Brushing Your
Teeth
·
Toothbrushes
were not common, so people had to find other ways of keeping their mouth
clean. Some people brushed their teeth
with frayed twigs and gunpowder and mouthwashes were made out of everything
from lemon juice to wine. Rubbing gums
with wool that had been coated with honey helped to get rid of bad breath, but
it was not a great way to fight cavities.
·
The first toothbrush was patented in 1857.
·
By later in
the 19th century, toothbrushes looked the same in shape as they do
today but had handles of bone or wood and bristles generally of horse or pony
hair.
·
The usual
word for toothpaste was “dentifrice” and many such pastes were made at home
with the simplest being no more than a little soot or salt. Commercial forms could be bought over the
counter, and most, whether home-made or bought were simply flavoured and often
coloured abrasives—in effect, polishes.
·
One recipe
for such a polish was: coral, cuttlefish bone, dragons blood, burnt alum and
red sanders, orris root, cloves and cinnamon, and rose pink, all to be powdered
and mixed- was called American tooth powder.
The cuttlefish provided polish, gently abrading the teeth, burnt alum
gave recipe a “medicated” taste and may have also had a small antibacterial
effect. The coral, dragon’s blood and
rose pink were used for colouring and spices were added to give flavor and
scent to breath.
 |
| Hair Receiver from the Backus-Page House Museum collection. |
Hair
·
Most didn’t
wash their hair very often, but there were other ways of keeping it
“healthy.” Women brushed their hair more
than 100 times a day to make it shiny.
To treat dandruff, they rubbed bran into their scalp.
·
Brushing and
combing your hair would dislodge dirt and also spread the natural oils and
fluids across the length of the hair, improving its conditions.
·
As the
century developed, the habit of washing one’s hair with water began to be
promoted. A range of washes for the hair
were widely recommended, most of which were relatively basic. Rosemary water was particularly popular. It
removed more grease than just water.
·
By the
1840s, occasional washing of men’s hair with water was creeping in, led by
women, who had adopted the process first.
For most, it meant a swill around in cold water to dislodge the dust and
dirt, but some were willing to risk soap, although it did tend to leave the
scalp sore in some people.
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