Back in the days of the Wild West, hygiene wasn't a priority, but cowboys, townspeople, and natives alike all still realized the necessity of preserving their bodies to the best of their abilities. While it was a struggle, they came up with many innovative techniques.
Learning often came by practice, and many misfounded theories were cleared up, paving the way to more breakthroughs founded on scientific evidence. While the original thoughts and practices may have been a shot in the dark,
Families Would Use The Same Bath Water
Water heaters weren't exactly common housing components during the 1800s, so it took a lot of work to heat water for baths. As such, most families simply bathed one at the same time, one right after the other, rather than going through the hassle of heating water and filling the tub numerous times. The oldest always went first starting with the grandparents, so you can imagine how gross that water must have been after a good half-dozen people used it.
Dentists Thought That Worms Caused Toothaches
In a time before dental floss and mouthwash were invented, tooth decay was incredibly common; Enough that when people began complaining of massive toothaches, doctors believed that the culprits were worms that had burrowed into the teeth. To combat these pesky tooth worms, they would fan candle smoke directly into patients’ mouths to create a less worm-friendly environment.
People Slept In Bug-Ridden Beds
Rather than sleeping on the dirt floor, settlers opted to make their lives just a little more comfortable by devising straw beds. While this solved the comfort issue, it quickly created multiple other issues in the form of hay-burrowing insects like lice that also enjoyed these straw mattresses. And since these beds were rarely washed, homes quickly became infested with all manner of creepy crawlies that were more than happy to lay their larva and contaminate food.