More Frank Muir on bathrooms

Frank Muir on Francis Bacon's prescription for a bath (which follows): "His instructions on how to take a bath read more like a course in Do-It-Yourself enbalming." (p. 35)
The quote:

"First, before bathing, rub and anoint the Body with Oyle, and Salves, that the Bath's moistening heate and virtue may penetrate into the Body, and not the liquor's watery part: then sit 2 houres in the Bath; after Bathing wrap the Body in a seare-cloth made of Masticke, Myrrh, Pomander and Saffron, for staying the perspiration or breathing of the pores, until the softening of the Body, having layne thus in seare-cloth 24 hours, bee growne solid and hard. Lastly, with an oynment of Oyle, Salt and Saffron, the seare-cloth being taken off, anoint the Body."
-- Francis Bacon (1561-1626), Sylva Sylvarum

A dental care source quoted by Frank Muir

From Sir John Harrington's 1609 English edition of the Regimen Sanitatis Salernitanum:

If in your teeth you hap to be tormented,
This means some little worms therein do breed:
Which pain (if heed be taken) may be prevented,
By keeping clean your teeth when as you feed.
Burn Frankincense (a gum not evil scented)
Put Henbane into this, and Onion seed,
And in a Tunnel to the Tooth that's hollow,
Convey the smoke thereof, and ease shall follow.

Ease will definitely follow-- henbane's a narcotic! Too often taking this prescription for tooth pain would lead to endless ease in death.

On the other hand, it's quite clear that the author warns that cleaning one's teeth is necessary to prevent tooth [decay] and resulting pain.

Another quote from Muir

This time, from William Vaughan (1557-1641), Naturall and Artificial Directions for Health (original publication 1600):

Is bathing of the head wholesome?
You shall find it wonderful expedient if you bathe your head four times in the year, and that with hot lye made of ashes. After which you must cause one presently to pour two or three gallons of cold fountain water upon your head. Then let your head be dried with cold towels. Which sudden pouring down of cold water, although it doth mightily terrify you, yet nevertheless it is very good, for thereby the natural heat is stirred within the body, baldness is kept back, and the memory is quickened.

That extreme and cold rinse would definitely be necessary after washing the head with lye, though it would probably kill off any lice, nits, etc. that might be lurking there and probably bleach the hair as well.

Muir also quotes The Widdows Treasure, 1595:

The head anointed with the juice of leeks preserveth the hair from falling. A mouse roasted and given to children to eat remedieth pissing the bed.