Hygiene & Education in the 1800s per Bob Wright

[Ale-8(1)]

Whenever I see pictures of well-dressed, presumably also well-scrubbed folks from the middle/late nineteenth century I can't help but reflect on the fact that antiperspirants/deodorants weren't in common usage until the middle of the twentieth century.

 

[The A Team]

I live in a place where a certain religion is about 50% on the band wagon of having running water/ septic in the house. It’s like the above comment. Some smell almost okay, others have heavy perfume or deodorant, and some smell like they just shoveled out the manure pit. All usually look good in appearance and would look the same if they allowed photos.

I have seen a similar debate on model train forums because when running water and electricity came to town depends heavily upon location.

Where I live electricity and running water happened in the 1910’s because of the electric / trolley company and small hydro electric dams.

My grandmother told me they got electricity and running water during the 1940’s in the next county north of me.

 

[louiethelump]

I am again, amazed at the things that come up of a gun forum. And then to top that off, get discussed at length by multiple people.

I retreat back to my world with shaking of head and rolling of eyes in wonder.

I am seeing Ruger people in a totally different light. It is disturbing.

🙄

 

[Ride1949]

You DO realize we have sub-forums dedicated to any gun subject you want to discuss, don't you? This one is just a bunch of friends sitting around the fire discussing whatever comes to mind. There's no need to come to this one if it disturbs you.

 

[louiethelump]

Thank you for such valued information. I am trying to figure out how to turn off the notifications I keep getting of the new posts. I will get it sooner or later.

No worries upon you is my hope.

 

[GunnyGene]

Kind of related. Elements of Field Hygiene and Sanitation; J. Ford, 1918 (My hardcopy). Written for the US Army. Available on Amazon or PDF download here

Elements of field hygiene and sanitation : Ford, Joseph H. (Joseph Herbert), 1873- author : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Approved for publication by the Surgeon General U.S. Army.

archive.org

 

[hittman]

trying to figure out how to turn off the notifications I keep getting of the new posts.

Touch or click on your own avatar and select “Preferences”

 

[louiethelump]

Thanks. Working on it.

Love my Rugers but not fan of this stuff.

No problems. I will go away.

 

[jimbo1096]

The unwashed nature of the population is why "gentle women" used to carry around a handkerchief soaked in perfume to hold in front of their face when the smells got too bad.

 

[Enigma]

I have noticed that the standards of dress used to be much higher than they are today. Even blue collar workers in many industries wore a suit and tie to work and back home. They might change into coveralls or work clothes at the job site, but they wore a tie to and from work. When I was younger, I was never allowed to go anywhere except out to play while wearing blue jeans. I had to put on slacks and a decent shirt even to go to the grocery store. You never knew who you would meet while out and about, and you had to look presentable!

Speaking of personal hygiene and the use of perfumes and deodorants, it was explained to me during my in-briefing when I worked in Saudi Arabia that the Kingdom was the #1 importer of French perfume in the world. It is used by the men, to mitigate their BO. And I do mean used, as in heavily.

 

[WAYNO]

I worked many years in heavy industry. We didn't always look very nice. And when we put on nice fresh clothes, ten minutes later we could be accused as homeless, at least by appearance.

I also see photos of my Mom and her family, following the crops, living in the car or in migrant worker camps. They didn't always look very nice. And I'm sure even then, folks despised them too, just because of their appearance.

I worked long hours, and didn't always have the chance to go immediately home after work and get out of my traveling clothes. More than once, I was purposely not assisted by sales or service staff, just because I just didn't look like I belonged at their establishment. And I'd say "fine. I'll just buy this new car from another associate."

Would you sell this man a car?






.

 

[hittman]

Dressing nice is a pretty subjective term.

For my Senior pictures in high school my mother MADE my sport coat. I borrowed a shirt and tie from Uncle John.

All the old family photos show those older than me with the women in typical smock type dresses and the men in bib overalls.

In 1984 we moved my great grandparents to a nearby “Senior Housing” apartment. They were both in their early 90’s. It was the first time they had INDOOR plumbing too. No joke, in the mid-1980’s.

But we could always seem to afford soap, water and a comb.

 

[Fox Mike]

What I always thought peculiar was the outhouse with two or three "holes."

Bob Wright

When I was a youngster we had a "two holer". In the winter the Sears catalog was NOT for reading. Business and go!

 

[Johnny-Baseball]

When I was a youngster we had a "two holer". In the winter the Sears catalog was NOT for reading. Business and go!

Yep. My late father (born 1924) used to say that a 2-holer was livin' in high cotton.

 

[Tenbore]

What I always thought peculiar was the outhouse with two or three "holes."

Bob Wright

As I understand it, there was a small hole for the kids to use and the larger hole for adults. Don't want to go fishing a small kid out of the pit.

 

[eveled]

What I always thought peculiar was the outhouse with two or three "holes."

Bob Wright

I was told it was so you could make use of a larger hole and not have to dig it out as often.

 

[gramps]

As an infection control nurse, hygiene was kind of iffy in the 1800’s and prior. Can you take a bath in a pan? Oh yeah, but no where near as good as in a bathtub or a shower. I was a public health nurse in Tn and in Va making home visits. Even today, not everyone has running water, or avails themselves of it. It depends on how you were raised, where you were raised, and the work your parents did.
gramps