Piles can be a right pain in the arse - & more.

What is a historical fact of daily life that a few will believe ?

Let's be real for a moment: The Middle Ages were a wild time, especially when it came to medicine. I mean, we're talking about a period where if you had hemorrhoids, you weren't just handed some soothing cream and sent on your way. Oh no, you were in for a treat... and by treat, I mean a literal nightmare.

Picture this: You've got a painful hemorrhoid situation going on. You head to your local healer, hoping for some relief. And what's their solution? They whip out a boiling iron and decide to burn each of those bad boys off. Yep, you heard that right. Boiling. Iron. On your rear end. Talk about a hot seat.

But wait, there's more. If you thought that was the pinnacle of medieval medical madness, think again. Hemorrhoids in those times were often dubbed "St. Fiacre’s curse." And who was St. Fiacre, you ask? The patron saint of hemorrhoid sufferers. That's right, they had a saint for that. Some folks even believed sitting on a specific stone (which St. Fiacre apparently sat on) would cure them. If that didn't work, well, out came the cautery irons or, in some extreme cases, physicians would try to yank them off with their bare hands. Ouch. Thankfully, by the 12th century, there was a glimmer of hope. Jewish physician Moses Maimonides penned a treatise on hemorrhoids, recommending something quite familiar to us today: a sitz bath. Simple, soothing, and sans any scalding metal. So, next time you're feeling down about a trip to the doctor, just remember: at least you're not getting the medieval treatment.

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“Back in the early days of his career,

Sylvester Stallone was so broke he ended up homeless and unable to buy food.

At his lowest point, he realized he had no option but to sell his beloved dog and best friend, Butkus, whom he simply couldn't afford to feed. After selling Butkus to a stranger for $25, he walked away crying. Just two weeks later, Stallone saw a boxing match between Mohammed Ali and Chuck Wepner. It inspired him so much, he wrote the script for Rocky. As he started approaching movie studios, he had one request: he would star in the movie. With offers for as much as $350,000, Stallone still refused until they agreed for him to play the lead. But the compromise came at a cost, with Stallone instead receiving just $35,000 for his script. The first thing the actor did when he received the money was return to the liquor store where he had last seen Butkus. After standing there for three days, he saw the man who had purchased his dog approaching and begging to buy his dog back. It would cost him $15,000, but it was worth every cent to Stallone. Butkus would appear in the film with his owner. Rocky went on to be the highest-grossing film of 1976 and won three Oscars. It also propelled Stallone to fame.

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A MAN WHO MADE A DIFFERENCE

In 1987, a 74-year old rickshaw puller by the name of Bai Fangli came back to his hometown planning to retire from his backbreaking job. There, he saw children working in the fields, because they were too poor to afford school fees. Bai returned to Tianjin and went back to work as a rickshaw puller, taking a modest accommodation next to the railway station. He waited for clients 24 hours a day, ate simple food and wore discarded second-hand clothes he found. He gave all of his hard-earned earnings to support children who could not afford education. In 2001, he drove his rickshaw to Tianjin YaoHua Middle School, to deliver his last installment of money. Nearly 90 years old, he told the students that he couldn't work any more. All of the students and teachers were moved to tears. In total, Bai had donated a total of 350,000 yuan to help more than 300 poor students continue with their studies. In 2005, Bai passed away leaving behind an inspiring legacy. If a rickshaw-puller who wore used clothes and had no education can support 300 children to go to school, imagine what you and I can do with the resources we have to bring about positive change in our world!

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