This is an I-Heart podcast.

This is our American stories, and we tell stories about everything here on this show.

And our next story comes to us for a man who's simply known as the History Guy.

His videos are watched by hundreds of thousands of people of all ages on YouTube.

The History Guy is also heard here at our American Stories.

Here's the History Guy with the story of toilet paper.

For much of history in many societies, wiping was done with things that were commonly

available and disposable, grass, leaves, moss, straw, even snow.

And while in some ways it seems a pure-isle discussion, actually it tells us something about

culture.

The Romans used a tool called a xylospongium, which was essentially a bit of a sponge on a stick.

Wealthy Romans might have their own personal zylo-sponsium, but for the most part they were communally used,

based on latrines, which might accommodate 10 to 20 patrons at a time.

The sponge would be rinsed in a mixture of water, salt, and vinegar.

Sponges would have been breeding grounds for bacteria,

and some historians suggest they serve to spread infectious disease.

And the items used for this purpose certainly depended upon wealth and social class, with one

startling example being the position of Groom of the Stool, which served the English monarchs

from at least the 15th century all the way up to the 20th century.

The purpose of the position was to have a servant who was responsible for helping the king while

he was doing his business.

And the first known person to have the position then called yeoman of the stool was one

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