How did ancient people wash their mouths and teeth? And what did they use to clean their bowels when there was no paper?

How did ancient people wash their mouths and brush their teeth?

Our ancestors have long mastered many measures to protect their teeth. In the Book of Rites, the record of "the first crow of the rooster, salty rinse" proves that our people knew to wash their faces and rinse their mouths in the morning 2000 years ago. Brushing is a method of cleaning teeth developed on the basis of gargling.

Related scholars believe that China is the first country to use a toothbrush. Because in the Liao tomb found in the bone toothbrush handle, it is so far found, the world's earliest toothbrush in kind, more than 1,000 years ago. However, the Dunhuang Grottoes murals show that the ancients used the middle finger of the right hand as a "toothbrush". To the Ming Dynasty, some people advocate the use of left and right hand at the same time crack feed? Fir? Sheath barium difficult to wave (6) coats did not **** Huang look felt fern?br>

Mogao Caves of the sutra painting, such as Tang "Laodu fork bucket sutra change", depicting the "foreign way" when the final conversion to Buddhism, often bathing, shaving, wiping the teeth of the scene. To wipe the teeth is to brush the teeth. Ancient people brushed their teeth in the same way as on the painting: first dip the index and middle fingers of one hand into some medicine, smear it on the teeth, and then brush them with a toothbrush.

The Indians used to brush their teeth with poplar sticks, which is why they are also called "wooden teeth". Not only that, in view of the health of the teeth in the health of the whole body in the important position, the Indians also give Yangzhi as "wish you health" a kind of expression it. Later, this method was introduced to our country, and our people gradually learned this way of brushing teeth. Ancient medical books, "the secret of foreign Taiwan," said, with Yang Zhi will be a soft bite, dipped in medicine wipe teeth, can make the teeth "fragrant and clean". In the past, the tooth wood is said to be one of the necessary daily supplies for monks. Eons up and after the meal, the monks have to chew the wood into thin strips, used to remove the residue between the teeth. It has the function of both toothbrush and toothpick. After cleaning the teeth, one can go to chanting and worshiping. The Buddhist scripture "The Avatamsaka Sutra" even summarizes the ten benefits of chewing Yangzhi. They are: 1. eliminating food; 2. removing phlegm; 3. detoxifying; 4. removing tartar; 5. giving fragrance to the mouth; 6. making the eyes famous; 7. moisturizing the throat; 8. keeping the lips free from wrinkles; 9. increasing the sound and breath; and 10. making the food unpleasant to the palate.

Of course, although Yangzhi is a common "tooth wood" for cleaning teeth, but tooth wood is not limited to Yangzhi. The people can find suitable materials for cleaning teeth according to the local conditions. Sophora branches, peach branches, kudzu, etc. have the same bitter, astringent, pungent and spicy flavors as poplar branches, so they can also become dental wood.

Without toothpaste, we can not only find materials to clean teeth, but also "chew" method to clean teeth, it seems to be more convenient and practical than "brush". So, chewing young twigs used to clean teeth effect in the end how? Ancient and modern are believed to be effective. Li Shizhen also said, with young willow branches "cut for the teeth, clean teeth very good"

Qin and Han period:

Oral-oral diseases in the Qin and Han dynasties, although it is not known whether there is a specialist writing, but from the literature and excavated artifacts, etc., can be seen that the level of technology of its health care has made significant progress and improvement.

On the oral cavity, dental cleanliness, health, disease, health care has been a relatively high demand. For example: "Poetry - Wei Feng - Shuoren" in the description of the beauty of the teeth "teeth like gourd", that is, the teeth should be as neat and white as gourd. On the contrary, the teeth of the unevenness of the person is called disagreement, the bite is not aligned with the disease of the dirty, the arrangement of the wrong person is called bare, uneven for caries, are regarded as pathological. In order to maintain oral hygiene and prevent dental disease, in addition to emphasizing the rinse mouth after meals, etc., at this time ruler has the habit of removing food debris between the teeth. 1976, Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, excavated the late Han Three Kingdoms Dongwu era Gao Rong tomb. Among them was a gold one with a dragon-shaped artifact with an ear-digging spoon and a small Yangzhi at each end. The small Yangzhi is the tail of the dragon, round and pointed at the end. Researchers believe that it was used by the owner of the tomb to remove food debris from between the teeth during his lifetime, and that the twig is the prototype of the present-day toothpick (Zhou Dacheng: A gold twig found in the tomb of Gao Rong of Dongwu in Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, Journal of the Japanese Academy of Dental and Medical History 8(2):23-24, 1981).

Awareness and treatment of diseases of the mouth and teeth Chun Yu Yi, a famous doctor of the Western Han Dynasty, recorded in his diagnostic books that he used moxibustion and bitter ginseng soup with gargling to treat dental caries, and pointed out that his disease was caused by "getting wind, and lying down to open the mouth, and not gargling after eating." It can be seen that the relationship between oral impurity and caries has been recognized.

On the arsenic inactivation of dental pulp technology, the Eastern Han Dynasty Zhang Zhongjing has been the first contained in the use of arsenic-containing inactivation of dental pulp method. Jin Gui Yao Liao" has "children's noma erosion of teeth," the prescription for "Xionghuang, Drabanemerosa hebecarpa, the right two flavors, the end of the day, take the waxing pig fat dissolved in acacia sticks sheep wrapped in the head, four or five, the point of the drug branded." The chemical composition of which andrographis is arsenic disulfide. Ming Dynasty "Compendium of Materia Medica" also recorded arsenic with vinegar, to be dry to take corn grains large, wrapped in cotton An teeth, the next day to take out the medical technology. Arsenic is natural arsenic. The method contained in the amount of medicine and inactivation time, and require the next day to take out are more scientific. Spooner (Spooner) in the United States in 1836 began to use arsenic to inactivate the pulp, the technique is still commonly used in clinical today.

Three Kingdoms, two Jin Dynasty, North and South Dynasties:

In oral health care, the Western Jin Dynasty began to see the "toothpick" records. Jin - Lu Yun in a letter to his brother Lu Ji, "a day line Cao Gong ware, there are picking toothpicks, this time to send a brother" (Zhou Dacheng: a brief history of the development of Chinese dentistry. (Zhou Dacheng: A Brief History of the Development of Chinese Dentistry. Journal of the Japanese Society for the History of Dentistry, 8(3):1-9, 1981). The method of production is not known in detail, but it can be seen that the toothpick was still a rare thing.

Ge Hong "hold Park Zi" mentioned knocking teeth healthy teeth method, that is, the upper and lower teeth gently knock each other, this method is still practiced, and proved to be effective, the mechanism may be through the knocking to give moderate stimulation of the gums to promote periodontal blood circulation, the long term, can play a preventive role in periodontal disease, to achieve the purpose of fixed teeth.

In addition, this period of the medical origin of dental disease is also described, "Jin Shu - highest peak" contains: "Wen (highest peak) first of its teeth disease, to be extracted. Because of the stroke, to the end of the town and died", from this example can be seen in the Jin Dynasty, there have been tooth extraction to treat dental disease. But linked to the cause of death, can only say that with the extraction of teeth, but can not be excluded because of the stroke caused by the dead, so purely due to the extraction of medical malpractice is still difficult to establish.

Sui-Tang-Five Dynasties period:

Mopping the teeth to keep the mouth and teeth clean, at that time has become increasingly popular. The method mainly has "Yangzhi wipe teeth method" and finger wipe teeth method "two kinds," in the "Secret Essentials of the Office of the Taiwan" contains "every morning willow branch bite head soft, point to take the medicine wipe teeth, fragrant and clean." Finger wipe teeth method in the late Tang Dunhuang murals in the "Laodu fork fighting saint". As for the teeth cleaning agent, either salt, or medicine powder. Thousand gold formula" and "outside the secret of" there are a lot of wiping the teeth of the formula, the powder used more aromatic wind, detoxification and pain relief, drainage of pus and swelling of the function.

In addition, the Sui and Tang Dynasty medical books on food, drugs in the mouth and mouth health care also have discussed the contraindications. Such as Meng wash "food therapy herb" pointed out: "sand pond more food is damaged teeth."

The two Song dynasty:

Song famous scholar Su Dongpo put forward the role of tea on the prevention of dental caries, modern medical experiments have confirmed that tea contains more fluorine, so there are anti-caries, anti-mouth, sterilization and anti-inflammatory function. In addition, "Taiping Shenghui Fang" pointed out that the toothbrusher in the morning and evening. Taiping Shenghui Fang" also contains medicinal paste medicinal tooth method: willow branches, acacia branches, mulberry branches decoction water boiling paste, into the ginger juice, fine Xin, and so on each with a toothbrush, which can be described as the prototype of today's medicated toothpaste, in the Song Dynasty has been planted hair toothbrush. Song - Zhou Shouzhong "health class compilation": "cover brush teeth are all horse tail for the". In Europe, the hair-planted toothbrushes recorded about 500 years later were the same as Zhou Shouzhong's record.

PS: After the Song Dynasty, according to the data, China's oral cleaning methods have not been further developed, and it is thought that the old methods have been used. However, the medical treatment of various pathologies of the oral cavity had some development.

Attached is a record of "gargle":

"Gargle" means to wash. It has been recorded in ancient books, for example: "Rituals - Nei Zi": "When the rooster first crows, salty wash." This means that in ancient times, the habit of "washing" in the morning has been developed. The "washing" here may also include gargling. Directly on the "gargling" records, see the Sui Dynasty Chao Yuanfang "the origin of all diseases," "after eating often gargle several times, do not, make people sick caries." Here refers to gargling after meals, some people also advocate gargling at night, that gargling at night has a greater effect on the protection of teeth. The Song Dynasty, Zhang Dale wrote "Medical Sayings"; "The world serves, often inverted, early gargling is not as good as will lie down and gargle, to go between the teeth of the accumulation, the teeth are also strong." Later there are more people advocate, gargling twice a day in the morning and evening; to maintain oral hygiene.

Before the invention of brushing tools, ancient gargling commonly used gargling method, salt water, strong tea, wine for gargling agent, the Tang Dynasty Sun Simiao wrote "Preparing for the emergency Qianjin want to prescription": "Every day to a twist of salt inside the mouth, with warm water containing ...... mouth and teeth firmly dense." Yanshou Book" has a record of strong tea gargling, "Where the food and drink finished, rolled to strong tea gargling, greasy both to go, and the spleen and stomach since and where the meat of the teeth, tea gargling wash, do not feel off and do not bother to pick and choose also. Cover the teeth will be bitter, edge of this gradual firm and stupid teeth and since go." According to modern pharmacological analysis, tea in addition to vitamins, but also contains tannins and a small amount of fluorine compounds, tannins have antibacterial, bactericidal effect. Fluorine compounds do have the role of preventing dental caries. It shows that the ancient advocate of strong tea gargling to prevent dental caries is in line with scientific principles. On the wine gargling, "medical say": "Liu a few years more than seventy, the spirit does not weaken, every drink of wine at every turn a gargle, although drunkenness is not forgotten, said that this can be no dental disease." This is the rich experience accumulated by people in the practice of life. Later, our people in the gargling method on the basis of the emergence of wipe the teeth method.

And in the times when there was no paper, what did they use to clean themselves after defecating?

According to Zuo Zhuan (左传), one day at noon in 581 B.C., Duke Jing of Jin, Ji Angry Dog, felt bloated after tasting new wheat, so he went to the toilet to defecate, and accidentally fell into a cesspit and died. Ji Yai was probably the first monarch in history to be martyred in a toilet, thus revealing the simplicity of the palace toilets in the pre-Qin era. That painful price made later generations a little more cautious about defecating.

Liu Bang, the first Han emperor, is at the top of the list of "Chinese hooligans," and his behavior is worthy of his status. He was in front of the group of ministers, in order to save time for the meeting, but also in order not to fall into the toilet, even let a civil official to hand him the hat, he turned his back, the hat upside down, a moment, half a hat of steaming hot urine in front of the crowd.

This rogue emperor's descendant, Han Wu Di Liu Che, was even more original, actually receiving senior officials while relieving his bowels. This was revealed in the Book of Han - Biography of Ji An: "Great General (Wei) Qing served in the center, on the top of the toilet to see." Historians did not record Wei Qing's emotions, but it is certain that Wei Qing was a first-rate official in the eyes of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, and perhaps it was for this reason that he was given the opportunity to be received while the emperor was defecating.

About the unusual nature of the royal toilets, the Shishu Xinyi reveals. Wang Dun, a general of the Western Jin Dynasty, was recruited by Emperor Wu of Jin to be the extra horse harnessed by the side of a team of Princess Wuyang, and on the night of his wedding, he used the princess's toilet for the first time. When I first saw it, I felt that it was magnificent, much better than the civil housing, and I went in, only to find that it was also smelly, and my heart was a little calmer. Not long, see the toilet has a lacquer box holding dried jujube, just as "Dengkeng food", they all eaten; Once finished, the maid served a plate of water, there is a "bath beans" of the glazed bowl, Wang Dun these "bath beans" poured into the water, and the water, the water, the water, the water, the water, the water, the water, the water, the water, the water, the water, the water, the water, the water, the water, the water. Wang Dun poured these "bath beans" into the water and drank it all in one go, causing "the group of maidservants to cover their mouths and laugh". The original dry jujube is used to plug the nose to prevent odor, and "bath beans" is the equivalent of modern soap.

Perhaps inspired by Han Gaozu's use of ministers' hats to urinate, later emperors mostly used pots to solve problems, rather than go to the toilet in person. According to the "Xijing Miscellany", the Han court used jade to make a "tiger", which was held by the emperor's attendants in case the emperor needed to use it at any time. This "tiger", is later called toilet, potty specialized sanitary appliances - know that from then onwards, the emperor does not necessarily have to deal with the toilet. "Tiger" later changed the name called "toilet", said to be related to the emperor. Legend has it that in the Western Han Dynasty, "Flying General" Li Guang shot a crouching tiger, let people cast into a tiger-shaped copper drowning device, the urine solution in it, expressed contempt for the tiger, which is the "tiger" got its name from. But to the emperor of the Tang dynasty sitting in the dragon court, just because their ancestors in the family called "Li Hu", they will be this disrespectful name changed to "beast" or "horse", and then after the common name of the The name was changed to "beast" or "horse", and then to "toilet" and "urinal".

Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin pacified Sichuan, after the Shu Palace of all the artifacts transported back to Bianjing, found that there is a pot full of onyx and jade, love, almost used to drink wine. A little later the Shu Lord Meng Chang's favorite concubine Mrs. Hua Rui called, Mrs. Hua Rui saw this thing was the Song son of heaven for a few cases, busy saying, this is the first king's urine bowl ah! Shocked Zhao Kuangyin strange: "use this kind of urine basin, which is not the reason for the death of the country?" Immediately shattered the basin.

Potty of urine and wine is difficult to distinguish, this is probably the different aesthetic interests of the ancients caused by the joke. Commode development to the Qing Dynasty, has embodied a very strong human care characteristics. Qing dynasty emperors and concubines used the commode called "official room", there are specialized eunuchs custody, when needed, then pass "official room". The emperor, concubines used "official room" is very elaborate, divided into two forms of rectangular and oval, made of wood, tin or porcelain. Wooden official room is rectangular, the outer edge of the wooden frame, the frame has an oval mouth, lined with soft cushions around, the mouth has a cover, the potty like a drawer can be pulled out, the general wooden potty are equipped with a tin lining to prevent leakage. The tin official room is oval, with a wooden lid on the basin, and a knob in the center; this kind of potty should be used in conjunction with a stool, which is shorter, with an oval opening at the front end, and the potty is placed underneath to align with the round opening. The stool has a backrest, wrapped with soft lining, as if now no armrests sofa general, sit on it, not worse than the current toilet, only can not flush it.

The Empress Dowager Cixi's "out of respect" in some historical materials have sporadic records. The Empress Dowager said to pass the official room, a few courtesans to go to the head of the preparation, one to call the eunuch in charge of the official room, one to get the mattress, one to get the handkerchiefs. Empress Dowager official room is made of sandalwood, the exterior carved into a large gecko, gecko's four legs is the four legs of the official room, the gecko's bulging belly is the official room pots and drawers, the tail is the back handle, the jaw is the front handle, mouth slightly open, handkerchiefs are placed in which the gecko's spine in the center of the cover, open the top of which can be sat on the "out of respect". Official room with dry pine wood finely powdered. Eunuchs should be wrapped in embroidered cloud dragon yellow cloth cover on top of the head of the official room sent to the Queen Mother's bedchamber door, after the peace, open the yellow cloth cover, take out the official room, held by the courtesan sent into the net room (the net room is generally located in the bedroom on the right side of the bed, the bright side of the installation of a door or two small doors, which is less than a meter wide dead channel, specifically for the drowning with) in the courtesan to the tarpaulin spread on the floor of the net room, the official room in the tarpaulin on the paper and then placed into the gecko mouth; after the queen is finished, the gecko is placed in the gecko mouth; after the queen is finished, the gecko is placed in the gecko's back, and then the paper. Gecko mouth; after the Empress Dowager is finished, held out by the palace maid, to the eunuch, the eunuch is still wrapped in a cloth cover, lifted to the top of the head to go out, after removing the dirt, scrubbed clean, put in a new dry rosin wood finely powdered, and so on for the next time to use.

While the palace can be so, travelers naturally can not be so cumbersome, all the way to the car, it is not convenient to end to end to go. This does not need us to worry about, there are people for the Queen Mother old Buddha think well. 1903 March, Cixi to visit the mausoleum (in Hebei Province, Yixian West) in the name of the train to shake the wind. Bedroom, facing the car window placed on a special iron bed, bedding pillow everything, with a mantle around. One side of the bed has a door, open that is the urine and feces with the Ruyi bucket. The bottom of the bucket is covered with yellow sand, and then filled with mercury, feces fall into no trace. Outside the barrel with palace brocade satin cover, looks like an embroidered pier.

The Qing historian Meng Sen's description is: "...... the car is equipped with an iron bed, underwear mattresses and pillows, flower car original couch is not used, counting the smoking of opium cigarettes are not the discomfort so ear. The bed is placed horizontally, face the car window, surrounded by a mantle, the bed body purchased from the restaurant, think the column is slightly high, cut off its feet and move the bed surface. A door on the side of the bed, open to Ruyi bucket. Ruyi bucket, drowning apparatus, the bottom of the storage of yellow sand, on the injection of mercury, feces fall in the mercury, did not enter the trace, outside the application of Palace brocade satin as a set, into an embroidered pier. The body is also (all) sets of yellow velvet, and to satin paste inside." This kind of Ruyi barrel, can be regarded as the peak of high-level health equipment.

With what to wipe your ass?

Paper-making was a major invention in China as far back as the Han Dynasty, but it wasn't until the Yuan Dynasty that the products of this technology were used in the most practical aspect of people's lives: toileting. Posterity speculates that the Yuan Dynasty was established by the Mongols, the culture is relatively backward, there is no Han nationality "respect word paper" consciousness, so it makes the toilet paper into people's lives. Before, in quite a long time, we all use bamboo as toilet hygiene products, even the emperor is no exception. Before the Tang and Song dynasties, people use a kind of wood or bamboo chips called "toilet chips", "Yuan Shi" biography of the third consort two records, "Yu Zong Huiren Yu Sheng Empress" Buran also timid Chi when the Crown Princess of the mother-in-law, "Zhaorui Shunsheng Empress" very filial piety, she wanted to use her own face to try the softness of the handkerchief before her mother-in-law wiped dirty: "after the filial piety, good service in the Palace, Shizu every called virtuous daughter-in-law. Serving Empress Zhaorui Shunsheng, not leaving the left and right, to the privy toilet."

Even the paper to wipe the buttocks have to use the face first to try the softness, this filial piety is really noteworthy. Well, what about bamboo sheets? The problem with bamboo is that it has a lot of burrs, so if it's not smooth enough to hurt the user's buttocks, it's really a big deal.

"South Tang Book - Fudu biography" records that the South Tang Dynasty after the Lord Li Yu personally chipped bamboo for the monks to use the toilet, and check the quality of the cheek to see if the smooth and smooth. This is the most praiseworthy of all the emperors who paid homage to Buddha.

Digging a new pit into a wealthy

Toilet keeper's job is also outside the 360 lines, which is absolutely unique, self-contained, worthy of businessmen to learn, worthy of the whole country to play.

There was a man called Mu Taigong in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. Of course, no one would carry such a high seniority on their name. The surname Mu is a certainty, and "Taigong" is likely to be the honorific title for him. How did this old man named Mu win the respect of the masses?

Mu Taigong, a countryman, went to the city one day and found that there were "cesspits" on both sides of the road in the city, and there was a charge for them. The old man went in and had a good time, but did not go away, he stood outside this simple toilet for half a day, and found that a lot of people came to relieve themselves, so he relied on his own unique commercial sensitivity, to establish his own bowl for the rest of his life - "it's like a different kind of business! "

After returning home, Mr. Mu asked the craftsmen to "dig the three houses in front of the door into three large pits, each pit is built up a small wall partition, the wall is powdered up, busy to the relatives in the city, to ask for countless poems and paintings on the wall of this dung house," and asked a scholar to give the toilet inscribed with a chic name: "The Hall of the Dentist". In order to attract customers, and begged Mr. Teaching to write a hundred and ten "newspaper strips" posted in all directions, which reads:

Mu family incense new pit, far and near the gentleman under the patronage of the house is willing to paste straw paper.

This hand is very attractive, farmers are used to straw tiles, now there are ready-made straw paper, plus the toilet environment is really elegant, "the wall of flowers and greenery, the most interesting to look at, climbed once the new pit, such as looking at the scenery once. Attracted to the women also come to the cesspit, Mu Taigong will build another women's toilet.

It's worth stating that Mu Taigong's toilet was free. So how did his old man go to all this trouble to reflect the economic benefits? It turns out that as early as when he was using the toilet in the city, he had already comprehended that in the countryside, charging for toilets would not work. However, feces could be sold. So he collected the feces and sold it to the farming families, or exchanged it for their firewood, rice, oil and salt. Once and for all, over time, he made a lot of money. It is really a "strong like a different business"!

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