The alternative view is very much a minority view. Fact is that pre-modern societies engaged in a great many behaviors we would regard as less-than-sanitary. Some Romans swished urine to whiten their teeth, for gods’ sakes.
The truth you might find more bizarre - the wealthy shipped in urine from people from modern-day Portugal, because it was believed that their climate and diet made for the most effective mouthwash-urine.
A bit of googling suggests it might be a myth. Thank God!
The alternative view is very much a minority view. Fact is that pre-modern societies engaged in a great many behaviors we would regard as less-than-sanitary. Some Romans swished urine to whiten their teeth, for gods’ sakes.
Granted. Still it’s a big difference between your own urine and someone else’s feces.
The practice wasn’t swishing one’s own urine.
I’m guessing there were little boys involved
The truth you might find more bizarre - the wealthy shipped in urine from people from modern-day Portugal, because it was believed that their climate and diet made for the most effective mouthwash-urine.