Also there were some pretty horrific smells in those homes and streets and towns dontcha think that needed masking with aromatics and even vinegar!
I know that in colonial times ladies carried a tussy-mussy, which was like what we would call a sachet. It was full of aromatic herbs or fragrant flower parts, and a lady could hold it near her nose when encountering smelly places or, I suppose, individuals. But I understand that their standards for body odor were much different than ours.