In the mid-1800’s, Ignaz Semmelweis famously struggled to convince his peers that they could reduce the incidence of hospital-acquired infections simply by washing their hands. His ideas were rejected at first, but of course hand-washing is now considered a critical part of personal hygene protocol for hospital staff.
When did hand-washing with soap and water begin to be promoted to the general public by health officials as a way to curb infectious disease (as opposed to just a way to remove visually obvious dirt and axle grease)?
Advice from 1830 to “wash your hands” to prevent fever, but from an anonymous correspondent, not from a public health official. Their theory of the cause of disease was wanting but the advice was sound. Google books result (page 751).
I looked for advice for the general public from public health officials but I had a hard time finding much that was relevant.