How did ancient people brush their teeth and wipe their bottoms?

Our ancestors have long mastered many measures to protect their teeth. The Book of Rites recorded the first cock crow and salty mouthwash, which proved that our people knew to wash their faces and gargle in the morning 2000 years ago. Brushing teeth is a method of cleaning teeth developed on the basis of gargling.

Relevant scholars believe that China is the first country to use toothbrushes. Because the bone toothbrush handle was found in the tomb of Liao Dynasty, it is the earliest toothbrush in the world, which has been around for more than 1000 years. But the murals in Dunhuang Grottoes show that the ancients used the middle finger of their right hand as a toothbrush. In the Ming Dynasty, some people even advocated sharing food and eating with both hands. Chinese fir scabbard is hard to swing [6]. Do you have a blanket? British railway company

The paintings of the Mogao Grottoes, such as The Change of the Old Du Fork in the Tang Dynasty, depict that outsiders often bathe, shave and wipe their teeth when they finally convert to Buddhism. Brushing your teeth is brushing your teeth. The ancient method of brushing teeth is just like painting: first dip some medicine in the forefinger and middle finger of one hand, put it on the teeth, and then brush it with a toothbrush.

Indians are used to brushing their teeth with poplar branches, so poplar branches are also called wooden teeth. Moreover, in view of the important position of dental health in general health, Indians also give poplar branches as a sign of wishing you health. Later, this method was introduced to China, and our people gradually learned this way of brushing their teeth. The ancient medical book "The Secret of Outer Taiwan" said that biting one end with a poplar branch and wiping the teeth with medicine can make the teeth fragrant and smooth. In the past, dental wood was said to be one of the daily necessities of monks. At the beginning of the morning and after meals, monks must chew the tooth wood into thin strips to remove the debris between the teeth. It has the functions of toothbrush and toothpick. After washing your teeth, you can go to chant Buddhist scriptures and worship Buddha. There are even ten advantages of chewing poplar branches in the Buddhist sutra Huayan Jing. They are: 1. 2. Eliminate phlegm disease; 3. detoxification; 4. remove tartar; 5. Make your mouth fragrant; 6. Function name; 7. moisten the throat; 8. The lips are not wrinkled; 9. Obtaining acoustic gas; 10. It tastes bad.

Of course, although poplar branches are often used for cleaning teeth, they are not limited to poplar branches. People can find suitable tooth cleaning materials according to local conditions. Sophora branches, peach branches and kudzu vine all have the same bitter, astringent, spicy and pungent taste as poplar branches, so they can also become tooth trees.

In the era without toothpaste, people can not only find materials to clean their teeth, but also clean their teeth by chewing, which seems to be more convenient and practical than brushing their teeth. So, what is the effect of chewing tender branches to clean teeth? Both ancient and modern times think that it has a good effect. Li Shizhen also said that it is wonderful to clean teeth with tender willow branches. Qin and Han Dynasties: During the Qin and Han Dynasties, although there were no books devoted to oral diseases, it can still be seen from the description of relevant documents and unearthed cultural relics that the level of medical technology has made obvious progress and improvement.

There are higher requirements for oral teeth cleaning, bodybuilding, diseases and health care. For example: The Book of Songs? Feng Wei? In Shuo Ren, a beautiful woman's teeth are like rhinoceros, which means her teeth should be as neat and white as a gourd. On the contrary, teeth with irregular teeth are called quarrels, teeth with irregular occlusion are called filth, and teeth with irregular arrangement are called caries, all of which are regarded as pathological. In order to maintain oral hygiene and prevent dental diseases, rulers not only emphasize gargling after meals, but also have the habit of removing food residues between teeth. 1976, Gao Rong's tomb was excavated in Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province during the Wu Dong period of the Three Kingdoms in the late Han Dynasty. Among them, there is a golden dragon-shaped object, with ear scoops and poplar branches at both ends. Poplar branches are the tails of dragons, with round and sharp ends. Researchers believe that this is an oral cleaning tool used by the tomb owner to remove food residues between his teeth before his death, and this poplar branch is the prototype of today's toothpick (Dacheng Zhou: the branch of Populus davidiana found in the tomb of Gao Rong, Wu Dong, Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, Journal of the Japanese Society of Stomatology 8 (2): 23-24, 198 1).

Understanding and Treatment of Oral Dentistry Chunyuyi, a famous doctor in the Western Han Dynasty, recorded the effective moxibustion method for treating dental caries and the method of gargling with Sophora Flavescentis Decoction in his medical records, and pointed out that the disease was mostly caused by wind, lying down and not gargling after eating. It can be seen that the relationship between oral uncleanness and dental caries was known at that time.

Regarding the technique of using arsenic to inactivate dental pulp, Zhang Zhongjing of the Eastern Han Dynasty has first used the method of using arsenic to inactivate dental pulp. In synopsis of the golden chamber, there is a prescription for children's scabies to eat teeth. Its prescription is realgar, tingling and right taste. Finally, the fat of the cured pig is taken, the head is wrapped with locust branches, and then some medicine is used to burn it. The chemical composition of realgar is arsenic disulfide. Compendium of Materia Medica in the Ming Dynasty also recorded the medical technology of adjusting arsenic with vinegar, wrapping dried millet in cotton and taking it out the next day. Arsenic is natural arsenic. The dosage and inactivation time included in this method are scientific and require to be taken out later. American Spooner began to inactivate dental pulp with arsenic in 1836, and this technology is still widely used in clinic.

Three Kingdoms, Jin Dynasty, Southern and Northern Dynasties:

In oral health care, toothpicks were first recorded in the Western Jin Dynasty. Kim? I wrote a letter to my younger brother Lu. One day, he made Tsao Gong's vessel with toothpicks, and now he sent another one to his younger brother (a brief history of stomatology development in China. Journal of Japanese Society of Stomatology History, 8 (3): 1-9, 198 1). Although its manufacturing method is unknown, it can be seen that toothpicks are rare in fashion.

Ge Hong's "Bao Pu Zi" mentioned the method of tapping and fixing teeth, that is, the upper and lower dentition tapped each other gently. This method is still in practice and has been proved to be effective. The mechanism may be that the gum is moderately stimulated by tapping teeth to promote periodontal blood circulation, which can prevent periodontal disease and achieve the purpose of strengthening teeth.

In addition, this issue also introduces the dental iatrogenic diseases, "Jin? Wen Qiao Chuan: Wen Jiao is the first to get rid of dental diseases. He died at the end of the town because of a stroke. From this example, we can know that people in the Jin Dynasty used tooth extraction to treat dental diseases. But when it comes to the cause of death, it can only be said that it is related to tooth extraction, but it cannot be ruled out that people died of a stroke alone, so it is difficult to establish a medical accident simply because of tooth extraction.

Sui, Tang and Five Dynasties:

Brushing your teeth to keep your mouth clean has gradually become popular at that time. There are two main methods: wiping teeth with poplar branches and wiping teeth with fingers. According to the "Tips for Taiwan", every time Yang Liuzhi bit his head and wiped his teeth with medicine, it was fragrant and slippery. Finger rubbing can be found in the Dunhuang fresco "Icon of Old Du Cha Dou" in the late Tang Dynasty. As for tooth powder, it is either salt or powder. There are many prescriptions for wiping teeth in Qian Jin Fang Yao and Waitai Yao Mi Fang, and most of the powders used have the functions of aromatic expelling wind, detoxicating and relieving pain, expelling pus and reducing swelling.

In addition, the medical books of Sui and Tang dynasties also discussed the taboo of taking medicine in oral and dental health care. For example, Meng Xi's Dietotherapy Materia Medica points out that eating too much in the sand pond will damage teeth.

Song Dynasty: Su Dongpo, a famous scholar in Song Dynasty, put forward the role of tea in preventing dental caries. Modern medical experiments have confirmed that tea contains more fluorine, so it has the functions of caries prevention, mouthguard, sterilization and anti-inflammation. In addition, Taiping Shenghui Fang pointed out that toothbrush manufacturers will do so sooner or later. There is also a method of applying teeth in Taiping Shenghui Prescription: boiling willow branches, Sophora branches and mulberry branches with water, adding ginger juice, asarum and so on. And I wipe my teeth every time. This is the embryonic form of today's medicinal toothpaste. There was a hair transplant toothbrush in the Song Dynasty. Song? Zhou Shouzhong's "Book of Health Care": This is a ponytail to cover your teeth. In Europe, the toothbrush with hair transplant described about 500 years later is the same as that recorded in Zhou Shouzhong.

PS: After the Song Dynasty, according to the data, the oral cleaning methods in China have not been developed, but the old methods have been used. However, the medical treatment of various oral diseases has developed to a certain extent.

Attached to the record of "gargling":

"Rinsing" means washing. It has been recorded in ancient books, such as The Book of Rites? Neizhi: "When the chicken crows at first, it is salty to wash your hands." It shows that the habit of "washing hands" in the morning has been formed in ancient times. The word "wash" here may also include gargling. For the direct record of "gargling", see "On Stages of Evil" written by Chao in Sui Dynasty: "Too much gargling after eating makes people sick and rotten." Here refers to gargling after meals, and some people advocate gargling at night, thinking that gargling at night has a greater effect on protecting teeth. In the Song Dynasty, Zhang Liu had a "medical theory"; "People tend to support their teeth backwards. If you rinse your mouth earlier, you will get rid of the accumulation between your teeth and your teeth will be strong. " Later, more people advocated gargling twice every morning and evening; Maintain oral hygiene.

Before the invention of brushing tools, gargling was widely used in ancient times, with salt water, strong tea and wine as mouthwash. In the Tang Dynasty, Sun Simiao wrote "Prepare thousands of gold prescriptions urgently": "Twist the salt in the inner mouth of each denier, and tightly hold the mouth with warm water." Life-prolonging Book records that strong tea is useful for gargling. "At the end of the diet, the drum gargles with strong tea, which makes you tired and the spleen and stomach are self-harmonious. The meat is between your teeth and you have to wash it with tea. You can pick it without being picky. " Teeth are hard to hide, so they are getting stronger and stronger. Teeth are stupid and self-defeating. "According to modern pharmacological analysis, tea contains not only vitamins, but also tannins and a small amount of fluorine compounds. Tannin has antibacterial and bactericidal effects. Fluoride does have the effect of preventing dental caries. It shows that it is scientific to advocate gargling with strong tea to prevent dental caries in ancient times. As for gargling with wine, the doctor said, "Liu is over seventy years old and has never been weak." Every time he drinks, he gargles, and even when he is drunk, he never forgets, saying that it can get rid of dental diseases. "These are the rich experiences people have accumulated in their life practice. Later, on the basis of gargling, people in China developed the method of brushing teeth.

According to Zuo Zhuan, at noon in 58 1 BC, Duke Jinu of Jin Jing felt bloated after eating new wheat, so he went to the toilet to defecate and accidentally fell into the cesspit and died. Jinu is probably the first monarch who died in the toilet in written records in history, revealing the simplicity of the court toilet in the pre-Qin period. This painful price has made future generations more cautious about shit.

Liu Bang, the Emperor Gaozu of Han Dynasty, ranked first in the history of hooliganism in China, and what he did really deserved his position. He is anxious in front of ministers. In order to save the meeting time and not fall into the toilet, he asked a civilian to hand him his hat. He turned around and turned his hat upside down. After a while, half a hat was steaming in front of everyone.

Liu Che, the descendant of the rogue emperor, was even more ingenious, even meeting with senior officials when he was defecating. Is this Hanshu? The Biography of Ji An revealed that the general (Wei) was a young assistant, and looked at him from the toilet. Historians have not recorded Wei Qing's emotions, but what is certain is that Wei Qing was a first-class minister in the eyes of Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty. Perhaps it is for this reason that he got an interview when the emperor defecated.

Shi Shuo Xin Yu reveals the unusual features of the royal toilet. Wang Dun, a general in the Western Jin Dynasty, was recruited by Emperor Wu of Jin Dynasty as Princess Xu of Wuyang. On his wedding night, he used the princess's toilet for the first time. The first time I saw it, it felt magnificent, much better than the folk houses. When I went in, I found it smelled bad, and my heart was a little calmer. After a while, I saw a paint box full of dried dates in the toilet. I just thought it was pit food, so I ate it all. Afterwards, the maid-in-waiting immediately brought a plate of water and a glass bowl full of bath beans. Wang Dun poured these bath beans into the water and gulped them down, causing a group of maids to cover their mouths and laugh. It turns out that dried dates are used to plug the nose to prevent odor when climbing the pit, while bath beans are equivalent to modern soap.

Perhaps inspired by Emperor Gaozu wearing a minister's hat to pee, later emperors mostly used urinals to solve problems instead of going to the toilet in person. "Miscellanies of Xijing" said that the Han Dynasty court made a tiger out of jade, which was held by the emperor's attendants in case it was convenient for the emperor at any time. This kind of nothing is a special sanitary ware called toilet and urinal by later generations. It is known that the emperor doesn't have to deal with the toilet at the latest. Later, nothing changed its name to toilet, which is said to be related to the emperor. According to legend, in the Western Han Dynasty, Li Guang, a flying general, shot and killed a crouching tiger, which made people cast a copper drowning device in the shape of a tiger and urinated in it to show their contempt for the tiger. This is the origin of the tiger name. However, when the emperor of the Tang Dynasty sat in Long Ting, because one of their ancestors was named Li Hu, he changed this disrespectful name to beast or girl, and later it was commonly known as toilet and urinal.

Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin pacified Sichuan and transported all the objects in Houshu Palace back to Bianjing. It was found that one of them was a basin inlaid with agate and jade, which was almost used to hold wine. Later, she was called Lady Huarui, the favorite princess of Shu Lord Meng Changjun. Mrs. Hua Rui saw that this thing was offered several times by the Emperor of Song Dynasty, and quickly said, This is the urinal of my late king! Surprised by Zhao Kuangyin's strange call: Why is there no reason not to die with this urinal? Immediately smashed the basin.

It is difficult to distinguish urinals from wine containers, which is probably a joke caused by different aesthetic tastes of the ancients. The toilet developed to the Qing Dynasty, and it has already shown its acme.