Do you ever take the time to appreciate what a great hygiene system we have today? By no means is it perfect, but technology and scientific advances are progressively improving our lives and health. Let’s take a peek back in time to early Europe to see if some of the things we did before our modern knowledge had much effect:
Today, when you’ve had a hard day’s work outside accumulating dirt and germs, you can immediately go to your home and have access to hot, warm water. In the early 18th century, that was not the case. Cities were specifically built near bodies of water so that its residents could make the trek to the local river to carry home water to bathe in, OR if you were royalty, pay someone to get water for you. In addition to this, no one knew of bacteria, germs and their effect on health, so many often went weeks and even months between baths.
Before the home flushing toilet was invented, many people in Europe used what was called a ‘Garde Loo’, which is essentially a portable box where you could relieve yourself. Since there wasn’t an underground sewage system in place, the contents of the Garde Loo had to be thrown out in the outskirts of town, or more often in cesspits that were created essentially as waste dumps.
Because proper sewage systems were not a thing, most cities and towns had an open sewer system in which waste would be thrown. Although there was a system that supposedly was in place, more often than not, the waste went unattended. This led to a foul smelling odor that ran through the streets. Many often carried flowers and other fragrant plants to mask the odors.
In the scientific realm of things, there was much misinformation floating around. One of the most common theories was the “Miasmatic theory of disease”. This theory purported that disease was spread through “air pollution”, or a toxic form of “bad air”. This led to the idea that you could contract things such as the black death by simply “smelling” the infection. This theory didn’t get thrown out until the late 18th century, when the “germ theory of disease” began to see a rise.
It’s simply amazing that we have progressed so much scientifically. We are constantly making it safer and easier for us to practice good hygiene. We now have automatic flushing toilets, hands free faucets and soap dispensers, and a plethora of medicine at our finger tips. Isn’t it a great time to be alive? If your company is in the Central Texas area, looking for a way to make your business a cleaner and more pleasing environment, give Business Hygiene a call at (512) 396–3486 to discuss the hygiene solutions we can offer you.
