In human beings..
Sexual aspects..
Some
coprophiles engage in this practice. Psychiatrists using the classification system of the
DSM-IV would consider this a symptom of the
paraphilia called
coprophilia "if the behavior, sexual urges, or fantasies cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning". Coprophagia is also depicted in
pornography, usually under the term
scat (from
scatology)
Medical aspects..
Centuries ago,
physicians used to taste their patients'
excretions, to better judge their state and condition.
Fecal bacteriotherapy is when feces from a close relative or spouse are given to patients suffering from intractable
diarrhea caused by
Clostridium difficile. The purpose is to repopulate the intestines with the normal
gut flora (intestinal
bacteria) to decimate the clostridium. The healthy stool is administered by
nasogastric tube, enema, or in a capsule.
Consuming other
people's feces carries the risk of contracting diseases and bacteria spread through fecal matter, such as E. coli, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis E, pneumonia, polio, and influenza. Coprophagia also carries a risk of contracting intestinal parasites.
Lewin (2001) reports that "... consumption of fresh, warm camel feces has been recommended by
Bedouins as a remedy for bacterial dysentery; its efficacy (probably attributable to the antibioticsubtilisin from Bacillus subtilis) was confirmed by German soldiers in Africa during World War II." The introduction of foreign bacteria into the human GI tract via infusion of fecal enemas is, moreover, an established medical practice in cases of ulcerative colitis, especially where the patient's own intestinal flora has been significantly depleted by antibiotic therapy applied for other maladies.
From the psychiatry literature, coprophagia has been observed in a small number of patients with
schizophrenia, depression, and pica.
I will not do scat!
One can not call on a provider in the middle of the afternoon and ask to play a role that normally is a daily morning routine.