I might sound like I'm giving a lesson, but there was a certain hospital that had the highest death, a certain doctor, I forgot his name, was promoted to a higher rank in that hospital. So he told the rest of the surgeon: that before they operate a person they have to wash their hands. The rest of the surgeons didn't like it, but they had to do it, and when they did it they had the lowest death rate...just because of washing hands. But when the doctor left they went back to their old ways, and the death rate went up.

Actually, if I recall correctly, where we get the term hygiene is from the Greek demi-goddess (I think... perhaps not, she might have been the daughter of a demi-god and thus not a demi-goddess... anywho!) by the name of Hygieia. Her father was a famous Greek physician, but Hygieia was know for keeping sick patients so clean, that they got better just because of that.

(see? I think I may have sounded just a bit more lesson-y *grins* )

Surprising that the Greeks thought of sanitation in relation to being healthy and we later decided they were wrong (only to find out they were right in the end).

I think I'd find it too boring to write about characters washing their hands. Besides, the main characters in my book are mostly traders who don't care much about hygiene, so I never thought about it before.