Historical Hygiene What’s that smell 1 Ancient Egyptians made their own breath mints 4
2 The early colonists wouldn’t take baths even though the Native Americans asked them to 3 The French emperor Napoleon used an entire bottle of cologne every day 5
1 TRUE The mints were made with honey and cinnamon yum plus tree resin and grasses less yum 2 Ew that’s TRUE The colonists thought bathing was unhealthy so they washed their hands and faces changed their underwear and stayed really really stinky 6
3 That’s a NOPE Napoleon used more than a bottle each day he went through more than 60 bottles every month I smell AMAZING Historical Sleuths take note Not all evidence is created equal When historians research how much cologne Napoleon used they may find stories in secondary sources like a book that says Many of Napoleon’s servants reported that he smelled fresh as a daisy but nothing beats a verifiable primary source like his actual cologne bill which showed how much he ordered how much he paid and even which scents he favored 7
