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A Brief History Of Cleaning
Today, we know that sanitation makes a tremendous contribution to preventing disease and
keeping people healthy.
But is wasn't always that way. Throughout most of our history, sanitation practices were
practically nonexistent. Yet the history of sanitation dates back at least 7.000 years, to
the Babylonians, Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans.
7,000 YEARS AGO
The Babylonians discovered that contaminated water could cause disease. They brought in
fresh water every day.
2,000 YEARS AGO
The physician Hippocrates discovered that cleansing could prevent infection.
THE ROMAN EMPIRE
Made great progress in the area of sanitation.
Built aqueducts to bring in fresh water, and built sewer systems and public baths.
However, with the fall of the Roman Empire, much of the knowledge the Romans developed
was lost, and was not passed on.
MEDIEVAL TIMES
Were truly the Dark Ages as far as sanitation was concerned.
Towns were dirty and crowded, and disease and epidemics spread unchecked because of the
lack of sanitation.
Water was contaminated, and personal hygiene was virtually unknown.
Tuberculosis, cholera, diphtheria, smallpox, yellow fever, all were rampant.
As many children died as lived, and the average life span was under 30 years.
The worst epidemic during this period was the Black Death, from 1438-1441, which spread to
such proportions that 60 million people died, which at the time was one-fourth the
population of the world.
19TH. CENTURY
In New York City, living conditions were as nearly as filthy as in the middle ages, and
yearly
epidemics swept through populations, killing many.
The average life span was less than age 40.
But during the mid 1800’s, it was discovered between germs and disease was proven.
Soaps, disinfectants, and pharmaceuticals began to be developed, and it was first
recognized that disease could be controlled.
This began the Sanitation Revolution, and public health practices such as garbage
collection,
water treatment, public health departments and regulations, as well as personal bathing,
became part of the culture.
The death rate in children dropped, and the average life span increased over the years, to
age 74. |
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