A 200-year-old poop shows that a rural elite in New England had a parasitic infection

In the early 19th century, parasite infections were very common in urban areas, partly due to population growth and urbanization. Previous studies have shown that poor hygiene, unsanitary privileges (outdoors), and increased contact with livestock contribute to the spread of parasitic diseases in urban areas. A new study examining fecal samples from toilets on the Dartmouth campus shows how wealthy New England rural elites had an intestinal parasite infection.The survey results are published in Journal of Archeological Science: Report..

“Our study is one of the first studies to show evidence of parasitic infections in wealthy rural households in the northeast,” the co-authors said. Teresa GildnerFormerly a postdoctoral fellow in anthropology Robert A. 1925 and Catherine L. McKennan at Dartmouth College, he is now an assistant professor of bioanthropology at Washington University in St. Louis. “To date, there has been little evidence that parasitic diseases were found outside of urban areas in the early 19th century.”

June 2019, led by a team of Dartmouth researchers Jesse Kasana, Professor and Chairman, Faculty of Anthropology, Dartmouth College, Excavated Privilege in front of Baker-Berry Library in Dartmouth. Previously, archaeological surveys using ground penetrating radar identified the location as an area of ​​particular interest. There used to be a choate house in this place. Based on historical records from the Rauner Special Collection Library on campus and other sources, the researchers will be one of Dartmouth’s first four graduates, a professor of Dartmouth theology, and a trustee. Sylvanus Ripley reports that the Choto House was built in 1786. .. In 1801, a wealthy businessman, politician, and trustee, a graduate of Dartmouth College, bought the house. For decades, Olcott, his wife and nine children lived at home. As the study explains, Olcott was “probably one of the wealthiest and most educated people in New England” at that time. Almost a century later, in the 1920s, Choose House was relocated to another area of ​​the Dartmouth campus to make room for the library.

The· Dartmouth you It was revealed that the privy and the stone walls and contents inside it were well preserved. It functioned not only as a toilet but also as a place to throw away unnecessary things such as garbage and food. At the privileged soil level, researchers have found layered sediments containing numerous relics over the years, including: Peanuts and coffee, which were considered exotic items at the time, remain. And 3 fecal samples. In addition, 12 hazard and Caswell bottles sold to treat gastrointestinal illnesses were found at the same soil level as fecal samples, Congress & Empire Spring Co in Saratoga Springs, NY. Eight bottles of mineral water were found at later soil levels.

“The medical condition during this period was pretty terrible,” explains Casana. “Many people probably experienced symptoms of parasitic infections, but didn’t know what was causing them. Privies would have had a lot of use at this point,” he adds. I will. “If people had the means, they would order a special drug to treat upset stomach. It was actually a tincture alcohol that had no medicinal properties.”

Gildner, a parasite-focused study, was doing other fieldwork during the excavation of Dartmouth, but asked Kasana to let him know if the team found something similar to feces. did. Surprisingly, Gildner learned that three stool samples had been excavated. “Intestinal parasite research is accustomed to working with fresh material rather than nearly 200 years old and actually dirty fecal samples,” he said. Gildner who studied says.

After rehydrating the fecal samples, Gildner passed them through a series of mesh sieves, from large to small, to filter large particles and capture small parasite eggs. The material was washed and centrifuged to create slides from each sample. Using a light microscope, the slide revealed the presence of tapeworm eggs (Taenia spp.) And whipworm eggs (Trichuris trichiura) in each specimen. Parasite eggs were consistent among the three samples, although research criteria considered low egg numbers.

The co-authors explain that their findings are particularly striking, given that parasites prefer “warm and tropical regions” to the cold, snowy weather that characterizes New Hampshire’s winters.

Tapeworms are parasites that are transmitted between humans and livestock (such as pigs and cows). Animals consume plants contaminated with parasite eggs, the eggs hatch and the parasites migrate to the muscles of these animals. Ingestion of raw or undercooked meat can infect humans. Adult tapeworms that live in the intestines of human hosts then lay eggs, which are passed to the environment along with fecal material and resume the cycle. Like tapeworms, whipworm eggs are delivered by feces. Second, these microscopic eggs are generally new humans through fecal-oral infections (eg, ingestion of fecal-contaminated food or water) because their hands are not washed and food cannot be washed properly. Infects the host.

Researchers cannot determine if the fecal samples are from the Olcott family, but it is very likely that all members of their family were exposed to tapeworms and whipworms. The findings show not only that parasite infections have affected urban areas and low-income areas, but also demographics highlighted in previous studies.

“I think we take much of the health and infrastructure we have today for granted. Our result is that even wealth, these parasites 200 years ago,” said Kasana. It shows that we couldn’t protect you from the insect infection. ”

“Tapeworms and whipworms are still very common in different parts of the world today and can lead to malnutrition, digestive problems, and dysgenesis,” Gildner said. “Although these infections can be prevented and treated, there is still much work to be done to prevent them. Access to clean water and hygiene, which are essential for hand hygiene, are still common today. Two things that people don’t have. ”