Pre-germ-theory food handling and water source management always took a toll, so I’m guessing poo sponges were a relatively small part of the problem. Especially if the vinegar soak actually worked at all.
He also reviewed studies analyzing Rome’s ectoparasites — that is, parasites found on the outside of the body, such as fleas, lice and bedbugs — in textiles and combs.
Surprisingly, ectoparasites were just as common in the Roman Empire, where people regularly bathed, as they were in Viking and medieval populations — groups of people who didn’t bathe frequently, Mitchell found.
Now that is surprising. How hard is it to just delouse your shit before you put it back on?
Surprisingly hard. Delousing was a major endeavor all the way up into the 20th century. The little bastards are hard to completely eradicate.
I did some searching, but turned up kind of empty. Do you have something you could link on this?
Sure thing! This is about WW1 in particular, but it gives an idea of how hard the little bastards are to fight.
https://spartacus-educational.com/FWWlice.htm
Where possible the army arranged for the men to have baths in huge vats of hot water while their clothes were being put through delousing machines. Unfortunately, this rarely worked. A fair proportion of the eggs remained in the clothes and within two or three hours of the clothes being put on again a man’s body heat had hatched them out.