‘Magic’ Eyeliner, and Other Fascinating Ancient Beliefs and Facts

‘Magic’ Eyeliner, and Other Fascinating Ancient Beliefs and Facts

Khalid Elhassan - May 31, 2024

‘Magic’ Eyeliner, and Other Fascinating Ancient Beliefs and Facts
Ancient physicians thought crocodile poop was a great contraceptive. iSafari

1. The Medicinal Properties of Fly Poop and Crocodile Dung

Some interesting questions arise from the use of fly poo as medicine. Not just about its effectiveness, if it actually was effective. The more fascinating question is just how did people back then, long before microscopes were invented, even manage to spot, let alone gather, tiny fly turds? However they went about the collection of fly poop, Egyptian doctors had a good reputation in the ancient world. As a result, many contemporary cultures looked up and tried to emulate Egyptian medical practices.

One civilization that borrowed a lot from the Egyptians were the ancient Greeks. Those borrowed things included a medical prescription that used crocodile dung as birth control. Ancient Greek women believed that crocodile poo inserted into their vaginas would serve as a powerful contraceptive. It might have even worked. At least in the sense that to encounter a vagina full of or smelling like crocodile poop might have been such a huge turn off, that it eliminated any desire for sexual intercourse in the first place.

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