Health Requires Hygiene. Discussing Personal Hygiene Advice in Nineteenth Century Slovenia Cover Image

Za zdravje je potrebna snažnost. Razpravljanje o nasvetih za telesno higieno v 19. stoletju na Slovenskem
Health Requires Hygiene. Discussing Personal Hygiene Advice in Nineteenth Century Slovenia

Author(s): Andrej Studen
Subject(s): Social history, Social development, Health and medicine and law, Family and social welfare, 19th Century
Published by: Inštitut za novejšo zgodovino
Keywords: Nineteenth century; health; personal hygiene; handbooks and advice on personal hygiene; Dr Stefan Kočevar;

Summary/Abstract: A popular booklet Slovenska mati (The Slovene Mother), published in 1882 by Dr Stefan Kočevar, a renowned physician and obstetrician, is one of the few Slovene works of this kind in the "hygienic" nineteenth century. In the booklet, the author advised young mothers on how to lead a healthy lifestyle and care for then newborn babies and toddlers up to three years of age. Kočevar's views on personal hygiene are of particular interest. As Dr Alojzij Valenta, another obstetrician, did before him in the book Porodoslovje za babice (Obstetrics for Midwives) (1860), Kočevar recommends genital washing. Ehe mention of genital washing is something peculiar to the above obstetricians, as seen when compared with the works by other contemporary writers on personal hygiene who recommend only the care of exposed body parts – speaking of the ban, teeth and nail care and the washing of exposed areas of the hands and face. In no case is mention made of the genital area. When warning about the need to keep the body always clean, they speak about exposed areas and clean clothes to cover the unexposed.

  • Issue Year: 45/2005
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 19-29
  • Page Count: 11
  • Language: Slovenian