A History of Hygiene in Modern France: The Threshold of Disgust

Hygiene transformed the human condition in the 19th and 20th centuries, changing the way people thought about and treated their bodies, ending age-old afflictions, and tripling life expectancy. It led to a society where people washed often, changed their clothes daily, lived without lice and scabies, and performed their natural functions indoors. This revolution was not steady or uniform, but it produced a significant change in the human condition.

Format: Hardback
Length: 328 pages
Publication date: 18 April 2024
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

This book delves into a significant transformation in the human condition, a pivotal aspect of the process often referred to as "modernization" that reshaped culture and society in France during the 19th and 20th centuries. Hygiene, as convincingly argued by Steven Zdatny, played a pivotal role in this transformation. The author explores how the development of hygiene fundamentally altered people's perceptions and treatment of their bodies, eliminated long-standing ailments, and ushered in a new era of comfort where discomfort had once been an inescapable companion of existence. Moreover, hygiene contributed to a remarkable tripling of life expectancy. The book delves into the profound impact of hygiene on society, examining how it shaped behaviors such as frequent washing, daily clothing changes, the eradication of lice and scabies, and the conduct of natural functions within enclosed spaces. It also highlights the advancements in industrial plumbing, public education, government investment, the invention of innovative cleaning products, and a parallel transformation in societal expectations, sensibilities, and practices regarding what is deemed "proper" and "disgusting." These developments, while not uniform or occurring simultaneously across all regions, collectively brought about a revolution in the human condition.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350428690