DISGUSTING Things That Were Once Normal in History

I'll start with the gross and end with the most disgusting hygiene practice in history number one Pig toilets while this one may sound like something cute out of a cartoon in reality Pig toilets were a nasty invention that originated in ancient China as a way to manage and recycle human waste a pig toilet was a combination of a human toilet and pig sty the basic model was as follows an ouse would be mounted on top of a pigy with a tube or a chute connecting the two as humans used the toilet their waste would be

directed down into the pig diey where the pigs would then consume the feces as part of their usual diet delicious the digestive system of pigs allowed them to further break down the waste and then the waste of the pigs was able to be used as fertilizer other food was thrown into the sty as well a balanced diet is essential after all and pig toilets did prove to be effective in what they aimed to accomplish they did however have their fair share of drawbacks there are the obvious ones such as the horrific odor and the question

of animal welfare and then there are questions as to how effective the system could really be if all of the human waste wasn't consumed it could eventually contaminate groundwater and the surrounding environment there was also the possibility of disease getting spread as both the pigs and the humans using the pig toilets would constantly be in close proximity to the other's waist there's even the possibility of parasitic infections causing a never-ending chain imagine a human picks up a parasite they use the pig toilet and the pig ingests human waste infected with the parasite the pig is

later killed and eaten and the parasite goes either back to the original host or onto a new one the circle of life it truly moves us all while advances in sanitation and modern Waste Management have led to Pig toilets falling out of widespread use these things have been found in areas of Asia as recently as the early 2000s I for one just have so many questions do the pigs know what's really going on do they enjoy it do they get excited when they see someone walk into that ouse anyways I'm already grossed out and this

list is just getting started number two wigs now most people know that wig wearing was extremely common in the olden days particularly in the 17th and 18th centuries in Europe what most people don't know is the fact that these wigs were almost never washed and were frequently a breeding ground for lice and other crawly pests they were usually worn daily so as part of your morning routine you would wake up up get dressed and plop what was essentially a lice Nest onto your head where it would stay for the rest of the day wigs were

popular for many reasons in Europe during this time period they offered a solution for people who suffered from hair loss often due to diseases like syphilis giving them an opportunity to present a sweet hairdo and convince the maiden they brought home from the tavern that they were totally clean Madame they also let people present different fancy hairstyles without having to wash or alter their own hair which was rare in those days as natural hair was rarely washed it's not a huge leap to learn that wigs were rarely washed as well as a result they became

an absolute playground for lice there were other factors at play too wigs were fitted extremely close to the scalp and the dark warm environment acted as a mood setting sauna for the lice to relax in and reproduce what's more wigs were sometimes made with animal hair specifically horse hair and lice already present on the horses could easily be transferred over directly to the person wearing the wig lastly in a somewhat ironic twist perfumed powders were often used to cover up the odors that would inevitably arise from heavily used wigs the scents in the perfume would

attract more bugs I get maybe you don't have time to scrub it with shampoo or anything guys but you could at least I don't know rinse it out in a river every once in a while number three you're in as a facial cleanser we've all been there you wake up head to the bathroom and realize you're out of Neutrogena but you have sensitive skin and a huge meeting at the end of the week so you can't afford to break out and you don't have time to run to the CVS the answer easy rub some of

your urine all over your face using urine as a facial cleanser is a practice that shockingly has been present in numerous cultures for centuries from medieval Europe to China to ancient Rome this wasn't a one-off thing this was a widespread practice that transcended borders in medieval Europe urine was used as a facial cleanser simply because many people didn't have access to fresh water and per per fumes what's the closest thing to perfumed water the obvious answer is piss in ancient China the history of using urine is a little different in addition to being used cosmetically

urine was a component of traditional Chinese medicine seen as having properties and elements that helped regulate balance in the body the Romans believe that the ammonia content in urine acted as a cleansing agent so they used their own urine to clean not only their face but also their clothes and even their floors I mean it's pretty hilarious to imagine a Roman going about their daily chores they wake up relieve themselves into their hands rub the urine on their face toss a load into the laundry machine take a leak in there and then as a cherry

on top just unload one more time all over the kitchen floor I just hope they were keeping hydrated the craziest part while common people usually use their own urine for these purposes the wealthy Elite used the urine from common urinals rubbing your own urine on your face is one thing but the urine of a stranger nah count me out the human body is an amazing thing and as a part of all of its functions it creates waste at what point did we decide that using our waste as soap helped keep us clean I just wish

I was in the room when people were having these discussions next thing you know we'll be gargling our urine is mouthwash number four urine as mouthwash I guess I spoke too soon turns out urine was used as more than just a cleaner there's evidence of not only our old Pals the ancient Romans and Chinese using urine as a way to clean the mouth but but also the French during the 18th century and even some ancient Indian cultures the idea was that since urine was widely believed to be sterile and antiseptic a myth that has since

been disproven by scientific studies it would not only kill germs and bacteria in the mouth but the ammonia and other compounds would whiten teeth as well so when those wealthy Roman Elites went to the public urinals to scoop out buckets of urine for their cleaning covered they snuck an extra bottle into their bathroom to rinse with before bed the Roman philosopher senica was known proponent of this ah senica the speaker of such deep truths as we suffer more than in imagination than in reality but let's not forget the Lesser known but equally powerful saying I

love to gargle my own piss the ancient Chinese and Indians at least had the decency to add herbs and other substances into the mix to improve the experience but the Romans and the Europeans usually decided to take it straight with no chaser if you're going to do it do it right I guess it's also important to note that across all cultures human urine was not always the go-to in ancient Indian medicine they opted for cow urine on account of the religious and cultural significance of cows in Hinduism to most Hindus especially those in ancient times

the cow is seen as a sacred animal and its various byproducts not only urine but also dung have long been used in medicinal religious and agricultural practices in some areas of India the use of cow urine as a mouthwash is still common today number five Mouse brain toothpaste seriously man what's with these Romans apparently the Romans in general were very particular about their dental care and they crafted toothpaste from a variety of different materials and substances among some of the ingredients they used were charcoal and Ash crushed up oyster shells and bones and different flavorings

like mint honey and myrrh and let's not forget the old standby human urine okay seriously with all the stuff the Romans used urine for you have to wonder if there was just one super pervert who was out there spreading all of this misinformation but let's not get sidetracked from the main event here crushed up Mouse brains were thought to improve the effectiveness of the toothpaste and help freshen breath because nothing says fresh breath like brains and urine why not throw in some garlic and boiled egg for good measure the brains along with whatever other delightful

ingredients these Twisted people decided to use would be ground up into a fine powder and then combined with some sort of binder often honey to form into a paste the thing is as crazy and disgusting as all of this seems the Romans actually had pretty great teeth compared to other people during this period of time as one can probably imagine bad breath toothaches and Cavities were widespread issues in ancient times when not many people had the means or the wherewithal to properly clean their teeth so while the actual ingredients that the Romans used are pretty

gnarly on paper there's evidence that their dental hygiene practices were very effective when human skeletons were excavated from the ruins of Pompei and herculanum only onethird of the remains showed missing teeth and very few had any evidence of cavities I'm not saying I'm going to try it myself anytime soon but it seems like maybe the Romans were actually on to something with this one number six crocodile dung contraceptive you're getting home from a night at Club pyramid and you've picked up one of the hottest girls you've ever seen you bring her back to your place

and she asks if you have a condom in a panic you realize you don't don't worry she says I got some crocodile with me now don't get me wrong I want to practice safe sex as much as the next guy but it feels like the ancient Egyptians were really reaching here in the eers Papyrus one of the oldest and most extensive medical texts in the history of ancient Egypt there are descriptions of several different types of contraceptives usually either with the goal of creating a barrier between the sperm and the uterus or making the uterus

an inhospitable environment for sperm in the first place the women of ancient Egypt unfortunately got the short end of the stick here and as a result they were the the ones who had to insert various substances inside themselves for the purpose of avoiding pregnancy some of the ingredients used were honey cotton seeds gum soaked Linens and even fresh Citrus juice I mean I don't need to have a you know to know that squeezing a lime directly in there cannot feel very good undoubtedly the least hygienic and most unpleasant sounding of all the contraceptives mentioned in

the eers Papyrus is the use of crocodile dung the dung was mixed with a fermented Dough made of water and plant materials and was inserted into the to serve as a barrier why the Egyptians thought it was a good idea to insert animal waste directly into one of the most sensitive parts of the body we may never know but it's believed that crocodile dung was chosen because of its plentiful availability and also because of the religious and cultural significance of crocodiles in Egyptian culture similar to the Hindus and the cows from before perhaps even more

confusing than the use of the dung is its combin with fermented dough what's all that about was it just something that the first doctor had lying around the house did he over ferment his sour dough then just think well I can't just waste it and throw it out while the decision to include the bread dough is not super clear from historical texts it may have been used primarily for its texture and consistency when mixed with the dong it created a paste that was thick enough to serve as a barrier contraceptive but also moldable and soft

enough to get up in there in the first place aside from the fact that this meth that was most likely not very effective in preventing pregnancy it was also pretty dangerous the insertion of animal dun carried significant health risks potentially introducing harmful bacteria and pathogens into the reproductive tract leading to infection causing inflammation irritation and the spread of harmful bacteria to other areas of the body sure some guys hate condoms but this was a contraceptive that was not enjoyable for anyone