Among the Germans, he is, as usual, appalled by the crudity of the behavior he witnesses. Men and women know nothing of the propre.

They not only eat without utensils, but use the whole hand (instead of three fingers).

They make noise at table, lick their fingers, share unwiped spoons, pick their teeth with a knife, steal food from table for eating later.

He sees a man who had just sneezed loudly wipe his nose on his hand, and another who does carry a handkerchief loan it to another!

Their linen is often foul; many a man, even men of higher station, wear collars that are soiled and anything but fresh.

Women pull their skirts up to their thighs to warm themselves before a fire.

They behave in public as if they are in the privacy of their own rooms. (He recalls a man he saw recently who inspected his own snot while standing in the middle of a street!)

They make physical contact on every occasion, as if they cannot bear separation from their fellows, violating his own strong aversion to touch.