The Romans had some public commodes as well and these were hooked up to extensive and complex sewer systems. Most private folks used a chamber pot and few households would want to flush away the contents as waste material was used for household purposes (e.g., urea from urine was used in making soap).

As the populations of cities became denser and there was no place to “deal” with the chamber pots, folks would simply pour them out the window and into the streets (which we typically unpaved). Later sewers were added to the sides of streets (basically an open trench) and soon enough, household waste was hooked up to drain into the sewers.

and there’s no way that all Paris households had commodes in the 17th century — even at some hotels, my visit in the 1960s meant squatting over a hole in the bathroom floor. Surely the reference is about the need for all households to have a BATHROOM — not even with pluming but at least a lavatory of some sort.

And I second the “what’s a surface toilet?” question. (I’m French and I don’t know…)

Imperator Titus Flavius Vespasianus Caesar was Roman Emperor born Nov. 09 CE and died in June, 79 CE. Imperator Titus Caesar Vespasianus Augustus born Dec. 39 CE, died Sept. 81 CE.

Check your facts folks – just ‘cuz it’s on the web doesn’t make it true.

ThunderPud say “OOOOOOG!”

So the people of Bahrain “discovered” them (growing on trees? in caves?), while Europeans “invented” them?

Are these “all-surface toilets” (whatever that means)? OR

Are they “all ’surface toilets’ “?

And, what is either an all-surface toilet or a surface toilet?

Sid