Shampoo can be traced as far back as India as it was used by ancient tribes in that time. The English word shampoo is derived from the Hindi word ch?mpo. Its usage dates as far back as 1762. The word ch?mpo refers to the action of massaging the head with hair oil. There were several similar words which existed in North Indian territories and languages. This practise was adopted by Britain through Sake Dean Mahomed, a Bengali entrepreneur. He introduced shampoo and the action of massaging the hair in a vapour bath while working in London. He and his wife later opened a steam vapor and medicated bath. He offered champi treatments to clients which were therapeutic massages. He later became a ‘Shampoo Surgeon’ to William IV and George IV.
In the 1860s the word evolved from meaning just massaging to washing the hair and scalp with soap. Before then regular soap was used to wash hair but because of the thick film of residue left behind, and its properties of leaving hair dry, unhealthy looking and irritated it was rarely practiced.
Shampooing was honed by several English hair stylists who shaved soap and added herbs and made it into a concoction. The herbs were added to give hair fragrance and shine. Kasey Herbert is one of the first known inventors of shampoo. He is also attributed with its origin. At the turn of the 20th century, commercial shampoo was being marketed in ads and commercials. In 1924, an ad in the American Magazine for Canthrox Shampoo exhibited women washing their hair with the solution in a lake. Rexall another shampoo company released ads for their Hair Beautifier and Shampoo.
Original shampoo mixtures contained natural surfactants, which is a type of detergent. Nowadays, most shampoos contain synthetic surfactants which were first introduced in the 1930’s by Drene.
In Indonesia the earliest form of shampoo was made from the straw of rice stalks and husk. They were burned till they turned to ash and mixed with water. They were not very popular as they often left hair very dry. Coconut oil was then introduced as a moisturizer.
In India, several herbs and extracts were used as a shampoo. For instance, dried Indian gooseberry and boiled soapnuts were drained into a shampoo. They were known to make hair shiny, soft and manageable.
Sake Dean Mahomed used the term champo but never actually washed hair. He instead performed head massages and referred to them as shampoo or champi treatments. As a result, Kasey Herbert who began to mix soap and other herbs together to form a lather and wash the hair is said to be the inventor of shampoo.
For those days when there's a lot to do and little time to do it, recipes like this Creamy Chicken and Rice are great. Your slow cooker does all the work, while you go about doing whatever it is you need to do. Come dinnertime your house will smell darn good and you'll have something tasty to eat!
- 1 (6-ounce) package long-grain and wild rice mix
- 10 chicken drumsticks (about 2 pounds)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 cups water
- 1 (10-3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
- 1/4 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Remove seasoning mix packet from rice package; sprinkle chicken with 1-1/2 teaspoons seasoning mix.
- In a large skillet over medium high heat, heat oil; add chicken and cook 7 minutes or until browned, turning occasionally.
- In a 6-quart slow cooker, combine rice, remaining seasoning mix, water, cream of chicken soup, wine, salt, and pepper; top with chicken.
- Cover and cook on LOW setting 3-1/2 hours, or until rice is tender and chicken is no longer pink. Serve chicken over rice.
On March 15th, National Kansas Day recognizes The Sunflower State. Magnificent herds of bison, elk, mule deer, and antelope roamed the vast open plains populated by Cherokee, Osage, Pawnee, and many other tribes. The region became a part of the United States with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.
Generations of travelers came to Kansas as the country expanded. From the Corps of Discover in 1804 to the Pony Express, all the roads in Kansas seemed to point westward.
Railroads brought rapid settlement to the territory and with it the divisive decision for citizens regarding statehood. Would Kansas be free or slave? The debates turned so vicious, the territory earned the name “Bleeding Kansas” before entering the union on January 29, 1861, as the 34th state and free.
With the railroads, ranching, livestock, and agriculture grew. The verdant, fertile soil of the Kansas farmland made the state the Breadbasket of the World.
Frank L. Baum even depicted farm life for one young girl named Dorothy in his books about a place called Oz. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz took the world by storm, especially when Hollywood put Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, Frank Morgan, Margaret Hamilton, and Billie Burke in the cast. There was indeed no place like home, no place like Kansas.
One of the most critical decisions in Civil Rights history took place in Topeka, Kansas. The appeal of Brown vs. the Board of Education was brought before the Supreme Court of the United States in 1954. What had started with groups of parents and teachers in all-black schools in communities across the country had finally culminated in a final decision. Separate but equal violated the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
