How the flush toilet Became the Product We Know Today

Written by: Cindy Le

A traditional statue edited onto a modern toilet

The centerpiece of every modern bathroom is the toilet. It is also among the most necessary items in every American household. As one of the most commonly used products, the toilet has undergone many reformations and developments before it is brought upon us today. But why is the toilet important to us anyways?

The concept of toilets was already created as civilizations began to cluster and form cities, and the need to dispose of human waste became urgent. As a result, the ancient Egyptians developed a solution around 2500 B.C. by developing a bathroom latrine system. This utilized a constant stream of water to carry away waste. However, even with this new creation, more problems arose as European countries faced severe sanitation issues. During the 12th century, toilet banks that emptied waste into local waterways through pipes called garderobes were developed. According to the article "Before the Flush – A History Lesson in Toilets" from Gotugo.com, "the conditions were horrendous, and contaminating illnesses afflicted many citizens . . . the Thames River was a major outlet for the waste, and the odors and bacteria eventually caused widespread disease in the city."

To resolve these problems, the first modern flushable toilet was invented in 1596 by John Harrington. According to an article on History.com by Nate Barksdale, the creation was "a 2-foot-deep oval bowl waterproofed with pitch, resin and wax and fed by water from an upstairs cistern" and "required 7.5 gallons of water—a veritable torrent in the era before indoor plumbing." The device could allow up to 20 people to use it between flushes. However, while it was innovative, the technology was only affordable to the royal family and still did not address the issue of dealing with waste contents once they had been flushed.

While the idea of a toilet was found significant, it was not only in 1861, did Joseph Adamson make a new sanitation advancement. Through Thomas Twyford's help, Adamson created a model similar to the modern toilets in our houses today. The design had features identical to the first flush toilet but had the quality of isolating waste odors. While the improved toilet was popular overseas, outhouses were still commonly used in the U.S. Nevertheless, that soon came to an end after World War I brought the popularity of the newly designed invention. Soldiers returned with stories about a device that could flush waste away from restroom sites. The improved toilet was also affordable to manufacture for even ordinary people to purchase. Due to its widespread popularity, the flush toilet reduced many sanitary illnesses and improved numerous people who suffered from waste exposure.

Over time, many additions were placed to the toilet, including the type of material used or covers for the toilet. Nonetheless, the flush toilet completely changed the world after it was made into advanced technology. It was a solution to diseases and a clever way to dispose of our waste. After going through numerous historical processes, the toilet finally became the product we know today.

Citations:
Gotügo. “A Complete History Lesson in Toilets.” Gotügo, 14 Feb. 2014,  www.gotugo.com/blog/articles/flush-history-lesson-toilets/#:~:text=As%20civilizations%

20began%20to%20cluster,limited%20to%20no%20flushing%20capability. Accessed 11 Nov. 2024.

“Who Invented the Flush Toilet?” History.Com, A&E Television Networks, 

www.history.com/news/who-invented-the-flush-toilet. Accessed 11 Nov. 2024.