In history

pooped.

In ancient times, the Romans built public underground sewer systems, which not only

carried waste, but also drinking water,

so it paid to be up stream.

The romans used large, divider-free public restrooms - some with up to 50 toilets.

Many people read prayers and protection spells to keep them safe from demons, rats biting their bums,

or open flames that could flare up from methane pockets.

In the middle ages, where you pooped largely depended on your class.

Lower class people pooped in chamber pots - aka jerry, guzunder, a po, thunder pot… If you were really poor,

a bucket.

In medieval London it was illegal to empty these out the window (not that stopped many people).

Most people carried their full chamber pots to a nearby stream or river

and emptied it there.

Larger houses had attached latrines which drained into cess-pits which were emptied

by men called “gongfermours” or “gong farmers.” who would then carry the waste

to the streams and rivers. The Gong Farmers of London would end their shift bathing in

the River Thames, which was probably only slightly cleaner than themselves - at least

they were well-paid.

For the top of the Pooping-ladder, Castles featured rooms called Garderobes, which had

literally a seat with a hole to the outside cut into it. Poop would drop right into the

castle moat. When the tide was low, it would pile up above the water until it was flushed

away into the river.

Which was also drinking water.

The word garderobe is french for Wardrobe. People would hang their clothes in these rooms,

as the fleas and moths didn’t like the smell.

There was a position called “The Groom of the King’s Stool,” whose job was to wipe the

king’s bum when he was finished pooping. Naturally, this was a job of honor and only

princes or boys of royalty were allowed to do it.

With all this poop being thrown around, you can imagine the smell literally everywhere.

If you can't, think about this, Archaeologists have found medieval poop and it still stinks

to this day. This past year they even found several 700 year old barrels unearthed in

Denmark in the Werner's Square. Boy, do we stink Brandon.

Finally, in 1596, a man named John Harrington, who was actually an English poet, invented

a flushing toilet for Queen Elizabeth the first. But it was so loud it scared her from

using it. It did, however, become popular to call this new invention after it's creator,

John.

By the 1850s over 400,000 tonnes of sewage were flushed into the River Thames each day

- around 150 million tonnes of poo a year.

Eventually, in the 1880's, a man came along who invented the ballcock and many other patents,

which helped silence the scary flushing toilet, leading to its widespread adoption… his

name?

Thomas Crapper.

FUN FACT:

The US Navy has developed a way to vaporize poop on their vessels. The technology has been

installed on their newest aircraft carrier, the Gerald Ford Aircarft Carrier, because he

was a real stinky President.