Toilet
419 million people have no access to a toilet at all. They must openly defecate and urinate in the open air. This lack of infrastructure leads to diseases transmitted via the fecal-oral route. Waterborne illnesses like cholera and dysentery spread through contaminated water sources. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 aims to achieve adequate sanitation for everyone by 2030. One billion people in developing countries still resort to open defecation instead of using facilities. Poor households often use very basic, unhygienic toilets or none at all. Socio-economic status determines whether a person has access to these essential services. International initiatives such as World Toilet Day draw attention to this crisis.
The city of Uruk in Mesopotamia exhibits the earliest known internal pit toilet from the fourth millennium BC. Neolithic village Skara Brae in Orkney contained small rooms over communal drains around 3100 BC. Mohenjo-Daro in the Indus Valley Civilisation featured vertical chutes leading waste into cesspits or street drains. Houses belonging to the upper class in Lothal had private toilets connected to covered brickwork sewer networks. Archaeologists found Southeast Asia's earliest latrine during an excavation in southern Vietnam dating back 1500 BC. Sri Lankan constructions at Abhayagiri complex included underground terracotta pipes leading to septic pits between the 2nd century BC and 3rd century CE. Roman civilization used flowing water in public bath house latrines that were elevated above open sewers. Han dynasty China utilized pig toilets linking waste directly to animal pens for fertilizer production.
John Harington designed a precursor flush system in 1596 but it did not see widespread use until centuries later. Scottish mechanic Alexander Cummings invented the S-trap in 1775 which uses standing water to seal bowl outlets. Water closets started appearing inside homes around 1850 after being located outside previously. The Tudor Walters Report of 1918 recommended internal water closets for semi-skilled workers housing. William Elvis Sloan created the Flushometer in 1906 using pressurized water from supply lines. By 1906 Rochdale possessed 750 water closets for its population of 10,000 people. Adamsez founded in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1880 became one of the long-established sanitary ware manufacturers. Twyfords began operations in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent in 1849 under Thomas Twyford and his son.
Squatting postures remain more prevalent in the Middle East and Asia while Western nations prefer sitting positions. Muslim countries often design facilities enabling Islamic toilet etiquette with bidet showers plumbed into walls. The left hand is considered impolite or polluted in many Asian cultures due to cleansing practices. Bidets are common in predominantly Catholic countries where water serves as essential anal cleansing tools. Greece and Finland utilize bidet showers within traditionally Orthodox and Lutheran contexts. Japan produces toilets with seats featuring integrated spray mechanisms for anal and genital water sprays. Airplane toilets operate differently to function safely during flight conditions. Portable chemical porta johns appear frequently at large temporary gatherings requiring mobile sanitation solutions.
High-tech toilets found in Japan include automatic flushing mechanisms and blow dryers for drying users. Some units feature medical monitoring capabilities analyzing urine and stool samples while checking blood pressure. Heated seats and deodorizing fans provide comfort alongside automated paper seat-cover replacement systems. Interactive urinals allow users to play video games using pressure sensors detecting flow of urine. Astronauts on the International Space Station use space toilets recovering potable water through urine diversion. Vacuum toilets remove waste by suction using less than a quarter liter per flush operation. Floating toilets built above water collect excreta in tanks rather than allowing it to enter ground soil. Twin pit latrines alternate usage when one pit fills over several months transforming contents into sanitized material.
Toilet originated as a French loanword first attested in 1540 referring to little cloth draped over shoulders during hairdressing. The term came to describe grooming complexes centered at dressing tables covered by cloths around late 17th century. Special rooms dedicated to urination appeared later with first attestation in 1819 following French usage patterns. Euphemisms like crapper gained currency from Thomas Crapper who popularized flush toilets in England. Loo emerged as British upper-class speech marker featured in James Joyce's novel Ulysses published in 1922. American Standard sells products as toilets while Kohler Company markets higher-priced items as commodes or closets. TOTO abbreviation stands for Oriental Ceramics and appears in Japanese comics indicating toilet fixtures. Regional dialects vary between bathroom, restroom, washroom, WC, lavatory and other local terms reflecting social class differences.
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Common questions
How many people currently lack access to a toilet?
419 million people have no access to a toilet at all and must openly defecate in the open air. This lack of infrastructure leads to diseases transmitted via the fecal-oral route such as cholera and dysentery.
When was the earliest known internal pit toilet built?
The city of Uruk in Mesopotamia exhibits the earliest known internal pit toilet from the fourth millennium BC. Neolithic village Skara Brae in Orkney contained small rooms over communal drains around 3100 BC.
Who invented the S-trap for toilets and when did it happen?
Scottish mechanic Alexander Cummings invented the S-trap in 1775 which uses standing water to seal bowl outlets. Water closets started appearing inside homes around 1850 after being located outside previously.
What is the origin of the word toilet?
Toilet originated as a French loanword first attested in 1540 referring to little cloth draped over shoulders during hairdressing. The term came to describe grooming complexes centered at dressing tables covered by cloths around late 17th century.
How do vacuum toilets function on airplanes or space stations?
Vacuum toilets remove waste by suction using less than a quarter liter per flush operation. Astronauts on the International Space Station use space toilets recovering potable water through urine diversion.