Text: Dazhuang Laboratory
In the modern society, we wash our faces and brush our teeth every day, and the requirements for personal hygiene are very strict, but in ancient times, the hygiene and creation conditions were relatively backward.
In the face of various restrictions of conditions, the ancestors still invented, many unique cleaning methods, which also created a morning Xi of the ancestors.
Even in ancient times, people attached great importance to oral hygiene, and created conditions if there were no conditions, chewing branches, drinking strong tea, etc., were one of the methods of the ancestors.
How ancient people guaranteed their quality of life
Living in modern times, we have been taught to "brush our teeth in the morning and evening" since childhood, and how did people brush their teeth in ancient times? In ancient times, people also paid great attention to dental health, and all kinds of dental cleaning products were readily available.
During the Qin Dynasty, there was already a bronze toothbrush, which was shaped like a pipe, and the round hole was stuffed with strips of cloth as a brushing tool, and it was still a cleaning tool that only dignitaries could use at that time.
In the Three Kingdoms period, the ancients gave up brushing their teeth with tools, and only dipped their hands in a little salty salt, and used the friction of fine salt to clean the surface of their teeth.
The unique taste of salt can barely clean the mouth after rinsing, although this can have a certain cleaning effect, but the actual effect is not very obvious.
After the Tang Dynasty, Buddhism began to spread, and people also learned to brush their teeth with willow branches Xi, but first they had to soak the collected willow branches in water so that they could bite them open when they were easy to use.
When you need to brush your teeth, take the willow branch out of the water and bite one end open, the willow branch is very tough, it will emit many fibers but will not break, and the willow branch will become a natural toothbrush after scattering.
If you use such a natural toothbrush to stick salt to it, the effect of brushing your teeth will be more obvious than that of your hands, and the cleaning power will be stronger, which gives rise to the allusion of "morning chewing tooth wood".
Later, with the slow development of the times, many literati and artists began to make teeth cleaning tools, the most representative is Su Shi, who used pine branches and poria cocos to dry and grind.
As a result, "Su Shi tooth powder" was made, but this kind of tooth powder can only be used to rinse the mouth, and brushing teeth may not work.
It wasn't until the end of the Northern Song Dynasty that items such as toothpaste appeared, and in the Southern Song Dynasty, toothbrushing tools also made a qualitative leap, and then there were shops specializing in making and selling toothbrushes.
At that time, it was already popular to make toothbrush handles from ivory, horn, etc., with many small round holes at the top and horsehair, and the toothbrush was about 25 centimeters long, similar in appearance to our current toothbrushes.
Later, with the continuous development, the horsehair was replaced with horsehair, and the texture was softer, and of course, in addition to brushing the teeth, rinsing the mouth is also very particular.
The ancients generally used the gargling method, using salt water, strong tea, wine, etc. as mouthwashes, whether it is in the morning, after meals, or after taking medicine.
During the Eastern Han Dynasty, there was a "chicken tongue fragrance" to achieve the purpose of bad breath, and "chicken tongue fragrance" was also known as the ancient chewing gum.
Interesting life Xi of the ancients
It is said that a good day starts from getting up, in the Song Dynasty there were many monasteries, the monks played the role of an alarm clock, and the crisp sound of the wooden fish sounded at the fifth watch, and people would get up and wash.
In ancient times, women did not wash their faces as well as modern facial cleansers, but they had natural facial cleansing products, and the pre-Qin used "rice soup", and the water after washing the rice was left for the next day to wash the face.
During the Han Dynasty, stone alkali was used, extracted from plants, and then processed into a solid from the surface of the water, somewhat similar to modern soap, but the taste was not good.
During the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, there was a pig pancreas to clean, but it was not beautiful, so many people processed it and turned it into a bath bean, the raw material was still pig pancreas, and it melted directly in the water when used, and the taste can be imagined.
During the Tang Dynasty, the bath beans were upgraded, adding a lot of herbs and spices, and the shape was slightly larger, and they could also be processed according to their favorite taste.
During the Song Dynasty, soap balls already appeared, similar in shape to oranges, which can be used to wash the face and bathe, and can also choose different effects according to their own needs.
During the Qing Dynasty, medicinal soap was invented, and the soap was added with traditional Chinese medicine ingredients, and the smell was fragrant and the color was also good-looking, and there were many shops that made golden colors for use in the palace.
In addition to washing the face, washing hair is also one of the tedious washing steps of the ancients, and in order to facilitate the washing of hair, the ancients also made many attempts before using some natural "shampoo" for a long time.
Honey locust, hibiscus leaves, tea wither, and plant ash were all used by ancient people, and different cleaning methods were also selected for different hair types.
In addition, dignitaries and dignitaries also have special maidservants to wash their hair, and they will wet their combs with water soaked in flower petals every day, and the fragrance of flowers will be soaked in the fragrance of flowers while combing their hair.
When bathing, the shampoo and bath water are also separated, and usually a small basin is placed behind the bathtub, and the hair is soaked in a small basin, and the maid helps it clean.
Eating, drinking, and sleeping were the most frequent things in the daily life of the ancients, and other events were satisfying, but in the era when there were no public toilets, how to go to the toilet?
In ancient times, there were also public latrines, but they were all randomly built a grass hut, with a ditch dug at the bottom, and someone would go to clean it every day, and the rich would have special tools for going to the toilet at home.
At the end of the Western Han Dynasty, the "green glazed pottery toilet" was used and the men's and women's toilets were separated by short walls, and the Han Dynasty already had water-flushing toilets, toilets, and even skylights and exhaust holes.
In the Song Dynasty, the squatting pit toilet gradually decreased, and the toilet began to prevail, and during the Qing Dynasty, there were already gong buckets, bedpans, etc., and carbon ash was put into the bedpan when defecation, which not only removed the smell but also made it easy to clean.
Different ways to clean
As early as around 500 A.D., ancient Indian physicians had already put forward the idea that "one should brush one's teeth in the morning", and also proposed the concept that dental calculus should be removed.
The British priest once proposed that teeth are felt bones, so toothache is very painful, so the British royal court has also paid great attention to the cleaning of teeth since ancient times.
Ancient Egypt was also known as the "Tuda people" because they used pumice powder and vinegar to grind their teeth on small wooden sticks to form early tooth powder.
The ancient Greeks improved this technique by working with crushed bones and oyster shells to remove dirt from their teeth.
The ancient Romans' way of gargling was slightly heavier, and they put a yellow liquid containing urea and ammonia in their mouths every morning and evening.
This was done to clean the teeth, because in the opinion of the ancient Romans, regular wear and tear of the teeth would make the teeth unhealthy, so only by gargling.
The history of dentistry can be traced back even earlier, in 2900 BC, the ancient Egyptians appointed specialized doctors to treat teeth, that is, the formation of specialized dentists.
In the imperial era of ancient Rome, toothpicks were commonly used to clean the mouth, and trees were generally collected by someone to polish and sell.
In ancient times, there were dental officials who specialized in treating teeth, initially in the pharmacy with the medical officer, and when the Tang Dynasty was in its prime, there were some old people who saw teeth to set up their own doors, but they all put a sign at the door of their own house and that's it.
During the Qing Dynasty, dental officials were more popular, and they could also open their own medical officials, so you need to go to the government to buy a special brand to pay taxes and official certification on your behalf.
In ancient times, when there was no high technology, people were able to take care of their teeth in a special way without conditions, and daily cleaning of teeth was also regarded as very important to them.
In addition, the ancestors will try their best to dress themselves up and greet each day with the best appearance, and the ancients understood the truth, not to mention us living in modern times.
Taking good care of your teeth is to clean your teeth in the morning and at dusk, and at the same time do a good job of personal hygiene, so that all aspects are more decent, which is not only done by the ancients, but also what people should do now.
Toothbrushes have undergone countless improvements since ancient times, and have now become our daily Xi, not only bringing more comprehensive protection to our oral hygiene, but also facilitating life through this amazing invention.