What was the purpose of the "xylospongium"?

The "xylospongium" (or "tersorium"), also known as a sponge on a stick, was a hygienic utensil used by ancient Romans to wipe their anus after defecating, consisting of a wooden stick (Greek: ξύλον, xylon) with a sea sponge (Greek: σπόγγος, sponges) fixed at one end.

The "tersorium" was shared by people using public latrines. To clean the sponge, they simply washed it in a bucket with water and salt or vinegar. This became a breeding ground for bacteria, causing the spread of disease in the latrine. In classical antiquity, a "xylospongium" might be used as a toilet brush.

In the baths of the seven sages in "Ostia", a fresco from the 2nd century contains the Inscription (u)"Taris xylosphongio" which is the first known mention of the term. Also in the early second century, a papyrus letter of "Claudius Terentianus" to his father "Claudius Tiberianus" uses the term "xylespongium" in a phrase.

In the middle of the first century, Seneca reported that a Germanic gladiator had committed suicide with a sponge on a stick. The Germanic gladiator hid in the latrine of an amphitheater and pushed the wooden stick into his gullet and choked to death.