...Thanks for the book suggestion Molly, I will have to check it out!Eliza Knighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17209596240914705136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861175623849452396.post-13599112778804041362008-07-17T10:24:00.000-04:002008-07-17T10:24:00.000-04:00Great posting (as always)! I started reading Conf...Great posting (as always)! I started reading Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to see how all this wonderful information can be incorporated in a story that is a pleasure to read. The author is Laurie Viera Rigler. It gives a wonderful insight into what life would have been like in the Regency---including the chamber pots, baths and everything else.Emmahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09452517544328588301noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861175623849452396.post-51293194884317871442008-07-15T18:54:00.000-04:002008-07-15T18:54:00.000-04:00Hey Chicks!Yea the urine is just gross! No thanks...Hey Chicks!<BR/><BR/>Yea the urine is just gross! No thanks!<BR/><BR/>You are most welcome to come drink wine under the torchlights!!! I'll have to have a party!Eliza Knighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17209596240914705136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861175623849452396.post-15999626568303347312008-07-15T18:08:00.001-04:002008-07-15T18:08:00.001-04:00Oh, and the French dentist and the urine?? Ewwwwww...Oh, and the French dentist and the urine?? EwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwChicks of Characterizationhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12507046887458343222noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861175623849452396.post-54358732294332225322008-07-15T18:08:00.000-04:002008-07-15T18:08:00.000-04:00Great post, Eliza! My mom told me a similar story ...Great post, Eliza! My mom told me a similar story about France and the hole in the ground! ha ha...I can only imagine! But of course when its the norm, its the norm. We are so spoiled today, aren't we? Oh and I I think I need to come by too and sit with you under the torch light! How cool is that!! Thanks for sharing.<BR/><BR/>Andrea :O)Chicks of Characterizationhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12507046887458343222noreply@blogger.com