Hygiene

One of the main sections of the interactive room at the Magna Carta Exhibit is about Hygiene. It is often one of the most popular parts of the entire exhibit because people were not aware of the practices exercised in the 13th century. The medieval plumbing system consisted mainly of rivers and moats. In fact, lined along the river Thames in London, there were the public restrooms, which would empty there reservoirs of filth into the river when the tide rose. The toilets in castles would simply let the excrement slide down the wall into the moat. Urine, however, was collected feverishly, since urine is high in ammonia, a very practical chemical. It could be used to clean hides, cure diseases, and often wash mouths.
The bathing rituals would often involve stick toothbrushes and rancid smelling soap made from animal trimmings. Nobility would partake in the exact same practices, but their soap would sometimes be infused with lavender or other fragrances. Essentially all those who lived in England were covered in animal fat, but the nobility would be slathered in both animal fat and herbs.