A snippet to add to the 'turdicle' debate is that I too got involved, in the 69 year, in going down into the 'loo cavern'. Think I may have knocked it over - again - while there, but the prompt for going down in the first place was to recover 'doc's' radio pills!! Denis Wilkinson was doing physio work measuring core body temperatures - and there are already numerous accounts of either being 'boiled' in his bath or frozen in the Armco fuel tank building - both in my case!! - all in the interest of science.To do this he had us swallow (costly!) radio transmitter pills, about the size of the end of your little finger. To this day I still tend to gag a bit when taking larger pills, something that never happened before that!! Once in the stomach the core temperature could be recorded by holding a loop of aerial externally over the body. i.e. easy to do in the field when sledging.
Next bit not for the squeamish!! Of course the pill didn't remain in the stomach for very long and had to be 'collected' (they cost a lot of money you know) at the other end. It doesn't do to dwell too long on the process of 'craping' into a poly bag, squeezing the pill to the neck of the bag, slitting open the condom covering of the pill, washing it (very thoroughly!!!) putting it into a fresh condom, and swallowing it again!!!!!
The visit(s) to the loo cavern were prompted by the occasions when - usually in the morning after the night before - mind in neutral ready for 'the morning constitutional' one forgot the poly bag! A quick trip to see Denis - with his aerial - where you hoped upon hope that there was still a signal being transmitted; if not it was break out the electron ladder, don overalls and get down there to find it. Happy days!!
16 February 2007