New-York tribune., 1901-03-03
CLEANLINESS,
SOME INTERESTING DEVELOPMENTS OF
THE SENTIMENT AMONG CIVIL
lied PEOPLES
From The Saturday Review.


which, IN this country at all events the upper
classes or society are most nearly unanimous:
anc recognition Of il is rapidly spreading it,
s,f through other classes also. Public baths are
looming every year more popular; the humblest
o. suburban villas invariably has its bath
room, ana The City clerk to-day regards as nee
'SSarles means Of cleaning his aodA from head to
i"'t which Lord Chesterfield even Louis MY
""aid nave regarded meaningless superfiu-
iues. This movement in favor of Cleanliness is
I.- confined to England No man of middle age
N'o has known the Continent since his child
L'Hc can fall 10 perceive Its influence i'm every
laFepean country. Every Continental hotel ana
.. 'teau bears witness 10 il, and its progress is
rI2ally evident in the houses OF Continental
cis as llose are aware who have been
l'-fhiilar with the Winter Palace at St Peters
I@fg- III ls, however in England THAI the move
''' i4t MSS hdd its origin. Ia England
s.tFes can most easily trace its course: and in
i.'i4and II has reached its fullest-Sone Will say
l'" lu"St exaggerated development. ANY English
tuusc which is three generations old tln ru.
N.tdrc of which has not been completely modern
lc"d VIII present us with visible records of tfa
."ndltlon OF things from which the movement il,
l-tstlon mas now carried us 50 far IN any
zen house, whatever else may ae antique. the
'AlIie system OF sanitation at all events Viii be
rulie new. Traditions viii survive of The daNs
men morning tub was innovation ard tn
t'flars, with their large jugs which still :,liTu-
r under The washing stands, Viii remind rs
' me period, chrono!ogically not remote when
.t Was thought sufficient to clean the human
'Auehhues, ana abution of the entire person
vas regarded as a superfluous rite, or was in
iiactice rare one.
hat then, is the meaning Of this movement
which has in So short a time so greatly changed
'Gr entire habits and sentiments with regard
lo one OF the most intimate and familiar forms
Il conduct? There is a partial answer 10 tn.
Question, which is at once obvious and simple
The movement has been caused or al least ac-
telerated, 10y the development OF medical and
iII'Iis S'i'iCs' ana II mas on Soirntihc grounds
been largely justified by its results All kinds
oi diseases whose origin was formerly mis-
understood have been traced to cortaminatad "a
.tlr or deficient personal cleanliness and though
modern science protecting us against the dan
S'is thus arising sometimes reintroduccS them
IN new and more insiciOUs form they are on
TIE whole being greatly and inrreasingl mini
miZru. But TINS utilitarian exclamation IF the
rhenomenon is a partial explanation only II
throws no light that sentimental attac cllr,,ent
10 cleanliness which is distinct fror, lis an, /
ffoNal ana pra ctiCc based on utitarian crCuud- !
The sentiment Of cleanliness has existed a.
all times, though in some ages and in sorle
races ii has been strongly i. yeICI.cd. whl,. in
others IL IS To lee traced only in almost imper-
ceptblc rudimenis II existed in England in
uoAS Milen the necessary tub was unknown. ana
"N'i' tie germ had not yet been dreamed Of II
has 'een developed since those DAYS but il has
certainly not been created. no doubt has al
"a4S-aS II was among the JeHe-hcen con
sci1uslY uucouSciuuslv :.sSociat,.i ,,iib s,p,.
general sanitary experience hut il has con-
stantly exhibited a natural tendency to become
iasudious. fancful and passionate t. a drsre.
dom whether r,,,e,.io,,,,, a., -; l'i.'i, an " 10
sciously inherit q. The Jewish rs.,lds for ex-
SI.ip',' "Ou4L H'h'i IN thi4 connection have de-
dGced from tfe Mosaic law their grutesquelv III
t'rcstIoS Interpretations Il il. z they had NOT
been prompted and guided by some curious
human instinct, with whose origin the law had
l"ifllnE 10 DO. One rahbinical paftV as a re-
cent writer has reminded Us. maintained that "A
cup must be washed before il was flied with
WINE. because otherwise the cup and The Wiuo
would he rendered unclean by the rergl ir:ttinr
of the fingers, which wCu'd remain clir-ios ia
the cup Another party maintained thar this
view was erroneous, and eadeavored 10 demon
strate that the real danger to he obyiated was
the. contamination Of the fingers bv the cup
IEet ac o:dlnE taught that the urC De time for
washing tho hands not hefor. H.. filling of
The cup but after il. one school TAUGHT thar
after The hands were wiped the towel should be
placed on the table. and not on a cushion lest
the I,erSpiratiOn Of the hands should contain
mate the cushion, and the cushion, in turn con
tamnafe whatever touched IL. Another school
taught that equally terrible consequences might
arise from using the table a rest for the dirty
towel because the impure towel might he made
yet more impure 10y the table. which would thus
infect the perspiration which the unfortunate
towel had imtibed, and render legally impure
any hands that might touch il subsequently,
Another matter Of dispute between these TWO
n schools was whether a servant who was Sweep
ing house with broom would contamnate
I the broom with his hands have his hands
contaminated by the broom; and whether, con-
feQuentlN, in the interest Of legal purity he
Fought 10 wash his hands before touching the
handle or afterWard.
The modern Englishman may congratulate
himself on being free from these Dious scruDlas-
hut IL is not 20 be denied that he has in his
nature the instinct which alone could have
given these scruples any possible meaning and
this is a horror OF what he regards as dirt for
its own sake, quite apart from either IT'S un-
healthiness or it's unsightliness He detests IL
doubt, these latter grounds as well A
dirty