Panic buying of toilet rolls in Australia began in early March 2020. This was related to the realisation that the novel coronavirus was spreading across the country. To the general population the impact of the virus was unknown. Gradually the federal government started closing the country’s borders. The panic buying of toilet rolls was not unique to Australia. It happened across all societies that used toilet paper rather than water to clean after defecation and urination. However, research suggests that the panic buying was most extreme in Australia. This article argues that the panic buying was closely linked to everyday notions of Western civilisation. Pedestal toilets and toilet paper are key aspects of civilisation and the fear of the loss of toilet paper is connected to anxiety about social breakdown, the loss of civilisation. This is the fear manifested in the perceived threat posed by the virus.

澳大利亚的厕纸恐慌性抢购始于 2020 年 3 月上旬。这与人们意识到新型冠状病毒正在全国蔓延有关。对于普通民众来说，病毒的影响是未知的。渐渐地，联邦政府开始关闭该国的边界。抢购厕纸并不是澳大利亚独有的现象。这种情况发生在所有在排便和排尿后使用卫生纸而不是水进行清洁的社会。然而，研究表明，恐慌性购买在澳大利亚最为极端。本文认为，恐慌性购买与西方文明的日常观念密切相关。座便器和厕纸是文明的关键方面，对丢失厕纸的恐惧与对社会崩溃、文明丧失的焦虑有关。