Just Roll With It: Life before toilet paper
Its times like these that help us appreciate the little things in life or at the very least – think about them a little differently or with a fresh perspective. I know that we may be feeling sick to death (definitely no pun intended) of hearing about COVID-19 and the effects of living in times of self-isolation, lockdown and uncertainty, however it undeniably affects us all – and in different ways. Unsurprisingly, pandemics have a way of inspiring a certain amount of panic that manifests in different ways across the world. However, there are certain trends that have manifested themselves in the human behaviour that can be seen on a global scale currently. One of the unsurprising and notable trends is that of panic buying due to a concern that there is going to be a major shortage of the essentials brought about by the uncertainty that the COVID-19 situation has inspired. One of the biggest and perhaps more ironic shortages caused by the COVID-19 panic buying is a shortage of toilet paper in many countries.
With the very real possibility of a shortage of toilet paper loo-ming (pun definitely intended), it makes one wonder what on earth we did before toilet paper, and what to do if there is a shortage of it, a thought that is likely to inspire some creative solutions. That being said, not everyone in the world has the same access to resources as those of as economically-determined more developed countries, or in fact chooses to use toilet paper after a trip to the porcelain throne. In parts of Asia and the Middle East, the post-porcelain ritual involves rinsing off with clean water versus a couple of sheets. Historically however, we have come a long way since the more ‘rustic’ or ‘crude’ methods of cleansing. The creative cleansing methods included what was known as a “tersorium wipe” which consisted of a salt-soaked sponge on a stick. The ‘tersorium wipe’ is reminiscent of a modern day toilet brush which has some historians questioning whether it was used to clean a person after having been to the bathroom, or the bathroom itself.
There have been a few variations of the ‘tersorium wipe’ discovered in different countries across the world. However, according to National Geographic, some of the most conclusive rudimental “pre-toilet wiping solutions” were discovered in China, as it seems the country was a pioneer in the development of a suitable and effective wiping solution. The Chinese equivalent of a ‘tersorium wipe’ was a ‘hygiene stick’ which was ultimately a bamboo stick wrapped with cloth. The ancient (2000 year old) sticks were found covered in human specific parasites that support the theory that they were used in this context. China was also largely responsible for the development of a product that more closely resembles the toilet paper that we use today. “By 1393, rice-based toilet paper was mass-produced for the Chinese imperial family. In contrast, it took until 1857 for the Western world to get its first mass-produced toilet paper.”
Alongside the history of toilet paper, there is also a history of hoarding and stockpiling it too. This is certainly not the first time in history that toilet paper has become such a valuable commodity and it certainly won’t be the last, but as historian Eiko Maruko Siniawer puts it “as a historian, it’s important not to laugh off people’s decisions and actions, but to think about why they did what they did.” It is equally as important to take note of the lessons that history has taught us, and to avoid becoming panicked pandemic shoppers with a toilet paper obsession but rather to try and remain conscious consumers who are ethical epidemic shoppers.