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| courtesy wikipedia |
8th century BC toilet found in Jerusalem
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| courtesy wikipedia |
Roman communal latrines at Ostia Antica, Rome
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has challenged scientists to develop waterless toilets for the 2.5 billion people around the world without access to modern sanitation. About 1.5 million children under 5 years old die every year - mostly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia because of sanitation problems. The modern flushable toilets are not the answer for them as they need a complex sewerage system and use too much water.This set me thinking about the design of toilets and how little they have changed over many hundreds of years.
In Europe early toilets were known as garderobe as they were mainly situated where the clothes were stored. It was believed that ammonia would protect coats and cloaks from fleas. A garderobe was usually a simple hole discharging to the outside of a castle down a chute leading to the moat or cesspit, and many can still be seen in Norman and medieval castles today.
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| courtesy wikipedia |
A garderobe at Peveril Castle, Derbyshire.
courtesy wikipedia
Inside Château de Chillon, Switzerland showing the garderobe chute to the outside.
In the early 80's H and I visited China. I opened a door to a public toilet only to find myself confronted with an enormous room filled with dozens of holes in the ground, and already busily occupied. Needless to say I quickly withdrew closing the door quietly as I left. When I was a young child I remember my parents calling in at a restaurant as we were en route through rural Norfolk. The toilets turned out to be in one continuous row all linked by a long wooden top with several holes in it. I thought that it was hilarious sitting there with my mother, however, she was definitely not amused.
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courtesy Katherine Nader
King William III's toilet at Hampton Court - this is considered to be where the term 'using the throne' comes from
Today the modern convenience can be a minefield for the unwary, and I am sure many of you have lavatory/ toilet/ loo stories. Should you not place the palm of your hand in the right spot then the toilet will not flush, seats that rise and fall automatically, and the deodoriser that fires into the cubicle as you leave, if you are not careful you can emerge smelling of 'eau de toilette'.In the early 80's H and I visited China. I opened a door to a public toilet only to find myself confronted with an enormous room filled with dozens of holes in the ground, and already busily occupied. Needless to say I quickly withdrew closing the door quietly as I left. When I was a young child I remember my parents calling in at a restaurant as we were en route through rural Norfolk. The toilets turned out to be in one continuous row all linked by a long wooden top with several holes in it. I thought that it was hilarious sitting there with my mother, however, she was definitely not amused.
Recently we came across this toilet in Norway which has similarities to the one I saw as a child. It was scrupulously clean but where was the flushing devise? It turned out that the toilet had been cleverly built over rocks that were automatically flushed by a fast running mountain stream, but I do wonder what happens at the other end? I am sure many of you have come across those individual toilets in France and Italy that consist of a porcelain hole in the ground with indentations for your feet on either side. Very inconvenient conveniences particularly when wearing tights!!!
It is often thought that the Victorian plumber, Thomas Crapper, invented the flushing toilet, but that was actually invented as long ago as 1596 by John Harrington. However, Thomas Crapper's advertisements did imply the siphonic flush was his invention. Crapper did do much to increase the popularity of the toilet, and developed some important related inventions, such as the ballcock. He was noted for the quality of his products and received several royal warrants. He owned the world's first bath, toilet and sink showroom, on the King's Road, London.
It is often thought that the Victorian plumber, Thomas Crapper, invented the flushing toilet, but that was actually invented as long ago as 1596 by John Harrington. However, Thomas Crapper's advertisements did imply the siphonic flush was his invention. Crapper did do much to increase the popularity of the toilet, and developed some important related inventions, such as the ballcock. He was noted for the quality of his products and received several royal warrants. He owned the world's first bath, toilet and sink showroom, on the King's Road, London.
Crapper's Valveless waste Preventer
his branding on one of his toilets
both images courtesy of wikipedia
Contemporary plumbing facilities in the holiday barn we stayed at in Cumbria.
H points out that the real challenge Bill Gates should have set concerns the method of treatment of sewage in developing countries, not waterless toilets. This problem has in fact already been solved by the use of small bio-digesters which generate gas that can then be used for cooking and lighting. In H's opinion promotion of the widespread use of this way of treating sewage by such simply technology is a far more important objective than finding an alternative to flushing toilets.
some facts and information via wikepedia
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