On Hygiene by Hilaire Belloc (1902)
The work is a satirical essay that critiques the societal obsession with cleanliness and hygiene during the late 19th century. It argues that excessive attention to personal hygiene can lead to an unhealthy preoccupation with bodily functions, resulting in anxiety and neurosis. The text employs irony and ridicule to highlight the absurdity of certain hygienic practices and the societal pressures that drive them.
By Hilaire Belloc · First published 1902 · Genre: Satire, Poetry, Social Commentary · 46 words
First lines
Of old when folk lay sick and sorely tried, The doctors gave them medicine and they died.
Here is an happier age, for now we know Both how to make men sick and keep them so.
What this Textopian page supports
On Hygiene is listed on Textopian as an essay by Hilaire Belloc, dated 1902 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Essay
- Author: Hilaire Belloc
- Date: 1902 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Satire, Poetry, Social Commentary, Humor
- Length: 46 words
- Structure: 1 section, 2 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for On Hygiene by Hilaire Belloc
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering On Hygiene?
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Genres
- Satire — The work uses humor and irony to critique the medical practices of the time.
- Poetry — The text is structured in verse form, employing rhyme and meter.
- Social Commentary — The work comments on societal issues related to health and medicine.
- Humor — The piece employs wit to entertain while delivering its critique.
Tags
Humor · Satire · Social Commentary · Health · Hygiene · Medicine · Science · Philosophy · Critique · Sarcasm · Irony · Rhetoric