There are some things in our society that are so basic, so integral to our lives that we cannot imagine going without.  We do not even think about them until we run out.  Toilet paper is one of these items.  Since 1857, when toilet paper first became commercially available, we have used it to cleanse after using the bathroom.  This begs the question; what did people use to clean themselves before toilet paper?  This work will provide an overview of what people used to cleanse themselves after defecating in Rome, China, Japan, India, the Islamic states and various areas of Europe between 400 C.E. and 1600 C.E.                 We…

The diet change is having the desired effect.  I’m noticing more substantial changes in my bowel movements.  I am still very gassy, and am having difficulty with my bowel movements.  The consistency has changed, becoming firmer, which was not what I expected.  With the fiber heavy diet, consisting primarily of grains and bread, I suspected that the opposite would occur.  This actually a pleasant surprise to me, as I was not looking forward to using some of the items with a looser stool. I tested un-spun wool.  I was not impressed.  It was too soft, and I didn’t feel clean after using it.  I followed up with toilet paper, and…

I took some time off from the toilet paper project because real life exploded.  But, things are back on track now. I started eating a rough approximation of a 15th century English vassal’s diet on Tuesday. The basic information I was able to glean showed me that a vassal’s diet was similar to that of a peasant, but included a wider variety of vegetables and more meat.  I did not swap out water for ale, for mundane reasons.  I did not think my bosses would appreciate me drinking ale while at work.  I’m sure my proportions are off, but I have been unable to ascertain exact amounts of each meal,…

All food experimentation regarding food is on hold until I recover from a nasty case of asthmatic bronchitis.  I don’t want to alter my diet too much while my body is in a weakened state.  Besides, Prednisone is making me cranky, and giving up processed food right now will probably push me over the edge and make me unbearable to live with. So, in lieu of eating a medieval diet, I elected to see if I could find any more primary sources about what people used to wipe after defecating.  This was one of the comments on my paper, and definitely something worthwhile to address. I actually found the primary…

A thought occurred to me.  A modern diet is different than a medieval one.  Therefore, bowel movements would be different.  This would impact the use of the toilet paper alternatives, and provide me with a less accurate means to analyze them.  So, I am electing to eat a medieval diet from each region and time period prior to using their appropriate means of cleansing after defecating.  And while it may seem excessive, I am of the opinion that if I am going to do this, I am going to go all the way. And therefore, it is necessary for me to revise my 8 week time period to include time…

On March 1, 2016, the EK Gazette posted a paper I wrote about the history of toilet paper. (https://eastkingdomgazette.org/2016/03/01/arts-sciences-research-paper-7-life-before-toilet-paper/)  It was the work of many months.  And even though I am pleased with the paper, I still have much to do. One of the suggestions I received was for me to try each of the items and to review them.  I had received this suggestion before, and after much consideration, I’ve decided that it is the natural progression for this project. I have also elected to expand my research to include what the toilet facilities were like.  I’ve briefly discussed Roman toilets, and so this is where I am going…