Principles of Political Economy, Vol. 2Roscher, Wilhelm
General
Principles of Political Economy, Vol. 2
Roscher, Wilhelm
Economics
[Footnote 228-13: The most frightful uncleanliness prevails
among the inhabitants of polar countries, who never bathe,
because of the climate, avoid all ventilation, and because
of the leathern clothing which they smear with grease, etc.
The Tunguses consider the after-birth cooked or roasted as a
great delicacy. "Fathers and mothers wipe their children's
noses with their mouth, and gulp the secretion down."
(_Georgi_, Beschreib. aller Nationen des russ. Reiches, I,
287.) Among the Koruks, the suitor rinses his mouth with his
sweetheart's water. (loc. cit., I, 349, 353.) Compare
_Klemm_, Kulturgeschichte, III, 24, 57. In warmer climates,
even less civilized nations are clean, for instance in the
East and South-Sea Islands, etc. All the more surprising is
the uncleanliness of the Hottentots and Bushmen, where the
natural color is observable only under the eyes, where the
tears produced by too much smoke has washed away the crust
of dirt which, with this exception, covers the whole body.
(_Klemm_, Kulturgeschichte, 333.) How long it takes for
cleanliness to become a national trait, may be inferred from
the history of water-closets, when, for instance, their
introduction into every house during the 16th and even the
17th century, had to be provided for by law in Paris.
(_Beckmann_, Beiträge, II, 358 ff.) The Göttingen statutes
of 1342 had to expressly prohibit persons to _merdare_ in
public wine-cellars where persons ate and drank together.
(_Spittler_, Gesch. Hannovers, I, 57.) Similarly in the
courts of the German princes. On the other hand,
universality of water-closets in England to-day.
In ancient times, too, the uncleanliness of the Spartans in
body and clothing was very surprising to the Athenians:
_Xenoph._, Resp. Laced., II, 4; _Plutarch_, Lycurg, 16.
_Just._, Lac., 5. Still more that of many barbarians, for
instance of the Illyrians: _Stobaeus_, V, 51, 132; _Gaisf.
Aelian._, V, H. IV, 1. The ancient Romans bathed only once a
week (_Seneca_, Epist., 86), while under the Empire, "the
baths embraced and filled up the whole life of man and all
his wishes." (_Gerlach._) Compare _Becker_, Gallus, II, 10
ff.; _Lamprid_, V, Comm., 11.]
SECTION CCXXIX.
EXTENT OF LUXURY IN HIGHLY CIVILIZED TIMES.
The luxury of this second period fills the whole of life and permeates
every class of people. Hence we may most easily determine the degree of
development a people have attained by the quantity of commodities of a
finer quality which are, indeed, not indispensable to life, but which it
is desirable should be consumed on as extensive a scale as possible by
the nation, for the sake of the fullness of life and the
freshness[229-1] of life to which they minister.
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