Existing comment:
Sanitation at Sea:
Given the overcrowding of sailing men-of-war and the long periods they spent at sea, adequate sanitation was a necessity. Members of the ship's company used "seats-of-ease" located on the ship's head to relieve themselves, or they simply went over the sides while hanging on to the lower ends of the shrouds. Officers performed their daily ablutions in the relative luxury provided by the enclosed quarter galleries at the ship's stern. Shaving was compulsory only twice a week, though few men wore beards. |