Ways of Dying in 1665

do you think it's to do with the development of nylon too? When did toothbrushes start having nylon bristles instead of badger or other unsuspecting bristly animal?

MIL didn't brush her teeth when she was a child in the 30s. She found out about toothbrushes from someone at school and came home and asked her dad if he could have one, and he laughed at her and showed her how to stick her finger up the chimney and get some soot out if she wanted to clean her teeth.

I was shocked and horrified when she told me. I rushed straight onto Mumsnet to post about it and people were supremely uninterested and surprised that I was surprised.

Then I had to phone round all the older people on my side of the family and quiz them about their childhood dental hygiene and it seemed they all had toothbrushes, despite not having bathrooms or indoor toilets or stuff like that so hardly being what you would call posh. They are all about 10 years younger than MIL so there may have been a shift between the 30s and 40s (war related perhaps) or it may just be one of those random things.

Charcoal is used to cleanse farts

People used sticks that they chewed until the ends were frayed in the past, Wikipedia also says they rubbed baking soda and chalk against their teeth.

Chinese used bristle toothbrushes from the thirteenth century at least, but the first one is mentioned in English history in 1690. Pig bristles and badger hairs were used.

And apparently tooth brushing didn't become routine in the USA until the Second World War when soldiers were told to brush daily.

jabberwocky thats horrible.

On a similar note Sir Thomas Overbury was killed in the early seventeenth century with a poisoned enema. What a way to go.

that's horrific!

I will never forget reading about this in The Green Pharmacy by Barbara Griggs -

"He administered to her so violent a cathartic that the wretched woman was purged not only of bloody stools but of yards of her own intestines, and died."

eek!

Well, well. Activated charcoal has been used for its healing & purification properties since Ancient Egypt but only recently re-discovered!

And now I really must close this browser ...

The Romans used toothpicks. And some kind of powder to rub their teeth with. I just remember it had charcoal in (presumably to freshen the breath, like in a cooker hood now?) because I thought charcoal wouldn't make your teeth look very clean! (Disclaimer: I was about seven when I learned that)

Hey! No tongues!

I saw Something Interesting about teeth on the box not long ago. In the Roman, Dark Age and early medieval periods their teeth were quite good. Relatively speaking. Look at a skull belonging to a person who died at the same age from the Renaissance onwards and they will probably have a mouthful of rotting molars, because people got so addicted to sugar and never cleaned their teeth.

You know what I would love. And what would be SO useful.

If some gorgeous, lovely and kind fellow history geek loving this thread MN'er (someone at a proper computer not a frickin annoying little tablet) would gather all the book suggestions and links together in one post. I want to get them all but can't face the thought of digging back through all zillion pages.

Would be so useful and appreciated...

Make images of your hemorrhoids?

But...hang on...an offering of five golden hemmorhoids? Really?

:o

I've just been reading a book on the Black Death (interest sparked again by this thread) and it was talking about biblical plagues and made reference to a plague of hemorrhoids that God smote the Philistines with.

Checked the Bible and its true...

'1 Samuel 5:6 And the hand of Jehovah was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he laid them waste, and smote them with hemorrhoids, Ashdod and its borders'

'1 Samuel 5:12 and the men that died not were smitten with the hemorrhoids; and the cry of the city went up to heaven.'

Apparently they asked what they should do about it and this was the answer:

1 Samuel 6:4 Then they said, What is the trespass-offering which we shall return to him? And they said, Five golden hemorrhoids, and five golden mice, the number of the lords of the Philistines; for one plague is upon them all, and upon your lords. (DBY)

1 Samuel 6:5 And ye shall make images of your hemorrhoids, and images of your mice that destroy the land, and give glory to the God of Israel: perhaps he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land. (DBY)

(quotes from Biblos.com)

Some of the translations are more coy and say tumours in their secret parts.

Previously my favourite bible story was the one in Kings about the prophet who was teased by children for being bald and God sent two bears to eat forty-two of the children....but I think this one surpasses it .

thank you Princess, but can't take credit for that.... Saggy brought her up

returns to "the tack room"

PS: sorry for breaking in to the horsey talk!

Please may I go back to this:

"Add message | Report | Message poster cazboldy Tue 07-Feb-12 11:05:04
www.elizabethfiles.com/mary-seymour-daughter-of-catherine-parr-and-thomas-seymour/5589/

just found this.

They think she died at about 2 years old"

I had no idea at all that Catherine Parr and Thomas Seymour had a daughter who didn't die at birth. That's really interesting - thank you, cazboldy.

I am reading Bill Bryson's 'At Home' which has a lot of interesting historical facts.According to him,18th century people were so addicted to sugar,despite its expense that they ate it until their teeth turned black,and if they didn't turn black naturally,they blackened them artificially to show how wealthy they were.

It gives a whole new dimension to the folks appearing on Jeremy Kyle-stick them in a time machine and their teeth would be the subject of envy.

I'm sorry!

I thought that a question about the effect of sidesaddle riding on the human body (and the horse) gave it a bit of a sciency direction...

MoreBeta the fact that you can find a list of boiler explosions is just fabulous.Who'd have thought it?

Thumbwitch Thanks for the link to the sidesaddle museum.I got stupidly excited though and thought you could actually go and visit it.That would have been a fun day out. I am going to let the dds learn how to ride side saddle and my mum has already volunteered to make them habits,but they will have wear riding hats and a veil,not top hats though.

I have nothing else horsey to add apart from the fact that my grandad saw his best friend trampled to death by a pony and had an aversion to them after that.Which was unfortunate because his dad was a horse dealer.

An excellent addition to the thread, MoreBeta!

Oooh look!

A list of really nasty boiler explosions.

Names, dates, places ...... and most importantly the number of deaths.

Most excellent.

Could have, Tunip, could have. Lots of potential for narsty accidents there.

But did the aeolipile KILL anyone horribly?

yes, and children getting trampled in the street, and carts and carriages overturning.