Despite living in the famous Augustinian monastery – where clergy traveled from far and wide to read manuscripts – they had a not insignificant problem with intestinal worms. Augustinian monks were twice as likely to be infected with worms than the general population of the city, according to a study by the University of Cambridge. While their monastic houses had latrines and hand-washing facilities, unlike the homes of ordinary workers, the researchers found that the monks were partial to fertilizing garden crops with their faeces – and buying fertilizer that contained human or pig manure. feces. The Augustinian monasteries were founded in the 1280s and lasted until 1538 before suffering the fate of most English monasteries: they were closed or destroyed as part of King Henry VIII’s break with Rome. “The monks of medieval Cambridge appear to have been infested with vermin,” said study lead author Dr Piers Mitchell. “This is the first time anyone has tried to find out how common parasites were among people living different lifestyles in the same medieval city.” As roundworm and hookworm spread due to poor sanitation, the researchers argue that the difference in infection rates between the monks and the general population must be due to how each group handled their human waste. “One possibility is that the monks fertilized their vegetable gardens with human excrement, which was not uncommon in the medieval period, and this may have led to repeated infection with the worms,” ​​Dr Mitchell said. Despite the increased prevalence of worms, those buried in the monasteries of medieval England lived longer than those in parish cemeteries, according to previous research, perhaps due to a more nutritious diet, a luxury of wealth.


title: “Cambridge S Medieval Monks Were Filled With Vermin And It S Easy To See Why Uk News Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-29” author: “Joan Gilbert”


Despite living in the famous Augustinian monastery – where clergy traveled from far and wide to read manuscripts – they had a not insignificant problem with intestinal worms. Augustinian monks were twice as likely to be infected with worms than the general population of the city, according to a study by the University of Cambridge. While their monastic houses had latrines and hand-washing facilities, unlike the homes of ordinary workers, the researchers found that the monks were partial to fertilizing garden crops with their faeces – and buying fertilizer that contained human or pig manure. feces. The Augustinian monasteries were founded in the 1280s and lasted until 1538 before suffering the fate of most English monasteries: they were closed or destroyed as part of King Henry VIII’s break with Rome. “The monks of medieval Cambridge appear to have been infested with vermin,” said study lead author Dr Piers Mitchell. “This is the first time anyone has tried to find out how common parasites were among people living different lifestyles in the same medieval city.” As roundworm and hookworm spread due to poor sanitation, the researchers argue that the difference in infection rates between the monks and the general population must be due to how each group handled their human waste. “One possibility is that the monks fertilized their vegetable gardens with human excrement, which was not uncommon in the medieval period, and this may have led to repeated infection with the worms,” ​​Dr Mitchell said. Despite the increased prevalence of worms, those buried in the monasteries of medieval England lived longer than those in parish cemeteries, according to previous research, perhaps due to a more nutritious diet, a luxury of wealth.


title: “Cambridge S Medieval Monks Were Filled With Vermin And It S Easy To See Why Uk News Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-27” author: “Nicole Hurley”


Despite living in the famous Augustinian monastery – where clergy traveled from far and wide to read manuscripts – they had a not insignificant problem with intestinal worms. Augustinian monks were twice as likely to be infected with worms than the general population of the city, according to a study by the University of Cambridge. While their monastic houses had latrines and hand-washing facilities, unlike the homes of ordinary workers, the researchers found that the monks were partial to fertilizing garden crops with their faeces – and buying fertilizer that contained human or pig manure. feces. The Augustinian monasteries were founded in the 1280s and lasted until 1538 before suffering the fate of most English monasteries: they were closed or destroyed as part of King Henry VIII’s break with Rome. “The monks of medieval Cambridge appear to have been infested with vermin,” said study lead author Dr Piers Mitchell. “This is the first time anyone has tried to find out how common parasites were among people living different lifestyles in the same medieval city.” As roundworm and hookworm spread due to poor sanitation, the researchers argue that the difference in infection rates between the monks and the general population must be due to how each group handled their human waste. “One possibility is that the monks fertilized their vegetable gardens with human excrement, which was not uncommon in the medieval period, and this may have led to repeated infection with the worms,” ​​Dr Mitchell said. Despite the increased prevalence of worms, those buried in the monasteries of medieval England lived longer than those in parish cemeteries, according to previous research, perhaps due to a more nutritious diet, a luxury of wealth.


title: “Cambridge S Medieval Monks Were Filled With Vermin And It S Easy To See Why Uk News Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-09” author: “Chery Gilbreath”


Despite living in the famous Augustinian monastery – where clergy traveled from far and wide to read manuscripts – they had a not insignificant problem with intestinal worms. Augustinian monks were twice as likely to be infected with worms than the general population of the city, according to a study by the University of Cambridge. While their monastic houses had latrines and hand-washing facilities, unlike the homes of ordinary workers, the researchers found that the monks were partial to fertilizing garden crops with their faeces – and buying fertilizer that contained human or pig manure. feces. The Augustinian monasteries were founded in the 1280s and lasted until 1538 before suffering the fate of most English monasteries: they were closed or destroyed as part of King Henry VIII’s break with Rome. “The monks of medieval Cambridge appear to have been infested with vermin,” said study lead author Dr Piers Mitchell. “This is the first time anyone has tried to find out how common parasites were among people living different lifestyles in the same medieval city.” As roundworm and hookworm spread due to poor sanitation, the researchers argue that the difference in infection rates between the monks and the general population must be due to how each group handled their human waste. “One possibility is that the monks fertilized their vegetable gardens with human excrement, which was not uncommon in the medieval period, and this may have led to repeated infection with the worms,” ​​Dr Mitchell said. Despite the increased prevalence of worms, those buried in the monasteries of medieval England lived longer than those in parish cemeteries, according to previous research, perhaps due to a more nutritious diet, a luxury of wealth.