Ancient ways of cleaning and washing There are no bathhouses and water heaters
Does the bathtub smell bad? Are old bathtubs really dirty?
Bathing has become an important part of modern people's daily life. With the development of technology, hot water** has become very convenient, and people can choose to bathe in their own bathrooms or in public swimming pools. But how did our ancestors cleanse their bodies and deal with dirt and odors in the old days, when conditions were very difficult? They really are as they seem"Hassle-free"Is it?
Traditions vary from region to region.
China is a vast country, and the topography of different regions varies greatly, which directly affects the bathing places of ancient residents in different regions. For example, herders living in the northwest have short sunshine hours and a cold climate. Water is scarce here, and they often rely on melted snow to survive, often not having time to bathe in this outpost. Although the summer is rainy and the river is murmuring, the water temperature is very low, and the old, weak, sick and disabled cannot stand it. Therefore, in winter and hot summers, they often like to go to the river in groups to take a good bath. This can be life-threatening for the elderly, sick and children, but it is the only option for herders due to poverty.
People living in coastal areas are in a much better situation. They are close to the sea and are blessed with abundant fishing resources and abundant rainfall. It is not uncommon to see makeshift bathing areas set up by vendors in the market, and those who can afford it can take a hot bath for a few cents. Young girls from wealthy families pay more attention to cleanliness and often ask the housemaid to help them take a hot bath in the market baths. However, in the old days, taking a hot bath was still a luxury, and simple people still had to barely clean themselves with river water.
In addition, China is a vast country, and different regions have different climatic characteristics. The climate in the north is dry and cool, while the south is rainy, hot and humid. In the cold north, people also need less bathing. It's easy to catch a cold after taking a bath, and because of the hygienic conditions that have been in place since ancient times, any cold that seems mild can kill you. As a result, northerners are accustomed to taking a bath only once a month, and some even go up to six months without bathing. For modern people, this is unthinkable, but for indigenous people, it is a helpless choice.
Due to the constraints of the environment, ancient people rarely bathed. However, they are not what modern people think"Dirty mess"。Under limited conditions, the ancients still tried to cleanse the body as much as possible and solve various body odor problems.
of our ancestors"Black bath technique"。
In the days when soap and soap dishs were gone, how did the Aboriginal people carry out their daily cleaning? It turns out that our wise ancestors invented many natural cleaning products.
The most primitive detergent is saponin, which is found in the seeds of various trees. The naturally occurring saponins in tree seeds can provide a certain cleansing effect and are especially effective against oil stains. The ancients used to extract saponin juice from seeds, add water and mix it and wipe the body to achieve a simple cleansing effect. In ancient times, this soapy water was also used to wash the face, and vendors in the bazaars often gave the soapy water to passers-by for free to wash their faces and cool off.
In addition, the Aboriginal people also made full use of the natural gift of plants to invent"Wheat bran soup", as a cleaning tool. Bran soup is made by boiling rice, wheat, and other grains and then straining them to make a nutritious bran soup. This natural plant extract is a gentle cleanser that is gentle on ** and is often used as a body wash. Today, people still use this ancient recipe and make homemade wheat bran soup for bathing.
In addition to straw and wheat soup, plant ash is also a common cleaning tool used by the Aboriginal people. The fruit left behind by the burning of plants and trees contains a large number of carbonate particles, which can effectively absorb various stains. What's even more amazing is that the aborigines found that soaphorn and plant ash mixed together for bathing work better! In fact, the unique organic acids in soapberry can soften hair and exfoliate the skin. In the old days when there were no chemical products, this ancient recipe was very popular.
Of course, in addition to the common bath materials mentioned above, there are also some other black bath recipes circulating in various places. For example, in some places in the south, winter melon juice is used instead of soaphorn, while people in the northeast like to rub their bodies with the juice of young mulberry buds. These natural plants have more or less special benefits for cleansing or skin care.
As you can see, despite the lack of soap and soap, the indigenous people found ways to clean themselves with the natural materials around them. They are not as casual as they seem, but use their ingenuity to invent unique bath recipes.
Mask the secret of body odor with scent.
Although the aborigines have found a way to wash their bodies, they will inevitably leave a ** smell if they do not bathe often. Were there any other precautions at that time?
Aboriginal people seem to be very fond of using scent in their lives and survival. This is not only because of the medicinal properties of the spice itself, but more importantly because it can effectively mask body odor. As a result, frankincense was not common in the bedrooms of ancient literati and nobles. There were thousands of beautiful maids among the dignitaries. These young girls take care of their daily lives and avoid physical contact with their owners.
If they have any dirt or smell on them, it will cause great annoyance to the owner. Therefore, there must be a special bathing area in the palace, and the servants had to bathe every day. If there is any problem with the body, it can also be remedied very quickly. Still, the host could smell a slight odor in the room. At this time, the servants had to resort to lethal measures, such as burning incense or lighting candles, to make the master stink.
The literati were also keen on this"Incense"。Although they only bathe once a month, almost everyone has a box of unique incense. these"Incense"Mostly made from rare spices,** they were not expensive, but the literati appreciated their diffuse aroma and refreshing effect. As a result, the works of the literati are filled with a faint fragrance throughout the year. This also became a lifestyle fashion for the ancient literati.
The use of incense to mask body odor seemed to be very popular in ancient times. The aristocracy and ** needed good incense to maintain the dignity of their status, and the literati used incense to get rid of unpleasant smells to open up ideas. The use of incense became an indispensable part of ancient life.
Ancient dental care techniques.
Problems such as bathing and body odor were solved, but how did the ancients pay attention to oral hygiene? In fact, from the earliest salt water mouthwash to the later toothbrush, and then to tooth powder, the ancients also attached great importance to dental health, which shows that the wisdom of the ancients has been constantly evolving.
Mouthwash is the most primitive form of oral hygiene. The Book of Songs says"Rinse your mouth and snort"。The ancients used to rinse their mouths with salt water after waking up, using the bactericidal effect of salt water to clean their mouths. However, the cleaning effect is not thorough, and dead spots can occur. As a result, the Aborigines began to look for better ways to clean their teeth.
At first, people try to brush their teeth with tools such as fingers, bamboo shavings, and chicken feathers. Later, they discovered that the willow's soft branches were elastic enough to be used as an improvised toothbrush. This simple willow toothbrush gradually became popular and became the most commonly used tool for cleaning teeth in ancient times.
Over the years, there has been an increasing demand for dental cleaning tools. The earliest toothbrushes appeared in China during the Sui and Tang dynasties. The handle of this toothbrush is made of cow bone or bamboo, and the bristles are made of deer or horse hair. Before use, they must be soaked in the liquid to soften them. Although it has a simple structure, it already has the rudimentary form of a toothbrush.
By the Song Dynasty, people had mastered the secret recipe for making tooth powder with medicinal herbs. They grind Poria cocos and other medicines into a fine powder and mix it with gardenia powder, which has a great cleaning and protective effect on the teeth. This kind of tooth powder is very popular among dignitaries. With the development of production processes, various oral cleaning products have appeared in ancient times.
Our ancient dental knowledge and related products are actually hundreds of years earlier than the modern scientific civilization of Western countries. This is enough to prove that our ancestors also attached great importance to personal hygiene, especially oral hygiene. Modern people think of aborigines"No hygiene"It's a fallacy.
Based on the above analysis, we can conclude that the aborigines of China do not attach any less importance to personal hygiene and body cleanliness than modern people. It's just that the living environment and conditions at that time were limited, so the frequency of bathing was low. But the intelligent and industrious aborigines never stop thinking about how to better clean their bodies. They invented a variety of natural cleaners and found a solution to their cleaning problems. The wisdom contained in it is also admirable.
The ancients also attached great importance to oral hygiene, as evidenced by the early use of salt water to rinse the mouth and later the advent of toothbrushes and tooth powder. Ancient Chinese civilization was even ahead of the West in some respects.
Therefore, we cannot jump to conclusions and label indigenous people just because they have few baths"Dirty"tags. On the contrary, we should correctly understand the uniqueness of the wisdom of the indigenous civilization, and inherit and continue the creativity of our ancestors.