Jean-Louis:
> >I think this kind of preoccupation about hygiene is a bit irrational. I
> >mean, if you are not hungry, you shouldn't eat. If you are not thirsty,
> >you shouldn't drink. If you are not dirty, not smelly, why should you
> >have two showers/day?

 Stefan Joest wrote:
> Yes, there is some sort of craziness about hygiene. IMHO it derives from
> the general fear of bacteria/microorganisms.
> Since I subscribe to the theory of the useful microbes I can't follow
> this path of hysterical cleaning away each microbe from your skin.

There is a researcher from Australia named Kenneth E. Seaton with
specialties in Biology, Microbiology, Mammalian Physiology, Immunology and Virology
who wrote a book called "Life Health and Longevity" who claims that personal
hygiene could be one of the biggest factors in promoting health. He quotes from
the British Regional Heart study (a prospective study of 7,735 middle-aged
men followed 9.2 years) publish in "The Lancet", December 16, 1989 p.1435:
"Men with less than 40 g/L albumin had an all-cause mortality rate six
times that of men with a serum albumin of 48 g/L or more". He claims that the
only way to increase the human serum albumin level is by decreasing the
background infection rate. He claims that the largest influence of this infection
rate is auto inoculation from fingernails to eyes and nose. He has show that
by special cleansing techniques of the fingernails, eyes and nose the
albumin levels can be increased. The book is very technical and worth reading.

Frank.