DIY fertiliser may be behind monks’ parasite torment, say archaeologists

Study of graves in Cambridge finds nearly twice as many monks died with worms compared with poorer folk

Medieval clergy were more likely to suffer from intestinal parasites than the poorer public despite having better sanitation, research has found.

Experts say those who dwelt in monasteries could have been at greater risk of such infections because they grew their own produce and may have used fresh human faeces as manure.