Samsara, your comment about the french made me remember something my history teacher once told me. She was like when the Europeans came over to America and saw the Indians they were pretty surprised becase the Indians would bathe by the shore every now and then, but the Europeans hardly ever did. They smelled so bad that they would keep a hankerchief or scarf with them and spray perfume on it, whenever they got close to someone else they would wave it a WHOLE lot so that the other person could only smell the perfume. The women would fan themselves so that they dont have to smell the dirty BO of others. She also suggested that couples would almost swoon at each others BO. lol. Made me totally gag, she completely spoilt the medieval times romantic novels for me! But later I discovered that the wealthy, i.e dukes, marquess etc, did bathe but water was a scarce commodity for others!