A Look Into The Unpleasant Hygiene Habits From America’s Old West

Just a century ago, such cleanliness would have been considered strange. They had shocking habits back then that would make us shudder now, but then again, it was a different time. To instill a sense of thankfulness for the present, let’s take a moment to look back in horror at these hygiene “highlights” from America’s wild, wild west.

Most people had to make do with sheds, which were essentially shelters built over trenches in the ground. The problem with the outdoor bathrooms during that time was that they were open to dangerous critters like spiders and snakes. Black widow spiders are always ready to pounce if you come in contact with them.

This action led to the proliferation of diseases that could endanger people’s lives. If you do not wash your dishes, germs proliferate, and people are more likely to contract life-threatening diseases. So, this water shortage was probably responsible for many lost lives.

If you’re wondering where cowboys brushed their teeth or washed their mouths, there was a facility dedicated to doing just that. Just don’t expect too much from this facility. You would have to use a communal toothbrush, which is not very hygienic even if you’re only sharing it with one person. Can you imagine sharing a toothbrush with countless filthy cowboys? Gross.

The result of enjoying your favorite foamy ale is that you’ll have a foam mustache. But don’t worry, pubs back then took the initiative of putting a towel out for you to wipe your face. However, it was a shared towel, so these men were at risk of getting a disease from other strangers.

Their practices weren’t up to par with those of modern medical experts. As a result, diseases were not managed effectively. This meant your chances of getting a cure were minimal. Though they did their best, the medical “professionals” of the pioneer days regularly lost patients due to their lack of knowledge, particularly about hygiene. 

Mattresses were a luxury in certain circumstances throughout the Wild West since they were expensive. They were filled with straw and hay most of the time, making it easier for the insects to nest. It became a haven for these insects to breed. Simply trying to get some sleep could result in bites and skin rashes, giving many pioneers a bad case of bed head.

It was a major issue in their lives. Imagine an insect landing on the meal you’re eating without you realizing it originated from the sewers. What do you believe will happen? Of course, infections that are fatal to humans may enter your system. This was what frontier folk dealt with on a daily basis.

The problem is that it causes dental issues. It’s also never a good idea to consume anything with a high mercury content. It can result in severe brain problems, heart palpitations, convulsions, paralysis, and in some cases, people would pass away from it.

One of the most challenging issues they faced was obtaining clean water. This commodity was far from guaranteed for the early American immigrants. The risk of diseases from water contaminated with bacteria and parasites was high. 

Taking a bath used to be a luxury most people at the time would overlook. When we compare it to today, we have come so far because we have realized that cleanliness is something that you must have to preserve your physical and emotional health and well-being.

If they decided to take a bath, they had to purchase an expensive soap made of animal fat. Given how much it costs, you’d think it would be beneficial to their skin. We’re sorry to disappoint you, but no. When people used it, their skin became irritated. No wonder they didn’t like bathing! 

Since they believed in such things, they felt that body odor was a good sign, and everyone should have it. Thankfully, we’ve grown out of that mindset and realized how vital it is to keep our bodies clean and healthy.

Many people have had this habit in the past, and as a result, diseases spread like wildfire. We can only imagine how awful it was to live in those times, especially given the scarcity of medical specialists. You would never know what was in store for you when you left your house.

Travelers stopped at taverns for a break, unaware that they were sleeping in spit and chewed up tobacco. Imagine resting soundly in a bed full of spit and germs. That would be a nightmare for a citizen of the 21st century.

They put themselves at risk every time they did this since the water from the stream might be tainted with harmful pollutants. The chilly temperature throughout the winter added to the discomfort. If people did try to bathe, they could end up with frostbite.

Thank goodness for modern-day shampoos that don’t require the use of alcohol. Whiskey as a shampoo could successfully clean your scalp, but it certainly wouldn’t leave you feeling fresh. The smell of it would be too overwhelming.

People back then weren’t worried about smelling like a horse. They didn’t see it as unhygienic. We hope you take good care of your pets, and of course, take good care of yourself, especially your hygiene.

People in the Old West, on the other hand, did not have the luxuries we enjoy now. Instead, they had to make do with a bed that many other people had used and abused. They slept with fleas and lice, but at least that meant they never had to be alone!

With water scarce and soap overpriced, men didn’t have the necessities to keep their beards clean. Bacteria could live there, resulting in severe diseases. Since access to medical professionals was also limited in the Old West, this was one of the most common reasons to discourage men from growing a beard.

When you don’t take care of yourself, your health falters. People may not seek treatment for this fungal infection, leading to more complications and possibly losing one’s life. Individuals who have had an organ transplant also run a high risk of contracting this disease.

Because of this belief, many people during that time ended up drinking sulfur, which is horrible for the human body. They believed that it could cure them, but the truth is that most of them passed away in agony when they tried it out.

Some of the practices resulted in dislocated jaws because people had little to no knowledge of proper treatments. According to a quote from Professor Joana Bourke, written in True West magazine, “Agonizing toothache, horrifying extractions, and barbaric tools have cast a large shadow over our dental past.”

Imagine being sick during that time – you didn’t know what was causing your sickness, but you couldn’t trust just anyone to help you. People would end up resorting to ludicrous treatments. Some of these worked in certain situations, but many caused more harm than good.

Ipecac syrup was a popular purgative. It is made by boiling the roots of the ipecac plant and some other ingredients, such as wheat or rye, then filtering it through a sieve to extract the liquid. It was widely prescribed as a purgative for various conditions, from heart disease to stomach aches and diarrhea.

They also used a bucket of cold water to induce shivering. If the tremors became unbearable, opium was given. This is a narcotic and is a derivative of the poppy plant. Its active component helped relieve pain.

A piece of equipment called a pulsometer was used to read things from a patient’s body. Honestly, we don’t know how it worked or if it worked at all, but we’d love to know how people were able to get their hands on this in the past.

People in the Wild West used coarse soap whenever they washed their hair. This product was unsuited for their hair. As a result, many people, especially women, washed their hair as rarely as they could.

Don’t worry. If the patient accidentally ingested one of the leeches, the treatment was to drink a glass of wine every 15 minutes, hoping that the alcohol would eliminate the parasites. This treatment is not horrible, but still, this type of practice would not help anyone at all.

The US Army was interested in the mouths of the men from the Old West. According to the book Frontier Medicine, “Recruits were turned away if they did not have six opposing upper and lower front teeth with which to bite off the end of the powder cartridges used with muzzle-loaded weapons.

We can’t imagine how horrible it must have been for them to take the lives of innocent pups for no good reason. We want to believe that things like this were done out of innocent ignorance, but the reality remains that this was terrible and that doing so is wrong regardless of reasonings.

Dr. John Richmond was likely the first medical specialist in the western frontier areas to conduct a successful C-section, according to a 1963 American Heritage article. Even today, with modern medical technology and well-trained doctors, the risk of giving birth still exists.

Scurvy is a disease that affected mariners from the Old West. It is brought on by a lack of Vitamin C. The deficiency, in turn, reduces collagen and leads to the formation of lesions in the gums and around the mouth.

Imagine having someone who isn’t qualified to provide medical treatment handling your care. That would be chaos, right? The worst part is, due to the ignorance of the time, you wouldn’t even have known whether you were being given a relevant treatment. Thank goodness, such things are no longer an issue; we can all go to the hospital and be assured that a trained doctor will assist us.

The people from the Old West had to use anything from corncobs to grass. We are just so lucky to have access to the products we have now. Can you imagine having to use grass? Let’s all take a moment to add toilet paper to the many blessings we have to be thankful for each day!

You could always tell who’d had recent surgery in the Old West – all you had to do was follow the screams. Surgeons during that era didn’t clean up after themselves and didn’t use gloves, so they would inadvertently create plenty of opportunities for bacteria and other pathogens to infect wounds. How disturbing! 

However, some people used the same water to wash their hands over and over again in the Old West because water was scarce. This made it practically pointless to wash their hands because they would only end up contaminating the communal bowl. Bacterias would simply spread from one person to another.

Centuries ago, doctors used whiskey to sterilize their tools. It has antibacterial properties that could eradicate the bacteria on the instruments, and it is also not very expensive, making it more affordable for clinicians in the Old West. There’s no telling on how many weird things frontier physicians did during this time.

It’s sad to know that people had to suffer from these diseases because of their lack of knowledge about taking care of themselves. We’re lucky to be educated on what to do and what not to do to avoid these things. Of course, some people still have to learn this lesson the hard way.

Not only should you avoid sharing utensils, but you should also ensure that your utensils are carefully cleaned before use. It’s even worth doing this when you dine out at a restaurant. People from the Old West neglected the risks and enjoyed sharing meals, cups, spoons, and forks with anybody – a habit that is not advisable.

Dickens even said that the people of Cairo were “more wan and wretched than any we had encountered.” We can see where he’s coming from after learning about all the bad hygiene practices that were prevalent at the time. We hope that you will take note of this and take the most outstanding care of your hygiene from this day forth!