A couple tidbits from that medical-history book I'm reading:

In ancient Egypt, apparently there was a royal cabinet position known as Keeper of the Royal Rectum.

Yes, I am eleven years old: that made me laugh. And yeah, I realize, cultural differences are a big thing, there are probably things we are obsessed by in this culture that would horrify other cultures. But I also laughed - and in fact, was much closer to being actually 11 years old in reality - when some medical treatment Reagan had was performed by a "rear admiral"*

(*OK, maybe that was just in MAD Magazine. I can't find any evidence of it on the Internet, though I was pretty sure previously that either the attempted-assassination bullet was removed, or one of his colonoscopies was performed by, someone who had been a Navy man and had served in that position. Or someone from the Public Health Service Corps; apparently Rear Admiral is a rank there as well).

Apparently Egyptians were rather obsessed by that part of bodily workings; it also said that three days a month were set aside for people to treat themselves with laxatives (and apparently deal with the aftermath of such).

Somehow, that makes modern Americans' obsession with exercise and looking "youthful" seem a bit tame in comparison.