When we hear the word ancient civilization, we often imagine their great empires, architectural marvels, and scientific breakthroughs. But some of their practices, especially in terms of hygiene, are rather bizarre by today's standards. One such odd practice of Ancient Rome was the use of powdered mouse brains as toothpaste. Yes, you read that correctly, mouse brains. It seems strange to us today, but this bizarre practice provides a glimpse into ancient Roman hygiene and health practices. Let's look at this bizarre historical fact and the reasoning behind it.
Ancient Rome didn't have hygiene like that today. They did not use toothpaste, a toothbrush, or even good soap as people do now. To keep themselves clean, they relied on a number of odd practices. The Romans were incredibly innovative, and their hygienic practices are an example of both how well they understood the human body and how willing they were to try out a wide variety of substances.
Possibly the most iconic feature of Roman hygiene is the Roman baths. These public baths were not only places to cleanse the body but also served as social hubs where people gathered to relax, discuss politics, and exchange gossip. Personal hygiene did not end with a trip to the baths. The Romans took special care in maintaining oral hygiene, although their methods would likely raise eyebrows today.
In the Roman era, dental care was significant. Even though the concept of toothpaste did not exist at that time, the Romans had ways of cleaning their teeth and maintaining fresh breath. Many of their practices were based on a combination of trial and error, natural resources available, and what they believed in about health and beauty.
The practice of using powdered mouse brains as toothpaste has been traced back to the writings of the Roman author and philosopher Pliny the Elder. In his work Natural History, Pliny documented a number of strange and often bizarre practices that were common among the Romans, including the use of animal parts for medicinal purposes. It is here that we find the earliest reference to powdered mouse brains as a dental cleaning agent.
Pliny was not alone in recommending the use of odd ingredients for cosmetic purposes. The ancient Romans thought that animal by-products, including mouse brains, held certain mystical properties that would contribute to their health and beauty. In this case, they believed that powdered mouse brains mixed with other substances acted as an abrasive paste that cleaned the teeth and freshened breath. The tiny, powder-like particles helped to scour away food particles and plaque, much like the toothpaste of today.
And why mouse brains, to boot? It's probably that the Romans, who had armor of elements at their fingertips, chose mouse brains for their supposed medicinal properties within the tiny brain matter itself. In Roman times, various animal parts were used to cure many ailments, whether the people knew the specific chemical compounds in these parts or not. This belief in the healing properties of animal products was very wide-ranging from the use of snake venom in medicines to consumption of crushed beetles as a beauty treatment.
At best, Roman toothpaste formulations were quite complex despite the one's use of powdered mouse brains. Sometimes they included mixes of various natural products that were used to make up the compound. Several Roman toothpaste recipes asked for crushed bones, oyster shells, and charcoal as ingredients. These products helped by being abrasives; by abrasive action, plaque, among other debris, was able to be washed from the teeth.
Another ingredient that was commonly used in Roman oral care was myrrh, a resin that comes from trees found in Africa and Asia. Myrrh is known for its antiseptic properties and was used widely in the Roman world, not only for oral hygiene but also for perfumes and incense. The Romans also used baking soda-like substances, which were often derived from minerals, to help neutralize odors and clean teeth.
Though the actual formula of the mix varied from each, dried mouse brain was only one of several more esoteric ingredients employed in one of some concoctions formulated to keep one's dental health on the up and up. In a few instances, Roman dentifrices came pre-scented, with herbs or spices like peppermint added in that helped to freshen the breath while making the whole experience of the products go down a little easier.
The list of some of the peculiar, as well as funny hygiene practices among the Romans does include a toothpaste composed of mouse brains. As described before, Romans employed large materials from animal life in both beautifying oneself and treatment. A particularly interesting Roman tradition consisted of utilizing urine as a cleaning product. Urine with its contained ammonia, according to people's minds was believed to have significant properties, useful for whiting garments, removing dirt off one's body, and even whitening the enamel of one's teeth.
While not focusing purely on cleaning their teeth, Roman dental care also embraced cosmetic procedures. Any sum of money would buy some affluent Romans a perfect smile. Examples can be found in gold crowns or even full substitutions for lost teeth with ivory or bone. In reality, the practice of dentistry as a science was quite evolved in the Roman Empire and included expertise among Romans in the repair of broken-down teeth, or the manufacturing of simple implants.
One of the most peculiar aspects of Roman hygiene practices was that they used sponges to clean the body. Instead of toilet paper, the Romans used sponges attached to sticks. These sponges were carried in public toilets and used to clean oneself. After one used them, they were rinsed in a basin of water, often with vinegar, before being reused by others. This practice, although unhygienic by today's standards, was quite common in the ancient world.
Roman hygiene practices were not entirely based on the need to clean. They were closely related to aesthetic, health, and social factors. The rich Romans had the use of a wide range of beauty luxuries and treatments, all of which helped them to sustain their looks. Personal grooming became an important aspect of holding one's status in Roman society, many people went through quite a lot to ensure they retained their youthful features.
The Roman obsession with beauty went beyond the use of exotic ingredients in skincare and dental care. Women, for instance, would use lead-based cosmetics to bleach their skin, although lead is highly toxic. Roman physicians and philosophers, including the renowned Galen, wrote much about maintaining physical appearance as a correlate of health and well-being.
Over time, the powdered form of mouse brains for oral maintenance fell out of favor. Throughout the Middle Ages, even more palatable ingredients were found-herbs, honey, and eventually salt for dental care use. Modern science was fully developed in the 19th century, with commercial toothpaste being introduced; thus, practices of using animal parts for cleaning one's teeth were no longer appropriate.
But the practice was so unusual that just its existence within the Roman Empire reminds one how that empire thrived on experiments with all those strange natural and animal-based products. After all, what appears normal in terms of hygiene and health is a culturally conditioned interpretation shaped by whatever resources, cultural beliefs, and a little amount of trial and error happens to be there.
Using powdered mouse brains as toothpaste is just one of the many quirky, bizarre historical practices that indicate the extent to which these ancient civilizations went to keep themselves clean and healthy. Undoubtedly, this practice now strikes us as odd, but it forms part of a more general tradition of trying out lots of different substances in the pursuit of effective cleanliness and health remedies. From using animal products to relying on innovative materials, the ancient Romans were surprisingly resourceful when it came to dental care.
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