Just Four Quid

The first known use of toilet paper dates back to 6^th century China, which apparently we know because in 589 AD, the scholar-official Yan-Zhitui wrote, “Paper on which there are quotations or commentaries from the Five Classics or the names of sages, I dare not use for toilet purposes.” It’s not what I’d choose to go down in history for, and I hope he’s maybe famous for something else as well.

Elsewhere, in nations that didn’t use water rather than paper, wealthy people used wool, hemp or even lace. The less wealthy, depending where they lived, used any of the following: rags, wood shavings (aagh!), leaves, grass, hay, stone (aagh!), sand, moss, water, snow (aagh! aagh!), maize, ferns, fruit skins (how strange), seashells (what?) and corncobs (how?).

Modern commercial toilet paper was invented in 1857 in the United States, which I am sure was a great relief to all those people previously using snow and wood shavings. So only 150 years ago, we wouldn’t have been able to have charitable bottoms.

Progress report coming up later today when I get the latest figures from our charities.

Money I’ve raised today: £2.20 (more loo roll) and £3.99 from the sale of two more book on Amazon plus a couple of generous donations to my site (thank you, you know who you are!) for a total of £15.19

Money I’ve raised so far: £242.06