When Did Men Stop Wearing Wigs?

Yes, we’ll get to the syphilis part

When a one-time friend of Jean-Jacques Rousseau criticized the Genevan philosopher’s understanding of wealth and privilege as a problem, rather than a reward, Rousseau (according to a biographer) used a timely metaphor to illustrate his point:

“We must have gravy in our cooking, and that’s why so many sick people lack broth. We must have liqueurs on our tables, and that’s why the peasant drinks. We must have powder for our wigs, and that is why so many poor people have no bread at all.”