I was brushing my teeth and I started thinking (always a bad sign). What kind of teeth would I have if I lived 150 or 200 years ago? Thinking of all the stuff they've done to my teeth, I'd probably have really weird teeth. I'd have a bit of an overbite. Some of my teeth are still baby teeth--there are no adult teeth up in my skull. And I've had cavities in my back teeth. I'd be buck-toothed and gap-toothed and have very stinky breath. Probably breath like Spring's. She's got really bad breath these days. She needs to stop eating those bagels with everything on them.
Then I started wondering about things like antibiotics. I've taken antibiotics. I had strep throat and whatever else people get and have to take antibiotics for. What if there weren't any of those? Would I be dead? Have lost a limb? Be toting along a wagon full of foul smelling items to keep the disease away?
And then there's behavior...I don't really want to think about those implications.
150 to 200 years ago, what would it have been like? When I was in high school, my neighbor during the summer was a huge historical romance fan. She said she'd like to go back to those days. Sigh, romance, hulking men with flowing hair, helpless but determined maidens...bleh. I suggested that it might not be all that great. I cited toiletries as inventions that are a great improvement over the past. Then there's toilet paper. And running water. Moving further up the body, how about food? Spoiled food has never been my cup of tea. I suppose spoiled tea wouldn't be my cup of tea either. But gross.
So 150 to 200 years ago...although it's possibly romantic to think of horseback riding and long dresses and being secretly educated in the ways of sneaking out of the house by the scullery maid, I think I'll stick with shampoo and showers inside and a refrigerator with tasty foods inside of it. Yum. Oh yeah...and I'll have some teeth, too.
Posted by dotty at June 16, 2005 11:17 PM