Sanitation, how we used to go

17th January 2019 | Local History Society

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by Wickhambrook History Society

Our first meeting of the year was entitled ‘Sanitation; how we used to go’ and this amusing title was a taste of what was to come. In the able hands of Tony Redman, we were led through the history of how we kept clean and how human waste was dealt with over the centuries. Early man lived by a river and the water was used for absolutely everything. It was many years later that the link between clean water and health was made and we were left in no doubt that we are lucky to have modern sanitation in our homes.

Here are some of the fascinating facts we learned from Tony.

Only 1% of the world’s population has a loo in the house with a lock on the door.

We have the Romans to thank for bath houses and pipes.

Urine was an extremely useful substance which was used to tan leather, fix dye and make gunpowder.

The Dauphin was the only person at the wealthy and stunningly beautiful palace of Versailles to have his own pot. The rest of the court used the walls behind tapestries or a convenient corner.

The poet Jonathan Swift coined the phrase ‘to pluck a rose’ when lavatories were built in gardens.

The Great Exhibition at the Crystal Palace was the first public building to charge for visits to the lavatory. It cost a penny, giving rise to the expression ‘to spend a penny’.

The evening ended in reminiscences about outside lavatories, tin baths and the like.

Tony was an excellent and entertaining speaker .

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