Irish pagans and peoples of Japan, China and other Asian countries, Slavs and inhabitants of South America, Romans and ancient Scythians. What can all these peoples have in common? You will be surprised, but there is something that unites all these peoples of the world - this is the tradition of taking a steam bath. Can we imagine that our distant ancestors realized for themselves that a visit to the bath continues a person's life? Is it possible to connect the bathing traditions with the cultural development of individual civilizations?
A look into the future
David Idelman, a well-known Israeli political strategist, made a statement that became the subject of a fiery dispute between scientists from around the world. He stated that technological progress will divide humanity into two species. The highest species will be composed of wealthy cyborgs and the other poor biological humans. The hypothesis is controversial and controversial, but unfortunately, most scientists agree with it, even the approximate date of the new stage of evolution is called, approximately 2100.
During the life of one generation, not only diseases, but also methods of treatment changed dramatically, people began to actively use technology, incredible means of transmitting information were mastered, all this changed the quality of life of people.
In the homes of the richest people there are jacuzzis, showers with various devices, swimming pools, but any electronics, any digital technology does not change the true meaning of the bath ritual. The rite has remained unchanged for millennia.
The structure of the bath has not changed for centuries. At the moment, a steam room with brooms is appreciated above a shower stuffed with electronics.
Is it just tradition or are there other reasons?
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An incredible hypothesis
At the end of the twentieth century, Harvard University professor Samuuel Huntington and medical sciences professor Henry Schroeder almost simultaneously suggested that the secret of long life directly depends on our skin.
The skin is the largest human organ in terms of area. Scientists do not fully assess its significance, this opinion is expressed by endocrinologist Konstantin Sablin. A person breathes not only with the lungs, but also with the skin; during intense exercise, certain toxins are released through the skin.
The skin area of an adult is about 2 m2. Skin weight is equal to 15% of body weight. Human skin is 70% water and is much denser than other human organs.
Samuel Huntington and Henry Schroeder stated that the chemicals a person uses to wash their bodies are very harmful to the skin. It is these substances that cause rapid aging and various immune diseases.
Optimal cleansing of the human body is based on a simple principle, the skin must sweat, and the sweat must be washed off with plain water.
At the beginning of the last century, they tried to return to this topic at several scientific conferences, but the idea was not widely disseminated. Nobody dared to challenge the powerful manufacturers of various detergents.
Two European professors who did not know each other formulated the principles of long life: water, fire, steam, that is, the basis of any bath.
Do bathing traditions influence the development of the people?
Historians know that the nomads who destroyed Rome did not have a bathing tradition. The Huns, Vandals, West Goths, tried to wash as little as possible, fearing that they would wash off their luck with the mud, while the Romans could not leave public baths for days.
Strange as it may seem, but historians draw a connection between the development of civilization and the art of bathing. The people who begin to frequent the bathhouse begin to progress noticeably in the world cultural arena.
In the Kalahari Desert, a strange people live - Birgdam. This people are dying out, where they came from here, no one knows. In the villages of Birgdam, decline and degradation, there are no leaders, no laws, but the main feature of this tribe is that they never wash.
Paradoxically, it was during the Renaissance that many scientists in the West turned to the idea of frequent washing of the body. And what can be observed in the history of this period. There is a leap in cultural development, people's eyes turn to the heritage of the ancients, art is being revived, which did not leave the church's understanding of the Middle Ages. There is a formation of scientific empirical principles. Thanks to Bacon's works, science becomes independent and receives a complete methodological basis.
However, as soon as the scientific world absorbs the theory of miasms that penetrate the body through the pores of the skin, there is a sharp decline in scientific fertility in Europe and stagnation begins, which is expressed in the creation of manufactories, the progress of capitalism, the formation of private capital, it would seem that progress is not stopped, but this conclusion is wrong.
After all, since the period of the Late Renaissance, the religious wars in Europe and up to the beginning of the New Time, nothing outstanding has happened in science. The world seemed to stand still, not knowing which road to take. Slide into unwashed barbarism or move to a new level of development.
Only 100 years later, the Europeans changed their minds and began to regularly visit the bathrooms. I don’t want to manipulate the data, but the era of the late Renaissance lasted approximately that much in time.
A period began in history, which will then be called "New time". The technological process has stepped far forward, thanks to this historical period, our civilization has reached such heights of development.
Of course, the connection between taking a shower (bath) and the development of science can be considered contrived, but there is some historical pattern. After all, where society begins to monitor cleanliness, technological growth begins, which is very clearly seen from the history of the world.
Thus, we can conclude that the bath is not only the only way to cleanse the body, which does not cause harm to the body and will help to thoroughly cleanse the pores of accumulated debris, remove toxins, but also the bath is a kind of indicator of the development of society, which affects all historical processes …