Coprophagia
Coprophagia (/ˌkɒprəˈfeɪdʒiə/ KOP-rə-FAY-jee-ə)[1] or coprophagy (/kəˈprɒfədʒi/ kə-PROF-ə-jee) is the consumption of feces. The word is derived from the Ancient Greek κόπρος kópros "feces" and φαγεῖν phageîn "to eat". Coprophagy refers to many kinds of feces-eating, including eating feces of other species (heterospecifics), of other individuals (allocoprophagy), or one's own (autocoprophagy) – those once deposited or taken directly from the anus.[2]
In humans, coprophagia has been described since the late 19th century in individuals with mental illnesses and in some sexual acts,
Coprophagia by humans
In cuisine
The feces of the rock ptarmigan is used in Urumiit, which is a delicacy in some Inuit cuisine.[5] Several beverages are made using the feces of animals, including but not limited to Kopi luwak, panda tea, insect tea, and Black Ivory Coffee.[6] Casu martzu is a cheese that uses the digestive processes of live maggots to help ferment and break down the cheese's fats.[7]
As a medical treatment for CDI and other conditions
In Fecal microbiota transplant (FMT), also known as a stool transplant, fecal bacteria and other microbes from a healthy individual are transferred into a patient as an effective treatment for Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). This treatment has also been used to try to cure other conditions with various results. See: Fecal microbiota transplant.
As a supposed medical treatment
Ayurveda and Siddha medicine use various animal excreta in various forms. The dung and urine of the Zebu is especially important in the list.[8][9]
Centuries ago (mid 16th century) physicians tasted their patients' feces, to better judge their state and condition, according to François Rabelais, who studied medicine but was also a writer of satirical and grotesque fiction. Further information is needed to confirm the accuracy and context of statement.[10]
Lewin reported, "... consumption of fresh, warm camel feces has been recommended by Bedouins as a remedy for bacterial dysentery; its efficacy (probably attributable to the antibiotic subtilisin from Bacillus subtilis) was anecdotally confirmed by German soldiers in Africa during World War II".[11] However, this story is likely a myth, independent research was not able to verify any of these claims.[12]
As a cult practice
Members of a religious cult in Thailand routinely ate the feces and dead skin of their leader, whom they considered to be a holy man with healing powers.[13]
As a paraphilia
Coprophagia has also been observed in some people with schizophrenia[17] and pica.[18]
Coprophagia by nonhuman animals
By invertebrates
Coprophagous insects consume and redigest the feces of large animals. These feces contain substantial amounts of semidigested food, particularly in the case of herbivores, owing to the inefficiency of the large animals' digestive systems. Thousands of species of coprophagous insects are known, especially among the orders Diptera and Coleoptera. Examples of such flies are Scathophaga stercoraria and Sepsis cynipsea, dung flies commonly found in Europe around cattle droppings. Among beetles, dung beetles are a diverse lineage, many of which feed on the microorganism-rich liquid component of mammals' dung, and lay their eggs in balls composed mainly of the remaining fibrous material.[19]
Through proctodeal feeding,
By vertebrates
Lagomorphs (rabbits, hares, pikas) and some other mammals ferment fiber in their cecums, which is then expelled as cecotropes & eaten from the anus, a process called cecotrophy. Then their food is processed through the gastrointestinal tract a second time, which allows them to absorb more nutrition. While cecotropes are expelled from the anus, they are not feces and thus eating them is not called coprophagia.
Domesticated and wild mammals are sometimes coprophagic.
Some dogs may lack critical digestive enzymes when they are only eating processed dried foods, so they gain these from consuming fecal matter. They only consume fecal matter that is less than two days old which supports this theory.[21]
The young of
Coprophagia by plants
Some carnivorous plants, such as pitcher plants of the genus Nepenthes, obtain nourishment from the feces of commensal animals. Notable examples include Nepenthes jamban, whose specific name is the Indonesian word for toilet.[30][31] Manure is organic matter, mostly animal feces, that is used as organic fertilizer for plants in agriculture.[32]
See also
- Coprophilous fungi
- Fecal bacteriotherapy
- Fecal–oral route, a route of disease transmission
- Gomutra
- Kopi luwak
- Panchagavya
- Pig toilet
- Scathophagidae
- Scatophagidae
References
- ^ "Coprophagia". Dictionary.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
- .
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- ^ Malbon A (2021-02-12). "What is rimming? How to give a rim job safely". Netdoctor. Archived from the original on 2022-06-21. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
- ^ Millman L (2 February 2017). "This Shit Is a Delicacy". Archived from the original on 28 September 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
- ^ "World's Priciest Coffee Is Hand-Picked From Elephant Dung". Bloomberg.com. 2017-01-27. Archived from the original on 2022-05-13. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
- ^ "Casu Marzu - nice Italian cheese, which is illegal and has thousands of maggots by design - Technology Org". www.technology.org. 2019-11-23. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
- PMID 22022157.
- ^ Pandey N (2021-01-06). "Cow urine, milk can treat skin diseases, psoriasis — Modi govt's agency in document for exam". ThePrint. Archived from the original on 2023-03-18. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
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- ^ Ewe K (26 May 2022). "Disturbing Details Keep Emerging About This Bizarre Poop-Eating Cult". Vice. Archived from the original on 1 July 2022. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
- OCLC 47893709.
- ^ "2 Girls, 1 Cup: The Real Poop". The Smoking Gun. November 30, 2007. Archived from the original on January 2, 2010. Retrieved December 7, 2007.
- ^ Marquis de Sade DF (1785). Les 120 journées de Sodome, ou L'École du Libertinage [The 120 Days of Sodom, or The School of Libertinage] (PDF) (in French). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-08-14. Retrieved 2022-08-14.
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- PMID 11001006.
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- ^ Brogan J (4 November 2016). "Everyone Poops. Some Animals Eat It. Why?". Smithsonian. Archived from the original on 10 November 2016. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
- ^ "Do Chickens Eat Their Own Poop? The Interesting Answer". 24 November 2021. Archived from the original on 2023-04-15. Retrieved 2023-04-15.
- ^ Hirsch J (31 October 2009). "Ban on feces in cattle feed urged". L.A. Times. Archived from the original on 14 August 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
- ^ "Feeding of Poultry Manure to Cattle Prohibited". Canadian Food Inspection Agency. 2012-02-10. Archived from the original on 2015-05-23. Retrieved 2015-05-22.
- ^ "BBC Nature — Dung eater videos, news and facts". bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 25 March 2012. Retrieved 2011-11-27.
- PMID 31126021.
- from the original on 2020-11-06. Retrieved 2019-09-30.
- ^ Pareek RC (10 July 2020). "Why do HedgeHogs Eat Poop? We Explain!". Small Pet Site. Archived from the original on 2020-08-15. Retrieved 2020-08-14.
- ISBN 978-0-387-33505-6. Archived from the original(PDF) on 18 October 2012.
- ^ Walker M (10 March 2010). "Giant meat-eating plants prefer to eat tree shrew poo". BBC - Earth News. Archived from the original on 13 March 2010. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
- ^ Pappas S (9 July 2015). "How Hungry Pitcher Plants Get the Poop They Need". Live Science. Archived from the original on 16 July 2016. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
- Encyclopedia Britannica. Archivedfrom the original on 7 March 2023. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
Further reading
- Fuess TA (2 June 1997). "Why Does My Dog Eat Feces?". University of Illinois, College of Vet Medicine. Archived from the original on 14 February 2004.