What did people use before toilet paper was readily available? Who invented toilet paper? If toilet paper becomes obsolete, what could people use in its place?
Why was toilet paper invented in the first place?
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Leaves
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Somebody who’d had it up to here wiping with leaves.
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Leaves.
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see #2.
In a pinch, smooth rocks can also work.
Jagged rocks work as well, but they really hurt.
I think the idea is to wipe the shit from your ass, not to go in and get it.
The master speaks:
Toilet paper was first invented in 1391 for use by the emperor of China.
This fun fact brought to you by toiletpaperworld.
In many parts of Asia they still use water, either sprayed from a nozzle or scooped from a basin in the room. Think bidet.
Dude, did you never wonder why the Sears catalog went out of business?
In days of old when knights were bold
And toilets weren’t invented,
They’d drop their load beside the road
And ride away contented.
Well, there’s the three shells…
Makes sense since the Chinese invented paper. So way back in the 14th century someone was taking a poop and reading his paper when … hmmm, we can write on this stuff and, wait a minute, we can also …
“he doesn’t know how to use the three shells snicker”
Well, those came a bit later.
Literally.
Don’t know about the rest of the court before or after, but Henry VIII had a ‘Groom of the Stool’ whose job it was to wipe the Royal Backside. Oddly enough, this was a prestigious job.
In the Roman army they had a wood stick about 18" long with a sponge on the end. There was one for every ten soldiers. (Got that from the History Channel).
I’ve heard of a paperless toilet. Don’t remember if it was real or fictional, but it seems it would be pretty easy to design one with a bidet built in.
TMI:
Another idea might be to design a machine that applies gentle suction to the area, making toilets obsolete altogether. It could have an auto rinse.
You’ve never been to India.
Beside the toilet is a jug, a tap (faucet) and a drain.
If you’re lucky there might be some soap.
You use your left hand and then wash it.
Which is why you don’t use you left hand for eating, touching people and things or giving and receiving gifts.
(That is why my traveling companions and I never went anywhere without our roll of toilet paper…some things take a little to much getting used to.)
I really wish bidets would catch on over here (North America). When I’m no longer renting, I’ll look into getting at least one installed. They really are the superior way to crap.