That is a non-argument. Unless Jefferson (and Franklin) were OCD, I doubt they would be bothered by cleanliness when looking to hook up. How many cultured, powdered and wigged men consorted with pretty unkempt/unclean women of the night everywhere in the "civilized" world?
--
Melinda C. P. Skinner
Richmond, VA
-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: [log in to unmask]
> Exactly, and to suppose that an educated, cultured and abnormally hygienic
> man of Jefferson's stature hung out in the slave quarters to satisfy some
> middle-aged sexual urge is ridiculous on its face, at least to another educated,
> cultured, middle-aged hygienic man.
>
> J.D. Southmayd
> _www.southmayd.net_ (http://www.southmayd.net) is my web site.
>
>
>
> In a message dated 5/15/2008 3:39:03 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
> [log in to unmask] writes:
>
> Jeffrey --
>
> I am well aware of the appalling hygiene and diseases of slaves in
> the 18th century, but that is hardly the limit. As I have written
> elsewhere I think one of the things that brought Franklin and
> Jefferson together was their personal cleanliness, which was notable
> in an age when even the wealthy stank. Going to a gathering even of
> the mighty must have been like sticking one's head in the laundry of
> a basketball team after the game. Franklin who, to me, is the most
> interesting of all the Founders was, at one point reputed to be the
> only man in Philadelphia who bathed daily, and certainly one of the
> very few who actually had a purpose built bathtub. Slaves, being at
> the bottom of the social hierarchy naturally got the least, and
> suffered the most. But disease and death were commonplace whatever
> one's rank. Just look at the number of 18th century planters who had
> multiple wives, because so many women died in childbirth. The common
> state of hygiene in the colonies was far worse, and the medical
> options less, than would have been found in a comparable setting in
> the Roman empire.
>
> -- Stephan
>
>
> On 15 May 2008, at 13:41, [log in to unmask] wrote:
>
> > Stephan;
> >
> > I am not sure that you found offensive about my post. Perhaps you
> > should
> > read the following on slave hygiene to get a better feel for my
> > point vis-a-vis
> > Mr. Jefferson and Ms. Hemmings:
> >
> >
> > The Health of Slaves on Southern Plantations (Louisiana State
> > University
> > studies) by William Dosite Postell; and
> >
> >
> > (http://www.amazon.com/This-Species-Property-Culture-Galaxy/dp/
> > 0195022459/ref=sr_1_31?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210873126&sr=8-31) This
> > Species of Property:
> > Slave Life and Culture in the Old South (Galaxy Books) by Leslie
> > Howard Owens;
> > and
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Medicine and Slavery: The Diseases and Health Care of Blacks in
> > Antebellum
> > Virginia (Blacks in the New World) by Todd L. Savitt.
> >
> >
> > J.D. Southmayd
> > a/k/a J South
> >
> >
> >
> >
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