Old Hygiene Practices We Would Never Use Today
Hygiene In History
In human history, hygiene is a somewhat recent thing—and good,educated hygiene is an even more modern development. Let's take a look at some ill-advised or just plain odd "hygiene" practices of the past that we'd almost never do today.
A Personal Bathroom Attendant For Royals
In the Medieval period, the "Groom of the Stool" was the King's very own bottom wiper. The position was highly sought after, and groomsmen came from noble families.
Lard Hair Gel
In the 1700s, it wasn't simple to go down to a store and get hair gel, but it was also all the rage for people to pile their hair atop their heads, necessitating some kind of holding paste. The paste of choice? Pomade made from pig or sheep lard.
Tapeworm Diet
Fad diets are often ill-advised, but women in the Victorian era took it to the next level. The "tapeworm diet," where women swallowed a tapeworm and let it eat at them from the inside out, gained popularity. It worked for weight loss, sure, but it also caused meningitis and epilepsy.
Urine Mouthwash
From the Roman ages all the way into the 18th century, some believed in freshening their breath with...pee. The reasoning was that ammonia, found prominently in urine, was a disinfectant. In this case, the treatment may be worse than the disease.
