【转载翻译】中古个人卫生护理

原文链接：https://hoop-skirts-and-corsets.tumblr.com/post/144930694774/thewinterotter-posted-by-steven-payne-to

本文为国外历史重演玩家的研究思路总结成果，个人翻译转载分享，英文水平有限因此会在文中注明原文，便于有能力者自行对比。

Posted by Steven Payne to Facebook group British Medieval History:

People in the Middle Ages valued sweet smelling breath and bodies, seeing them as desirable, so there is a great deal of evidence from the period of tooth pastes, powders and deodorants.

Contrary to the typical Hollywood depiction of medieval peasants with blackened and rotting teeth, the average person had teeth which were in fairly good condition, mainly due to the rarity of sugar in the diet. Most medieval people could not afford sugar and those who could used it sparingly.

Archaeological data shows that only 20% of teeth had signs of decay, as opposed to 90% in the early twentieth century. The main dental problem for medieval people was not decay but wear, due to a high content of grit in the main staple, bread.

由史蒂文·佩恩( Steven Payne)发布于Facebook 群组英国中世纪历史：

中世纪的人十分注重处理口气和体味，认为它们与吸引力相关，因此有大量关于牙膏、牙粉和除臭剂的证据。

与典型的好莱坞描绘的中世纪农民牙齿又黑又烂相反，普通人的牙齿状况相当好。主要是由于当时饮食中糖十分稀少。大多数中世纪的人买不起糖，而那些可以用得起的也相当节俭。

考古数据显示，只有 20% 的牙齿有龋齿的迹象，而 在20 世纪初这个比例则是 90%。中世纪人的主要牙齿问题不是蛀牙而是磨损，这是因为作为主食的面包中砂砾含量很高。

For deodorants, soap was available for the wealthy, but a variety of herbs and other preparations were also used. Soapwort is a plant native to Europe and Asia which, when soaked in water, produces an effective liquid soap. Mint, cloves and thyme were also extensively used by simply rubbing into the skin, and alum (hydrated potassium aluminium sulphate) was an effective deodorant.

在除臭剂的选择上，富人可以使用肥皂，但也会使用各种药草与其它制剂。肥皂草/石碱草（Soapwort） 是一种原产于欧洲和亚洲的植物，浸泡在水中时会产生一种有效的液体肥皂。薄荷、丁香和百里香也被广泛使用，只需简单地涂抹在皮肤上，然后明矾（水合硫酸铝钾）是一种有效的除臭剂。

I am trying to keep to 14th century technology on my pilgrimage to Canterbury, which gives me various options when looking at hygiene. In the middle ages people generally cleaned their teeth by rubbing them and their gums with a rough linen cloth, or the chewed end of a stick. There are various recipes for pastes and powders that could be put on the cloth to help clean the teeth, but I have chosen simple salt to whiten them and to aid fresh breath. I will also be using the stick method, and will be taking along a supply of liquorice root sticks for that purpose.

我尝试在前往坎特伯雷的朝圣之旅中只使用14 世纪的（个人卫生护理）技术，而这实际上为我提供了好几种卫生方面的选择。中世纪时，人们通常通过用粗麻布摩擦牙齿和牙龈、或者咀嚼木棍来清洁牙齿。有多种牙膏和牙粉的配方可以使用，它们会被涂在洁牙用的布上，以帮助清洁牙齿。但我选择了简单的盐来美白牙齿并帮助清新口气。我还准备使用咀嚼棒的方法洁牙，所以携带了甘草根。

I also have a few blocks of alum, which when rubbed into wet skin has a deodorising effect. Alum, like beeswax, was used extensively in the middle ages for a variety of purposes, also being useful:

* in the purification of drinking water as a flocculant
* as a styptic to stop bleeding from minor cuts
* as a pickling agent to help keep pickles crisp
* as a flame retardant
* as an ingredient in modelling clay
* as an ingredient in cosmetics and skin whiteners
* as an ingredient in some brands of toothpaste

我也有几块明矾，擦在湿润皮肤上的明矾有除臭效果。明矾和蜂蜡一样，在中世纪用途非常广泛，作用也很大：
（明矾用途）
* 放入饮用水中作为吸附净水剂
* 作为小伤口出血时的止血剂
* 作为酸洗剂让泡菜脆口
* 作为阻燃剂
* 作为造型粘土
* 作为化妆品和皮肤增白剂的成分

 * 作为某些牙膏的成分

The photograph shows my wash kit including home made olive oil soap, salt for the teeth, a block of deodorising alum, cloves, a boxwood comb made for me by Peter Crossman of Crossman Crafts and some liquorice root sticks, all on a woollen ‘towel’.
Note that the cloves are kept in a ventilated box….this is because insects hate the smell of cloves and so a perforated box will keep them out of my kit and food bag when I am sleeping rough.
TIP: If you steep some cloves to obtain the oil and put the liquid around the doors and windows of your house, it keeps spiders and insects out.

照片中展现的是我的洗漱包：包括自制的橄榄油肥皂、洁牙用盐、一块除臭明矾、丁香、Crossman Crafts 的 Peter Crossman 为我制作的黄杨木梳子和一些甘草根，全部放在羊毛毛巾上'。
值得注意的是，丁香放在通风的盒子里……这是因为昆虫讨厌丁香的气味，所以当我在比较缺乏防护的地方睡觉时，通风的盒子可以让它们远离我的工具包和食品袋。
小贴士：如果你用丁香做浸泡油再将液体洒在你房子的门窗周围，它可以防止蜘蛛和昆虫进入。

（最后是原文作者的吐槽）

Pay attention medieval-ish fantasy authors-  filthy people without any cleaning or self care is Not Historical.

请听好了“中世纪”风幻想作家们——肮脏而且完全不注重个人清洁的人可不是史实的。