Bad Breath In History

Foul and obnoxious breath is not a modern complaint. Mankind has been saddled with it for centuries.

For instance, you’ll find the problem cited at length in the ancient Jewish Talmud. Greek and Roman writers also addressed bad breath. For example, Pliny the Elder (23-79 A.D) wrote that bad teeth, old age, and some foods could cause bad breath -- all of which are known causes for halitosis even today.

Long ago kings once decreed that bad breath was a valid reason for a woman to leave her husband. Now, of course, anything goes.

Centuries ago in England, the most famous playwright of all time, William Shakespeare, was acutely aware of bad breath when he penned, “Foul breath is noisome” in “Much Ado About Nothing.”

And, in “Midsummer-Night’s Dream,” one of his characters urges the others in the play to “eat no onions nor garlic, for we are to utter sweet breath….”

You can find a lot more examples of halitosis in history, including the best cure for halitosis, by checking out the link in this sentence. Meanwhile, you're invited to post any comments or questions that come to mind.