# Pre-Toilet Paper Civilisation **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 30, 2004, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-toilet-paper-civilisation/282271 "2004-12-30T17:52:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rippingtons\_fan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rippingtons_fan/32/11767_2.png) [@rippingtons\_fan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rippingtons_fan)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-toilet-paper-civilisation/282271/1 "2004-12-30T17:52:19Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-toilet-paper-civilisation/282271/2 "2004-12-30T18:01:48Z")
1. Leaves 2. Somebody who’d had it up to _here_ wiping with leaves. 3. Leaves. 4. see #2. ---
**Author:** ![Greenback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/2bfe46/32.png) [@Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greenback)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-toilet-paper-civilisation/282271/3 "2004-12-30T18:04:07Z")
In a pinch, smooth rocks can also work. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-toilet-paper-civilisation/282271/4 "2004-12-30T18:09:27Z")
Jagged rocks work as well, but they _really hurt._ ---
**Author:** ![Greenback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/2bfe46/32.png) [@Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greenback)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-toilet-paper-civilisation/282271/5 "2004-12-30T18:12:44Z")
I think the idea is to wipe the shit from your ass, not to go in and get it. ---
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-toilet-paper-civilisation/282271/6 "2004-12-30T18:16:57Z")
The master speaks: [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2\_373.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_373.html) ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-toilet-paper-civilisation/282271/7 "2004-12-30T18:20:36Z")
> [@rippingtons\_fan](#): > > Why was toilet paper invented in the first place? Toilet paper was first invented in 1391 for use by the emperor of China. This fun fact brought to you by [toiletpaperworld](http://www.toiletpaperworld.com/tpw/encyclopedia/navigation/funfacts.htm). ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-toilet-paper-civilisation/282271/8 "2004-12-30T18:23:31Z")
In many parts of Asia they still use water, either sprayed from a nozzle or scooped from a basin in the room. Think bidet. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-toilet-paper-civilisation/282271/9 "2004-12-30T19:35:29Z")
Dude, did you never wonder why the Sears catalog went out of business? ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-toilet-paper-civilisation/282271/10 "2004-12-30T21:48:19Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-toilet-paper-civilisation/282271/11 "2004-12-30T22:01:16Z")
Well, there’s the three shells… ---
**Author:** ![nivlac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3bc359/32.png) [@nivlac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nivlac)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-toilet-paper-civilisation/282271/12 "2004-12-30T22:07:55Z")
> [@Tapioca Dextrin](#): > > Toilet paper was first invented in 1391 for use by the emperor of China. 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 … ---
**Author:** ![Greenback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/2bfe46/32.png) [@Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greenback)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-toilet-paper-civilisation/282271/13 "2004-12-30T22:08:29Z")
“he doesn’t know how to use the three shells _snicker_” ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-toilet-paper-civilisation/282271/14 "2004-12-30T22:12:30Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > Well, there’s the three shells… Well, those came a bit later. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-toilet-paper-civilisation/282271/15 "2004-12-31T00:44:42Z")
> [@fishbicycle](#): > > 1. see #2. Literally. ---
**Author:** ![Alonzo\_John\_Blitz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@Alonzo\_John\_Blitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alonzo_John_Blitz)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-toilet-paper-civilisation/282271/16 "2004-12-31T01:11:21Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Can_Handle_the_Truth)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-toilet-paper-civilisation/282271/17 "2004-12-31T01:29:55Z")
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). ---
**Author:** ![umop\_ap\_sdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/dbc845/32.png) [@umop\_ap\_sdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/umop_ap_sdn)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-toilet-paper-civilisation/282271/18 "2004-12-31T01:35:25Z")
> [@rippingtons\_fan](#): > > If toilet paper becomes obsolete, what could people use in its place? 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. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-toilet-paper-civilisation/282271/19 "2004-12-31T02:54:39Z")
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.) ---
**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-toilet-paper-civilisation/282271/20 "2004-12-31T05:20:12Z")
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. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pre-toilet-paper-civilisation/282271.md?page=2)