#WackyWednesday: The five worst jobs in history (in our opinion)

Every job has its bad days, where employees question whether they could possibly have the worst job of all time.

However, in bygone days, people often found themselves in some nauseating professions to provide meals for their families.

Here are five of the worst jobs in history.

1. Groom of the stool

During the Tudor era, being appointed the Groom of the Stool was an honour.

While it offered intimate access to the reigning king, it was a rather humiliating job.

The groom was responsible for fetching the king’s toilet chair, wiping his bottom, and collecting his stool for examination and monitoring the king’s health. He also administered enemas when the king was constipated.

2. Roman fuller

While no one has dreamed of pursuing a career in laundry, in Ancient Rome is was one form of employment to be avoided at all costs.

Charged with keeping togas and tunics clean, the fuller soaked the clothing in a mixture of hot human urine and water. After the clothing was thoroughly soaked, the fuller trampled out all the stains.

3. Whipping boy

In early England, a royal prince was often assigned a whipping boy.

The two were educated together and would forge a strong bond through the time spent together.

However, if the prince decided to be mischievous, it was his friend who would be punished.  This was because it was believed the only person who could punish a king’s son, was the king.  Tutors would then enforce their rules by physically punishing the unfortunate whipping boy instead.

4. Resurrectionists

During the early 19th century, medical schools and anatomists were only allowed to use the cadavers of criminals who were sentenced to death. This led to a severe shortage of bodies to dissect.

Medical schools then paid a handsome fee to those delivering a body in good condition, which resulted in unscrupulous people robbing recently dug graves, so they could sell the corpses.

5. Pure finder

Don’t let the name mislead you, as a pure finder collected dog faeces.

Pure finders would work the streets of London, picking up dog poop to sell to tanners, who in turn used it in the leather-making process.

Dog faeces was known as pure as it was used to purify the leather and make it more flexible.

As leather was in great demand during the Victorian era, being used as tack for horses, as well for shoes, boots, bags, and in bookbinding, being a pure finder could be rather profitable.

But this meant pure finders would haunt the streets where stray dogs gathered, scooping up their waste and keeping it in a covered bucket before selling it on to the tanners.