Feces therapy

{{altmed}}
{{cquote|Hath he not sent me to the men which sit on the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own piss with you? ({{bible|2 Kings|18|27}})}}
'''Feces therapy''' is a legitimate medical treatment, a potential experimental medical treatment, and a [[woo]] [[alternative medicine]]. The differences are in the methods and claimed benefits.

==Fecal transplants==
Fecal transplants (or fecal microbiota transplants, FMT) are used in medicine primarily in an attempt to treat problems in the gut [[Bacteria#Microbiomes|microbiome]] with transplants from people with healthier microbiomes. The first fecal transplant reported in a scientific journal was in 1958, but research was minimal until 2012.<ref name="gorydetails">[https://www.sciencenews.org/blog/gory-details/alternatives-needed-do-it-yourself-feces-swaps Alternatives needed to do-it-yourself feces swaps] by Erika Engelhaupt (February 20, 2014). ''Science News''</ref><ref name="fmt">[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4073534/ Intestinal Microbiota and the Efficacy of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in Gastrointestinal Disease] by Olga C. Aroniadis & Lawrence J. Brandt. ''Gastroenterol Hepatol (N Y).'' 2014 Apr; 10(4): 230–237.</ref>

===Treatments===
Treatments have addressed [[irritable bowel syndrome]] (IBS), colitis, and ''Clostridium difficile'' infection. In such cases, a plausible rationale for such treatment exists, and some treatments have had success. Transplants have often used suppositories, but oral pills of extracted [[bacteria]] seem to provide the safest method.<ref>
[https://www.sciencenews.org/article/poop-transplant-pills-treat-intestinal-infection Poop-transplant pills treat intestinal infection: Freezing donated gut bacteria keeps them fresh to fight ''Clostridium difficile''] by Kate Baggaley (October 16, 2014). ''Science News''
</ref><ref>[https://www.sciencenews.org/blog/gory-details/introducing-first-bank-feces Introducing the first bank of feces] by Erika Engelhaupt (February 12, 2014). ''Science News''</ref><ref>[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25322359 Oral, Capsulized, Frozen Fecal Microbiota Transplantation for Relapsing ''Clostridium difficile'' Infection] by Ilan Youngster et al. ''Journal of the American Medical Association'' November 5, 2014, Vol 312, No. 17, p. 729.</ref> In other words, researchers started with a bottoms-up approach and have now moved towards a top-down approach.

===Efficacy and safety===
Fecal transplants have a 90% cure rate for treating ''C. difficile'', far more effective than antibiotics.<ref>[http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/836225 Fecal Transplants Bring Hope to Patients, Challenge the FDA] by Janis C. Kelly (December 15, 2014). ''MedScape''</ref><ref>[http://www.bbc.com/news/health-31168511 BBC: Woman's stool transplant leads to 'tremendous weight gain']</ref> In a small study of 55 patients with both IBS and inflammatory bowel disease, only 52% were cured or had decreased symptoms after treatment with FMT.<ref name="fmt"/> In a smaller study of 13 patients with IBS only, 70% reported improvement of symptoms after treatment with FMT.<ref name="fmt"/>

FMT is not without risk. "Autoimmune disease (rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren syndrome, idiopathic thrombocyto-penic purpura, and peripheral neuropathy) developed in 4 of the 77 patients" in one long-term study.<ref name="fmt"/> Even if you think you have your shit together and you already have everything you need to do an FMT, '''do not''' try this at home.<ref name="gorydetails"/>

==Probiotics==
{{main|Probiotics}}
Raquel Rubio et al. won the 2014 [[Ig Nobel Prize]] in Nutrition for their study on infant fecal bacteria used as [[probiotic]]s in sausages.<ref>http://www.improbable.com/ig/ig-pastwinners.html Winners of the Ig® Nobel Prize]</ref><ref>[http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0740002013001548 Characterization of lactic acid bacteria isolated from infant faeces as potential probiotic starter cultures for fermented sausages] by Raquel Rubio et al. ''Food Microbiology'' Volume 38, April 2014, Pages 303–311. doi:10.1016/j.fm.2013.07.015.</ref> This is one kind of sausage that you absolutely do not want to see being made. [[Gillian McKeith|Unless...]]

==Alternative medicine==
The difference between the alternative medicine treatment and the medicine treatment is that:
*Alternative medicine fecal samples are generally not screened for pathogens.
*Alternative medicine claims tend toward a [[Panacea|wide variety of implausible applications]].

===China===
Human and animal feces are in the Chinese Materia Medica, and have a long history in [[traditional Chinese medicine]]. "In the 16<sup>th</sup> century, Li Shizhen detailed a variety of fecal preparations called 'yellow soup' to be given for diarrhea, abdominal pain, vomiting, and constipation."<ref>[http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/781565 Intestinal Microbiota and the Role of Fecal Microbiota Transplant (FMT) in Treatment of ''C. difficile'' Infection] by Lawrence J Brandt. ''The American Journal of Gastroenterology'' 2013;108(2):177-185.</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130620104956/http://www.nature.com/ajg/journal/v107/n11/full/ajg2012251a.html Should We Standardize the 1,700-Year-Old Fecal Microbiota Transplantation?] by Faming Zhang et al. ''The American Journal of Gastroenterology'' 107, 1755 (November 2012). doi:10.1038/ajg.2012.251</ref> It can even be found for sale online as ''Excremento Hominis'' in a preparation called ''ren zhong huang'' (人中黄) or (licorice with human feces).<ref>[http://www.tcmtreatment.com/images/wholesale/herb-price/7.htm Wholesale Price List Of Chinese Herbs (7)] Eastern Chinese Medicine Export Company (products A394 & A395).</ref> The laundry list of indications for ''ren zhong huang'' includes "erysipelas, sores, polydipsia with high fever, typhoid with heat disease, macula due to heat-toxin."<ref>[http://www.tcmwiki.com/wiki/ren-zhong-huang TCM Wiki: Ren Zhong Huang]</ref>

''Ren zhong huang'' (as ''jen chung huang'') appears in the Chinese Materia Medica as treatment for:<ref name=read>''Chinese Materia Medica: Animal Drugs'' by Bernard E. Read (1931). Peking Natural History Bulletin. Based upon the "''Pen Ts'ao Kang Mu''" [''Bencao Gangmu''] by Li Shih-Chen [Li Shizhen].</ref>
{{cquote|Epidemic fevers, delirious fevers, mushroom poisoning, and abscesses. Osteomyelitis, hematemesis [vomiting blood], epistaxis [nasal bleeding], regurgitation. For unerupted [[smallpox]]. Antiphlegmatic. The smell will induce insects to crawl out of any of the body orifices and relieve irritation. The ash is applied to genital sores in children, prolapse of the uterus after childbirth is best treated with roasted feces.

Knife wounds in the abdomen with extrusion of the bowel should be dressed with the dried powdered material.

Bleeding needle wounds are dressed with the ash. Snake bite should have a thick dressing of feces. it is an antidote internally to all kinds of poisoning, either in the form of ash, or the clear liquid feces is given.}}

Plain human feces are given:<ref name=read/>
{{cquote|For epidemic fevers, incoordinated gait, as an antidote for poisons, given in the form a soup made from the dried and powdered material.

Given with water for typhoid. Applied to boils, in one day they will burst. For carbuncles and smallpox sores which are undeveloped. For osteomyelitis.}}

Animal feces are also used in a variety of treatments, including that from the [[pig]], [[dog]], [[sheep]], mule, camel, lion, tiger, tapir, deer, [[wolf]], rabbit, otter, and [[rat]].<ref name=read/>

===India===
In 2015, Shankarbhai Vegad, a [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] (BJP) politician and a Member of Parliament, claimed that [[Urine therapy|cow urine]] and cow dung can cure [[cancer]].<ref name=vegad>[http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/cow-urine-can-cure-cancer-bjp-member-in-rs/article7012010.ece Cow dung, urine can cure cancer: BJP MP] ''The Hindu''</ref> He said, 

{{cquote|I am witness to it, cow dung and urine are a 100 per cent cure for cancer.|||Shankarbhai Vegad, BJP MP<ref name=vegad/>}}

===Korea===
In [[Korea]], a "[[wine]]" has traditionally been made from human feces called ''ttongsul'' (똥술). Ttongsul is still available in Korea, but it is not as popular as it once was.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20141107172227/http://www.vice.com/video/how-to-make-faeces-wine Vice: Korean Poo Wine]</ref><ref>[http://en.rocketnews24.com/2012/11/09/korean-feces-wine-is-a-real-thing-and-weve-got-two-bottles-of-it-contains-cat-bones-as-well/ Korean Feces Wine is a Real Thing and We’ve Got Two Bottles of it]</ref><ref>[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2398130/Ttongsul-bizarre-traditional-Korean-rice-wine-uses-human-POO-heal.html Bottoms up? The bizarre traditional Korean rice wine that uses human POO to 'heal' everything from broken bones to epilepsy]</ref> Thankfully.

===Roman Empire===
A glass vessel known as an unguentarium was found to contain biomarkers for feces, dating to the 2<sup>nd</sup> century CE was found in modern-day [[Turkey]]. At the time that the vessel was used, the Turkish peninsula was part of the [[Roman Empire]]. The biomarkers are evidence that the ancient Romans used feces in their ''materia medica''.<ref>[https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352409X26000246?via%3Dihub Feces, fragrance and medicine chemical evidence of ancient therapeutics in a Roman unguentarium] by Cenker Atila et al. (2026) ''Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports'' 70. doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105589.</ref>

===Spain===
In Spain, two biology students, Fernando Cervera and Mariano Collantes, claimed to have invented their own pseudomedicine in 2010,<ref name=fecomagnetismo>[https://web.archive.org/web/20101201000000*/http://fecomagnetismo.byethost7.com Fecomagnética Médico] Archive.org</ref> called ''fecomagnetismo'', as a part of one social experiment.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20101211075533/http://fecomagnetismo.byethost7.com/ Terapia Fecomagnética] Fecomagnética Médico</ref> The pseudomedicine was supposed to use human fecal samples with magnets, and diluted by [[homeopathic]] procedures. The experiment ended three years later, after they appeared on important webpages, events, and promotional publications about pseudomedicines. They appeared on national TV in 2017, as a part of a critical show about how pseudomedicines are created.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20170911235342/http://www.atresplayer.com/television/programas/equipo-de-investigacion/temporada-1/capitulo-205-los-nuevos-curanderos_2017090800844.html Equipo de Investigación/Los nuevos curanderos] (2017) Antena3.com</ref><ref>[https://www.vice.com/es/article/mvdavx/fernando-cervera-el-arte-de-vender-mierda-135 Fecomagnetismo: mierda para curar enfermedades: Entrevistamos a los creadores del fecomagnetismo, una supuesta terapia alternativa con excrementos humanos que destapó la estafa de las pseudociencias.] by Ana Llurba (Sep. 9 2014) ''Vice''.</ref>

==To cure homosexuality==
Feces has been used in [[reparative therapy]]. The gay male client bottles his feces, and when he experiences desires for sodomy, he opens it up and takes a whiff. The aim is to "remind (gay men) where (they) stick their penis" and that "homosexual relations are not pleasurable."<ref>[https://www.advocate.com/commentary/2012/10/29/what-actually-happens-during-reparative-therapy What Actually Happens During 'Ex-Gay' Therapy] by Peter Gajdics (October 29 2012 4:00 AM EST) ''Advocate''.</ref>

==See also==
{{collist|2|
*[[Colonic]]
*[[Copromancy]]
*[[Jenkem]]
*[[The poo lady]]
*[[Urine therapy]]
*[[Vomit therapy]]
*{{bible|2 Kings|18|27}}
}}

==External links==
*[http://www.openbiome.org OpenBiome] provides screened fecal microbiota preparations to the medical community for FMT. Donors are paid for samples and can win prizes for the biggest or most donations in a month.

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

[[Category:Alternative medicine]]
[[Category:Chinese medicine]]
[[Category:Medicine]]
[[Category:Shit articles]]

Categories: Alternative medicine, Chinese medicine, Medicine, Shit articles