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sarahpatel19d ago
So when you rolled up for a haircut in the 1800s, did they ask if you wanted a shave and a boil lanced on the way out? Seems like a lot of trust to put in someone who's also trimming your sideburns. Did the barber have to pass some kind of surgery test, or was it just "well, I've got the sharp tools anyway"?
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skyler_adams19d ago
Good heavens, wait a minute. You're telling me barbers were actually lancing boils and doing minor surgery back then? I knew they were the ones who did the bloodletting and tooth pulling, but boil lancing? That's a whole new level of trust right there. You're sitting in a chair getting your hair trimmed, and the same guy might have just finished draining an infection on some other poor soul. That's just wild to think about, no wonder the barber pole has all those colors.
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