Re: wool (and other) care

["Sharon Henderson" <sharon@intercon.com>]

Greetings to you, good Alfredo, and all those assembled on this damp, muggy 
day!

> On the subject of the many fine suggestions for removing cat-urine 
> odor from garb, I'd like to make a series of comments.  I will 
> present them as statements of fact, but I am not certain of the truth 
> of all these statements. I simply wish to present them for discussion. 
>  
> There was no method for removing this odor in the Period.

Not sure I can agree with this, off-hand; might we not agree that we have so 
far no knowledge of whether they had the means to remove this odor?  Many a 
thing stank in yon elder days, after all, and while the "pungency" we have all 
heard ascribed to the Middle Ages (and onward) would certainly bear that fact 
out, we must also take human nature into consideration.  How cheerfully will 
you bear the presence of an overwhelming odor?  If like most of us you say 
"not very at all," then you might want to consider the leap of saying "well, 
they would've tried *something* preferable to doing *nothing* ...." :-)
   
> Cloth was so expensive in the Period that most people could not afford 
> to discard it simply because of odor.

I'd agree with that .... But even without a magic formula, I'd at least have 
washed the stuff.
  
> Cats were much less highly regarded in the Period than now.

Alas, yes; they made nice fur for various garments, of course, but were often 
considered tools of the Dark Side and bringers of plague.  Little did folks 
know that, had they not killed off les chats, the rats might not have played 
so much havoc wth humanity .... but--oh dear, then the cats would've had the 
fleas, and I'd let any cat approach in a heartbeat--where I wouldn't let a 
rodent .... and maybe *that* means more people would've died in the plagues, 
had my own attitude been more prevalent .... Oh dear.  Back to *that* drawing 
board ....  :-)
   
> If we wear garb without removing this odor from it, we will gain 
> added insight into Medieval attitudes toward cats.

And we will gain added insight into Modern Medieval attitudes toward 
ourselves, as well .... <g>

Ah well, dear Alfredo, I guess there simply are no easy questions ....

<Meli orders up an ale, some bread, and some cheese, and sits closer to the 
fire so she can toast the victuals and sip the ale as she contemplates life, 
the universe, Cats, and their output ....>




Sharon A. H. Henderson    
Quality Control Engineer   
InterCon Systems          
Herndon, Virginia USA       
                           
sharon@intercon.com       
                         
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