Medieval Period Augustinian Monks had More Intestinal Worms Despite Clean Monasteries

According to a recent analysis of artifacts from Cambridge's medieval era, Augustinian monks in the area had almost twice as much of a chance of contracting intestinal worms as the general populace.

This is true even though, in contrast to ordinary working people's homes, most Augustinian monasteries of the time had latrine blocks as well as hand-washing facilities.

Manure as Fertilizer

According to researchers, the distinction in parasitic infection might also be due to monks using their feces to fertilize crops in friary gardens or buying fertilizer containing human and also pig excrement.

The study is the first to compare parasite prevalence in people from the same medieval community who lived in different parts of the city at the same time.

When the researchers tested 25 locals from All Saints Cemetery and 19 monks from the friary grounds, they discovered that 11 of the monks (or 58%) were worm-infected, compared to just eight of the town's residents (32%).

Although the actual number of infections might have been higher, they claim that these rates are likely the bare minimum and that some trace amounts of worm eggs in the pelvic sediment might have been eliminated over time by fungi and insects.

The pervasiveness of parasites among town residents was 32%, which is consistent with research on medieval burials in other European nations, indicating that the infection rates in the sanctuary were remarkably high rather than the prevalence being particularly low.

Dr. Piers Mitchell from the Department of Archaeology in Cambridge, said that the Cambridge friars of the Middle Ages seem to have been infested with parasites. Mitchell is the study's lead author

This is the very first time anyone has tried to determine how prevalent parasites were among residents of the same medieval town who lived various lifestyles.

Roundworms, Whipworms, Cesspit Toilets

Tianyi Wang, a Cambridge researcher who performed the microscopy to pinpoint the parasite eggs, said that although whipworm infection was also present, roundworm infection was more frequent, which are both spread by bad hygiene and poor sanitation.

The cesspit, or ground-level toilet, was the primary method of disposing of feces as well as household waste disposal in medieval towns. Even though the Cambridge site has only been partially excavated, running water systems were common in monasteries and were even used to clean the latrine. However, this has not yet been confirmed.

Since wealthy citizens of the town could pay to be buried there, not all of the people laid to rest in Augustinian friaries seemed to be clergy. The team was able to identify which friars' graves were located by the fragments of their clothing, though.

Craig Cessford, a study co-author from Cambridge Archaeological Unit, said that the metal buckles from the friars' belts, which they wore as part of their uniform for the order, were visible during excavation.

Researchers contend in their study that because roundworms, as well as whipworms, are transmitted by unclean living conditions, the different rates of infection between the general populace and the friars must have been a result of how each group handled their human waste.

Mitchell cited a theory that the friars repeatedly contracted the worms as a result of manuring their vegetable gardens using human waste, which was common in the medieval era.

Read also: Parasitic Worm That Can Grow Up to 3 Feet Inside Your Body is Transmitted by Dogs 

Medieval Records on Worms

The perception of parasites like roundworm and whipworm among Cambridge residents can be inferred from records from the Middle Ages. A manuscript with a section on De Lumbricis (literally, "on worms") was left to Peterhouse College by John Stockton, a physician from Cambridge who passed away in 1361.

It states that too much of different types of phlegm cause intestinal worms to grow, explaining that too much salt phlegm causes long roundworms to grow, too much sour phlegm causes short roundworms to grow, and too much natural or sweet phlegm causes broad and short worms to grow.

To make "bitter medicinal plants" like aloe and wormwood more palatable, the text advises covering them with honey or any other sweet food items.

Another text, Tabula medicine, was favored by the top Cambridge physicians of the 15th century and offered treatments suggested by specific Franciscan monks, like Symon Welles, who recommended combining molasses powder with a healing beverage.

According to earlier research, people interred in the monasteries of medieval England generally lived longer than those interred in parish cemeteries, possibly as a result of a wealthier diet, Science Daily reports.

Related article: Stonehenge Builders Ate Undercooked Cattle Organs During Winter Feasting; Parasitic Worms Found on Prehistoric Feces