There’s a certain place we all have to visit from time to time to take care of a little inconvenient, but truly necessary business. Yes, I am talking about going to the toilet. The toilet is not something we really like to talk about much, certainly not in polite company, but it’s not a dirty word by any means, although the process that takes place there has inspired some of those.
One good thing is that when you need to utilize the services of a toilet, there is almost always one nearby, in public spaces and private. Most homes have one, or even two, and there is an entire industry dedicated to making sure that if there is a problem with yours you can just call the helpful plumbers in Inner West Sydney and their dedicated professionals will have things all cleared up for you in no time!
Now that we are talking about the toilet, let’s delve into the history of this amazing device!
We aren’t sure who first invented the flush toilet. Archaeological excavations in India’s northwest discovered 4000-year-old drainage systems that might have been toilets, but it’s not completely clear that was genuinely the case. Another possible early flush toilet is attributed to the Scots in a Neolithic settlement dating back to 3000 BC, and to the Greeks who constructed the Palace of Knossos in 1700 BC with large earthenware pans connected to a flushing water supply. Again, the evidence is a bit unclear on these accounts.
In Rome, 144 public toilets from 315 AD have been uncovered. To the Romans, going to the toilet was a social event, everyone just sat next to each other and had a chat whilst taking care of their business. This only happens today in army barracks and locker rooms, most people prefer their privacy, hence the invention of stalls for public restrooms, and the locks on bathroom doors in private dwellings. The Romans are said to have wiped themselves with a piece of sponge fixed to a short wooden handle which was then rinsed in a water channel running in front of the toilet to be reused by the next customer. This practice is considered to be the source of the phrase “getting hold of the wrong end of the stick”. This is one case where most people might take a pass on doing as the Romans do.
We shall skip over the practices of medieval times because they were utterly disgusting, and cut to the 16th century when Europeans were finally discovering the benefits of modern sanitation. Although this is popularly considered to have been the work of the rather poetically named Thomas Crapper in the 1860s, the real credit for inventing the modern flush toilet goes to Sir John Harrington, a godson of Elizabeth I. In 1592 Harrington invented a water closet that featured a raised cistern and a small downpipe through which water could be released to run down to the bowl and flush the waste away. He constructed one for himself and one for his godmother. Sadly, his invention was ignored for almost 200 years.
Meanwhile, it was back to medieval methods during the 19th century. As the population of Britain increased, the number of available toilets couldn’t match the expansion. In overcrowded cities like London and Manchester, up to 100 people might have to share a single toilet. The resulting overflow of sewage spilt into the streets and the rivers, where it was further polluted by chemicals, horse manure and dead animals. From there it seeped into the drinking water supply, which came out of the pipes brown in colour, and resulted in tens of thousands of people dying of water-borne disease, most significantly during the cholera epidemics of the 1830s and 1850s.
It was after this unfortunate and foul-smelling period that Thomas Crapper was hired by Prince Edward (who would become King Edward VII) in 1861 to construct lavatories in the royal palaces. Crapper is now thought of as the father of the modern toilet.
Australia maintains strict sewage regulations, so when using the toilet you can flush without guilt. Just be sure to light a courtesy match when your business is concluded.