Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1891-11-27
ANNAPOLIS EVENING, NOVEMBER 81 1891
How the Custom OF Washing One's
Self 0nce Fell Into Desuetude.

Until about the year 1850 all the bar
bers in France and most other countries
of Europe practiced the art of surgery.
In dark and dirty shops they shaved and
bled, cut hair and applied cupping glasses,
opened tumors, and performed surgical
operations still more difficult and danger
Gus. They were despised as laborers, as
everyone was despised who made prac-
teal application of his knowledge in the
form of trade regularly followed.
AS a class they were much liked by the
common people, who applied to them for
all ordinary medical service, but as
society became more refined, and con-
sequently more exacting in respect to
neatness, it became necessary to separate
the care of the hair and beard from the
treatment of diseases, not only because
the association of the two professions was
often repugnant in itself, but there was
great danger of the transmission of dis
ease. Louis XIII first ordered the sep.
aration of the two professions, directing
that the BARRIERS should confine them.
selves to the hair and beard and opera
tions incidental thereto, but the shavers
and haircutters appealing to parliament
the matter dragged on for nearly 40 years,
and was not definitely decided until the
issue of an edict by Louis XIV, in 1873.
As French writer remarks, this was
none too soon, it being absolutely neces-
sary that there should be a trade whose
business it should be to care for the gen.
eral neatness of the public. At this epoch
the Parisians, and much more the in.
habitants of the other cities of France,
had almost lost the habit of cleansing
the face and hands with water, to say
nothing of other parts of the bedy. In
the dark ages it had not been quite so
bad, there remaining in Gaul something
of the Roman custom of bathing, which
gradually disappeared, owing to the OPP
position of the monks and clergy. In
1902 there were 26 public baths in Paris,
then small city.
They were arranged for steam or hot
water, person being able to take one or
both kinds as he desired. They were ex-
pensive for the period, complete bath
costing four francs, which restricted
their use to persons in easy circumstances.
AACy WCAC hOb ORClC4 OAAA Ody Dknl, Tile
streets not being safe before that hour.
To prevent promiscuity it was ordered
that the men should go in the morning
and the women in the evening, but the
rule does not seem to have been very well
observed, since in the course of time they
acquired very bad reputation and fell
into disuse.
When they were heated in the morning
the fact was announced after the manner
of the period-by criers who made the
round of the city. Bathtubs were COM
mon in private houses at the same epoch,
made usually in the form of half hogs
head, the use of metals for the purpose
being unknown. Wash basins were also
familiar objects in the palaces of kings
and in the castles of the nobility. Charles
V of France had "a of the latter, all
solid gold, besides others of silver
Various instances are related of baths
magniicently arranged offered to kings
of France when subjects happened to en-
tertain them, to Louis XI among others,
this king including an affectation of neat
ness in his brief list of virtues. There
were bathtubs at the BARRIERS shops, used
indiscriminately, as it would appear, by
the well and sick, circumstance that
helped to render neatness unpopular, and
keep the people from visiting them.
Therefore, the public baths being dis
continued for want Of patronage, and
those at the BARRIERS shops feared for san
itary reasons, the practice of bathing
common to certain class in the Dark
and the early part of the Middle Ages
disappeared. Having ceased to bathe
the person, the hands and face became
equally neglected, the application of wa
ter once week being considered sufli-
cient among the nobility, and once
month, or not at all, among the common
people.
In 1G40 book called "The Laws of
Gallantry" appeared in Paris, suggesting
among other things that it would be
well to go once in while to the baths,
and to wash the hands at least once a
day. The face, it is added, should be
washed almost as often. When society
had arrived at such degree of refine
ment that it seemed desirable to wash
the face almost every day, it began to
see that it was not very sensible thing
to be shaved or have the hair dressed by
one who performed common acts Of sur
gerry.
So the BARRIERS duties became a trade
apart and the surgeons duties a nobler
profession. For generations after it be-
came sort of habit to wash the hands
and face, water was rather toler-
ated than loved, and was used sparingly.
Most people confined themselves to the
use for the morning toilet of perfumed
alcohol, applied to the face with cot
ton ball or sponge. Louis XIV lived
among an elegance and magnifcence
such as no king before him and none
since had known.
He bathed often, changed wigs several
times a day. had relays Of BARRIERS for
his wigs. baths, and beard, and yet suf-
fered from diseases caused by neglecting
some of the most elementary laws of
neatness, and shared his superb royal
couch with heas and even more disgust
ing parasites. Throughout the Middle
Ages and down to date not long pre-
ceding the French revolution neatness
was supposed to be a virtue appealing
only TO the eyes.
If the principal garments and shoes
were reasonably clean. one did not
trouble himself greatly about what they
might conceal A manual of politeness
uFhlished in the 18th century eavs ona