The study of faeces (commonly known as pooh) is actually very important. It's scientific name is scatology or coprology.

There is a hall of other words related to scatology and coprology. These are areas studied by palaeontologists, geologists, psychiatrists, historians, parasitogists, pathologists, psychologists, archeologists, anthropologists, zoologists, chemists and others. Some of these study the letting off of faeces, others study the taking in of faeces. And sometimes they study both.

In modern medicine what's inside faeces can tell us whether a patient has internal bowel bleeding, is infected by parasites or has problems with their diet. That's all fairly obvious.The study of very old hard pooh on the other hand is a little more remarkable

Consider for example a coprolite . This is a rock of fossilized faeces.

Palaeontologists examine these ancient rocks to learn about the living conditions of dinosaurs and prehistoric marine reptiles. The remains of bones, fish scales, sea shells, leaves, seeds and wood inside these rocks of prehistoric excrement help palaeontologists understand the diet and environment of ancient animals. Coprolites also help identify the parasites and sicknesses which harmed dinosaurs and marine reptiles.

Taphonomists are researchers whose interests cross into palaeontology, anthropology, zoology and geology. These people study how the remains of ancient living organisms decayed. An abundance of coprolites from one area tells taphonomists the animal was part of a large population. While the type of rock layers covering and holding the ancient pooh shows if and when water, volcanoes or earthquakes swept over the area.

Archaeologists also study very old rocks of pooh. But while palaeontologists study 200 million year old coprolites, archaeologists study pooh that is only a few thousand years old. These more modern lumps of pooh are also often called coprolites. But technically they should not be called this. Real coprolites are fossils which take at least 10,000 years to form.

Like palaeontologists, archaeologists examine coprolites to understand the diet and diseases of whoever or whatever made the faeces. Studies of South American coprolites from about 2200BC have shown people suffered from tapeworm (Enterobius Vermicularis) and gastro (Giardia). This gave them itchy bottoms and diarrohoea.

Geologists and chemists also study coprolites. This is because coprolites are high in the mineral phosphate.

Phosphate is used both in explosives and as a fertiliser. One of the most common sources for phosphate is guano. This is the droppings and remains of ancient seabirds and bats. One major source for guano has been the Pacific Islands. Ancient sea birds used these islands for breeding and to rest during trans-oceanic voyages. (see: http://www.wotwaste.com/waste-articles/agricultural-waste/us-bird-pooh-laws-pacific-islands-and-a-very-large-british-home )

Zoologists are also interested in faeces, in particular the eating of pooh by animals. Young koalas, pandas and elephants eat their mother's faeces to gain bacteria for the break down of food. Gorillas also eat their own excrement to assist in digestion. Flies and dung beetles feed off the faeces of animals, and assist in the decomposition of it. There are actually quite a few animals which eat pooh for practical reasons.

Then there is the eating or handling of faeces for non-practical peculiar reasons. Humans very occassionally do this....Eat their own or other people's faeces. And yes it will make them sick and vomit; which is why psychiatrists and psychologists study this behaviour. They've given it a couple of special names coprolagnia and coprophilia (These deal with getting a weird pleasure from doing revolting things with human pooh).