In today's society, everyone has to go to the toilet, and it is almost an unavoidable daily activity. We enjoyed all the comforts and conveniences, such as the soft toilet paper. However, if we travel back in time, have you ever thought about how the ancients solved this "awkward problem" in this seemingly simple but extremely private moment?
In an era when there was no sanitary facilities like modern ones, how did they find the right balance between comfort and hygiene when going to the toilet? Let's travel back in time to unravel the mystery of going to the toilet in ancient times and learn about the hygienic lifestyle at that time.
In ancient times, although the living conditions were very simple, the wisdom and creativity of the ancients were not lost to the people of today. Bamboo and wood was one of the most common materials at that time, and it was naturally used by the ancients in various life scenes.
Blacksmith Li used bamboo and wood to make various tools to help him create a dazzling array of iron tools; The potter Wang used bamboo chips to make models to form a variety of pottery; And the butcher Zhang invented a unique bamboo and wood tool - "toilet chip".
"Toilet chips" are made of slender pieces of bamboo or wood with a small rope tied at one end that can be hung around the waist. It's like an early version of today's toilet paper for people to wipe down after going to the toilet. Butcher Zhang found that the toilet chips were softer and more comfortable to use than rough stones or leaves.
Such a small invention quickly spread in the village and was highly praised. The villagers asked Butcher Zhang for advice on how to make toilet chips, and Butcher Zhang was willing to teach him how to make them. It didn't take long for the whole village to reverberate with the sound of "chopping" when making toilet chips.
There was a girl named Li Xiaochun in the village, and she admired Uncle Zhang's ingenuity very much. often pestered Uncle Zhang to listen to him talk about the origin of toilet chips, and Uncle Zhang always answered her questions with a smile. Li Xiaochun often went to Uncle Zhang's house to borrow his tools to play.
Under the guidance of Butcher Zhang, the simple thing of "toilet chips" gradually entered the homes of ordinary people and became a "must-have" for toilets in ancient times. However, in that era of scarcity of materials, "toilet chips" were still somewhat extravagant. For people living in the mountains and having difficulty easily obtaining bamboo and wood, this small invention is still out of reach.
There is a group of mountain bandits entrenched in the deep mountains and old forests, led by the leader horse thief. They make a living by robbing passers-by, and their lives are not rich. These bandits have been living here for more than ten years, and the surrounding bamboo and wood have long been cut down by them.
One morning, the horse thief went to the toilet and tried to find something to wipe, but found that there was no toilet chip nearby. Just then, his hand touched several round pebbles. The horse thief had an idea, picked up the pebbles and wiped them. Although it feels rough and uncomfortable, it is better than empty-handed.
This gave the horse thief a new idea. He asked his men to collect natural items such as hay and dead leaves everywhere and put them around the toilet for later use. His men also learned to solve their needs with pebbles or hay blades.
Later, a group of horse thieves led a group of men and horses stormed a village and robbed it. Among the looted belongings, they found a batch of soft silk that they had never seen before. The horse thief immediately thought that these silks could replace pebbles and blades of grass, so he kept some of them and brought them back to the cottage for the bandits to use when they went to the toilet.
At that time, silk was still a very luxurious thing, and only the ** dignitaries could have it. But the fact that the horse thieves used it as toilet paper is extraordinary.
At that time, there was a ** named Cao Shangshu, who was in charge of the taxes of a certain place and had a lot of money. His mansion was extremely luxurious, and even the toilets were decorated with gold and silk, making toilet paper.
However, Cao Shangshu does not stop there. Every time he went to the toilet, he asked the maid to burn the used silk and never reuse it. This is not only a waste of resources, but also oppressive to the people.
Once, the horse thief led the mountain bandits down the mountain to rob and inadvertently broke into Cao Shangshu's mansion. The horse thief took a fancy to the silk on the wall at a glance, and immediately ordered his men to empty all the silk toilet paper and bring it back to the mountains. The horse thief was very proud of this, and felt that the toilet conditions in the cottage would be greatly improved.
The news spread quickly. There was a lot of talk about it, and they all praised the courage and cleverness of the horse thief - he dared to break into the mansion of a powerful person and snatch silk toilet paper! "Haha, I heard that the silk toilet paper of the nouveau riche Cao Shangshu was snatched by a horse thief! "You deserve it! That guy Cao Shangshu is usually too arrogant and wastes resources at will, but this time he tasted robbery! ”
Since then, ordinary people have no longer felt afraid of the horse thief and his bandits, but have more joy. They were happy behind their backs about horse thieves stealing silk.
In the era when only the powerful could enjoy silk toilet paper, the common people still insisted on using natural items such as plants, trees, and stones. However, a revolution in hygiene practices is brewing.
This was the invention of papermaking and the advent of toilet paper. The original toilet paper was very rare and expensive, considered a luxury, and was only found in the lives of a few nobles. It was not until the Tang Dynasty, especially in the prosperous era of Xuanzong Kaiyuan, that more advanced papermaking technology gradually matured, and paper resources began to become abundant.
As a result, some dignitaries began to experiment with the use of paper when going to the toilet, and gradually abandoned silk. This caused an uproar at the time and was seen as a symbol of luxury. However, since silk is difficult to produce in large quantities, it is still quite difficult to achieve universal access.
In contrast, the further development of papermaking technology provides more possibilities for the promotion of toilet paper. After hundreds of years of accumulation and evolution, in the Yuan Dynasty, toilet paper was finally widely promoted and truly entered ordinary people's homes. Practical and durable straw paper toilet paper is more popular than silk.
The historical archives of the Huizong period of the Song Dynasty record that some temples and mansions even began to set up special toilet paper storage rooms for a large number of visitors. This marks the gradual establishment of a public health concept.
Whenever people look back on this period of history, they can't help but sigh at the courage of the ancients to innovate and promote the development of civilization under limited conditions.
Throughout ancient times, toileting was not only a reflection of personal habits, but also a sign of the progress of the times. Starting from the small detail of toileting, we can see the context of the development of civilization in various dynasties in ancient times.
In more ancient times, the toilet environment was very primitive, and the typical example is the open toilet, which is described in many ancient books and literature. For example, a story from the Eastern Zhou Dynasty records that a king of the Jin Kingdom accidentally fell into a toilet pit and died, a tragedy that highlights the danger of open-air toilets.
In order to avoid similar accidents, some well-wishers began to build huts or fences above the toilet pit to play the role of isolation and protection, which marked the first improvement of the toilet form.
Over time, the Han Dynasty emerged similar to the modern era"3-in-1"of the indoor toilet. The regal had set up a separate toilet space in the second room of the bedroom, equipped with seats, window ventilation and fresh spices, which was a small improvement at the time.
In the Song Dynasty, the prototype of public toilets appeared. Some temples or government buildings will set up a special area to place multiple toilet facilities for outsiders or the public, and there will be a special person responsible for cleaning. These changes show the unremitting efforts of the ancients to meet the needs of toilets, from simple to refined, from private to public, continuous progress, containing the spirit of innovation and wisdom, which is admired by future generations.
Today, after more than 100 years of changes, we modern people live in a super-modern society. All kinds of material conditions have become more abundant and superior, including the need to go to the toilet.
The widespread use of toilets and toilet paper has brought unprecedented convenience and comfort to people. Many people have become accustomed to this lifestyle, and it is hard to imagine how difficult it was to live without toilet paper hundreds of years ago.
However, when we are accustomed to it, we should also reflect and be grateful. It is precisely because of the continuous exploration and innovation of our ancestors that we can enjoy everything we have now.
Looking back at ancient and modern times, the seemingly ordinary need to go to the toilet actually carries considerable historical value and civilization connotation. It not only proves the virtues of industriousness and resourcefulness of the ancients, but also reflects the level of material civilization of an era, and is an important indicator to measure social progress.
Modern people should inherit this spirit, not only enjoy the fruits of material civilization, but also never forget their original aspirations, continue to promote the development and innovation of human civilization, and benefit future generations.