Part 5/12:
The intersection of religion and hygiene cannot be overlooked. Doctors in the colonial era held divided views on cleanliness; some supported the necessity of bodily oils for health, while others advocated for cleanliness as a means to prevent illness. Influenced by the Puritan ethos, many believed that a lack of cleanliness was synonymous with moral depravity. Public baths, in particular, were equated with moral decay and disease, reflecting the tightly interwoven relationship between purity and virtue.