9781422275924

MODERN-DAY HYGIENE In present times, there are specific hygiene practices for different situations, cultures, and genders. We believe in keeping ourselves and our surroundings clean. We are also brand-conscious in terms of which shampoo, soaps, or perfumes to use. In fact, there are thousands of soaps, razors, and perfumes available for us to choose from. There is an endless list of cleaning products, all

aimed at providing us with better hygiene options. It is important to know that hygiene is a very old concept related to medicine, personal, and professional care. The old concept

of hygiene must be studied if we want to know how modern hygiene practices came about.

EVOLUTION OF HYGIENE

Historically, religion and social practices have played an important role in deter- mining the concept of hygiene. Though it took centuries for hygiene to gain wide acceptance, governments and reformers were eventually convinced of its health benefits. It is interesting

to note that far from being uniquely human, the need for

hygiene arose almost as soon as animal life did. However, it is also true that medical knowl- edge was not well developed in the past and thus even minor diseases sometimes proved fatal to human beings. Thus, healthcare practitioners encouraged good hygiene for better maintenance of health.

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