Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1902-07-10
BELLIES OF OLD ROME
THE TIME AND MONEY THAT WERE
SPENT ON THEIR TOILETS.

Modern Methods and Cost of Beauty
CuItare Are Simple Compared With
Ancient LuKuriOusness - Hygiene
the Latter Day Magic.
The secret of eternal youth, so eager.
ly sought by the magiclans of all cen
turtles and sought in vain, has almost
revealed itself to the present genera
ton; at least we have its watchwOrd,
which is hygiene. For youth means
beauty, and beauty means health, and
the skillful beauty specialists accom-
plish all their successes by means of
rational methods based on Il careful
study Of the causes that may affect to
its detriment the health Of the skin.
In the dim back ages of the world OF
civilization beauty was made q cult Of
the utmost moment, but for many u
century after the downfall of the Greek
and Roman empires such matters were
allowed to languish. Not until the de
clining years of the nineteenth century
was the subject reinstatcd as one Of
paramount interest. But today beauty
specialists abound-Some for face treat.
ment, others for manicure and again
many more for electrolysis.
OF course these treatments are ex.
pensiye, but it is worth much to a wo.
man to be rid Of q careworn expires.
sion. Moreover, to feel that her youth
and therefore her beauty is somewhat
restored has beneficial influence upon
her mental state.
But whoever fancies that the modern
husband is to be pitied for the cost Of
his wifes beauty preservatives should
consider the toilet expenses of n Ro.
man lady In the comparatively early
days of the worlds history. Excessive
as may appear the time and money
spent now upon the art of beauty cult
vation, the grooming of n modern WON
an Of fashion seems invested with an
admirable simplicity compared with
the time and money thus expended in
the days of PoppGa and Agrippina.
In the early days of Rome three
classes Of slaves assisted at l..c toilet
of n lady of fashion. On leaving her
bed, which was usually at noon, she
Immediately went to her bath, where
she was carefully rubbed with pumico
stone She then put herself in the
hands Of the cosmetics, q class of slaves
who possessed many secrets for pre-
serving and beautifying the complex
ion; therefore their functions were con
sidered of the greatest Importance, es-
pecially as they claimed for their arts
hygeian advantages.
By the cosmetics her face was thor
oughly sponged with asses milk, then
massaged with various mixtures CORE
spending in intention to the skin food
Of these days; with ashes of snails and
of large ants, bruised and burned in
salt; with honey in which the bees had
been smothered; with the fat of pul.
let mixed with OniOn-Oh, shades of
ArabyI And. lastly, the fat Of swan
was vigorously applied, 10 which was
attributed the property Of removing
wrinkles Red spots were effaced with
piece of wooden cloth stepped in oil OF
roses, and freckleS were treated with
q scraping Of sheepskin mixed with oil
of Corsica, to which was added the
powder of frankincense.
Then appeared the second class of
slaves, armed with pinchers and porcu-
pine quills. One of them extracted ev-
cry hair, however minute, from the
face of her mistress, and another clean
ed the teeth with grated pumice stone,
with marble dust and finally with a
toothpick of porcupine Quill.
A third class of slaves, who were Gre
clan, colored eyebrows, eyelashes and
hair to the shade of my lady's" taste.
Her lips were treated with red pomade,
but if chapped they were first rubbed
with the inside of q sheepskin, then
covered with the ashes Of a burnt
mouse mixed with fenncl roots.
The last touches of the toilet were
given by the favorite attendant, the
slave kept by every patrician Roman
woman for the sole purpose of apply
ing fragrant unguents. Each part OF
the body had its own unguent-the hair
had sweet marjOram, the neck and
the cheeks and breast palm oil, the feet
and legs saffron. Then after final
sprinkling of Indian perfumes on hair
and dress the favored slave in order
that the finished work might be appre
ciated handed to her mistress mirror
1t was not of silver-those We're so
common they We're used only by slaves
but costly thing of gold, Ornamentcd
with precious stones, held by handle
of mother of pearl, the mirror itself
formed of composite of several met
ais so exquisitely polished as to he not
inferior to glass, which was then un-
known.
All, the modern husband may be con-
graduated that his lines were not cast
In the days of Brutus and Cato of