Cleanliness : idea and practice in Britain, 1770-1850
The thesis examines historical attitixles to cleanliness: why people wanted to be 'clean'; and hz far they may have been so, in Britain between c.1650-1850, and in detail between 1770-1850. The social and nedical attitues of different groups were reconstrtxted fran the popular nedical advice books known as 'regimens'; these were further divided into two eighteenth and nineteenth century sanpies and contextually analysed according to the different uses of the words 'clean', and ''. It was found that there were three hygienic 'cleansing therapies' associated with the action of 'cool' foods, water, and air; and it is argued that between the seventeenth and eighteen centuries these therapies developed f ran an idealistic 'noral physiology' into applied sciences. By the end of the eighteenth century the mixed diet, fresh air, and warm cosnetic bathing, were the axians of individual, preventive, nedical hygiene. Direct references to cleanliness were set within a rroral philosophy of religious and social virtues connected with 'civility'; healthy civility praited an eighteenth century edtxational novaient which proposed the reformation of public 'manners and habits' according to hygienic principles. The changing
Smith, Virginia
History
Cleanliness : idea and practice in Britain, 1770-1850. The thesis examines historical attitixles to cleanliness: why people wanted to be 'clean'; and hz far they may have been so, in Britain between c.1650-1850, and in detail between 1770-1850. The social and nedical attitues of different groups were reconstrtxted fran the popular nedical advice books known as 'regimens'; these were further divided into two eighteenth and nineteenth century sanpies and contextually analysed according to the different uses of the words 'clean', and ''. It was found that there were three hygienic 'cleansing therapies' associated with the action of 'cool' foods, water, and air; and it is argued that between the seventeenth and eighteen centuries these therapies developed f ran an idealistic 'noral physiology' into applied sciences. By the end of the eighteenth century the mixed diet, fresh air, and warm cosnetic bathing, were the axians of individual, preventive, nedical hygiene. Direct references to cleanliness were set within a rroral philosophy of religious and social virtues connected with 'civility'; healthy civility praited an eighteenth century edtxational novaient which proposed the reformation of public 'manners and habits' according to hygienic principles. The changing
cleanliness idea practice britain examines historical cleanliness people want clean far may britain detail social different_group popular advice book know divide contextually analyse accord_different word clean find therapy associate action cool food water air argue therapy develop run idealistic physiology applied science mixed diet fresh air warm individual preventive hygiene direct_reference cleanliness set_within philosophy religious social virtue connect civility healthy civility propose reformation public habit accord principle change