Liz's breath?!

[j.r-ahde]

Hello you all!

I just wonder; cachous is said to have been used by smokers to sweeten their breath...

But since Liz didn't obviously smoke, she had used cachous to sweeten her breath for some other reason!

For what reason, you think?! For bad breath, of course, but do you find some more serious health problems in the backround?!

All the best
Jukka

[Mike Covell]

Wouldn't a more serious condition come up at the autopsy?

I dated a girl once who had broncitis and always had bad breath because of this condition. (Or so she claimed!)

[c.d.]

Wouldn't a more serious condition come up at the autopsy?

I dated a girl once who had broncitis and always had bad breath because of this condition. (Or so she claimed!)

Hi Mike,

I have to assume that she had other redeeming qualities.

c.d.

[j.r-ahde]

Hello Mike!

If one wants to speculate with the autopsy, here are some quotes:

"...Decomposition had commenced in the skin. Dark brown spots were on the anterior surface of the left chin. ..."

"...The heart was small, the left ventricle firmly contracted, and the right slightly so. ..."

All the best
Jukka

[Mike Covell]

Just need to find a disease with the right symptoms, that were attributed to Stride. Any idea's anyone?

[Mike Covell]

Hi Mike,

I have to assume that she had other redeeming qualities.

c.d.

She was good for a "10 minute knee trembler" I ended it as she became a little bit crazy!! I learnt after that to never date a woman, who listened to you on radio!!

[Supe]

Jukka,

Bearing in mind, yet again, the levels of hygiene (oral and otherwise) in that part of London in the LVP I'm surprised Liz cared enough to resort to breath sweeteners. Moreover, considering the much heightened awareness of oral hygiene today and the number of people encountered daily with breath like a "popcorn eating dog" if that were symptiomatic of seriously ill health than I would think the mortality rate would be much higher.

Besides, what difference does it make? There's a lot of speculative revisionism in the air these days about Liz, but as far as I know she still died from a throat cut and not an aneurysm, the Black Formosa Corruption or the "dreaded Mogo on the Gagogo."

Don.

[Sam Flynn]

with breath like a "popcorn eating dog".

What an utterly fabulous simile, Don!

Here we've got "A mouth like the bottom of a parrot's cage", but I think your dog just trumps that.

[perrymason]

There is an article on Liz by Daniel Olsson, in the Best of Ripperologist Magazine edited by Paul Begg. In it he discusses Liz's health issues over the years,...based on what he says I think they would likely be better served with antibiotics and improved hygiene rather than cashous.

To answer Jukkas question though, I do believe they were used to both freshen the taste of ones mouth, and as a by product, to improve the breath, by doing something akin to perfuming. For the same reason, to mask smells. Not too many people brushed their teeth at all back then.

My grandmother was born in 1904 in Clapham Common, and she told me she never heard of people brushing their teeth regularly, including herself, until she emigrated to Canada the year after Titanic sank.

Best regards.

[j.r-ahde]

Hello you all!

How about that thing, that probably Liz had some kind of benefit for having a not-that-bad smelling breath as her colleagues?!

All the best
Jukka

[Sam Flynn]

Hi Mike,

My grandmother was born in 1904 in Clapham Common, and she told me she never heard of people brushing their teeth regularly

My great-grandfather (b. 1878) and his children would reach under the chimney-breast, scoop soot onto their forefinger, and brush their teeth with that.

[perrymason]

Hi Mike,My great-grandfather (b. 1878) and his children would reach under the chimney-breast, scoop soot onto their forefinger, and brush their teeth with that.

Im assuming that was in Wales Sam? That sounds counterproductive...but I would imagine the grit would act like baking soda. I think everytime anyone needs a reminder that some aspects of progress are good, all they need do is ask their grandparents how they washed clothing, or prepared meals, or as in your post, how they maintained hygeine, oral and otherwise.

My best regards Gareth.

[Sam Flynn]

Im assuming that was in Wales Sam? I would imagine the grit [in the soot] would act like baking soda.

Yes... and yes. My great grandfather still had most of his own teeth and, tobacco stains from his trusty pipe apart, they were very fine teeth indeed (to coin a phrase). He was in his nineties when he died.

[perrymason]

Yes... and yes. My great grandfather still had most of his own teeth and, tobacco stains from his trusty pipe apart, they were very fine teeth indeed (to coin a phrase). He was in his nineties when he died.

My grandma passed at age 98. Seems there might be something in this. Maybe 4 out of 5 dentists recommend the wrong materials to use.

All the best Sam.

[Mike Covell]

A few years ago I took part in an outward bounds type course, we had to live for two weeks in Snowdonia with just the bare essentials. We had a check point to check into should anything bad happen, but it was a great time and fantastic bonding exercise.

Anyway, this brings me onto the point of using the, usually considered bad stuff to make matters better.

Among the things we used were animal fats and ash to make soap, looks and smells awful but works!

Certain plants were used as water sources, which often tasted rank, but helped keep you hydrated.

We were taught to live off the land, and got quite used to munching on freshly dug bracken, dandelions and a nice boiled nettle soup.

We caught, killed, cooked and ate wild birds and animals, which was a lot of effort but a great treat.

If you need to do it, you do it, no questions asked!!