More on hygiene...

(I'm going to probably take some time away from the pursuit of hygenic history soon, as I promised a class on Food Preservation for Pennsic, so expect a sudden turn of subject soon.)

Bogs, Baths and Basins: The Story of Domestic Sanitation, David J. Eveleigh (Thrupp, Great Britain: Sutton, 2002) has only a limited amount of material on medieval hygiene, but as a source for the 19th and 20th century development of what is now called the toilet or the water closet, it's pretty much unparalleled. In particular, I was fascinated to learn about the great variety of water closet designs (and I do mean engineering designs, not merely decorative) that flourished in the late 19th century-- such that the city and country houses of the gentry might involve 4 or more types installed at the same time! The Earth Closet, especially that designed by Moule (where earth was used to deodorize, dry out and compost excrement, to be used for fertilizer later) and its facinating variations and failures (such as the 'pail closet') were a surprise to me. While Clean and Decent does a better job on the types of basins and baths and their development, the question of plumbing is here much better explicated. There is a clear explanation of the terrifying 'geyser' for heating bath water, which explains the need to have one's servants draw a bath for one in early 20th century literature. In particular, the various expedients used to save water (such as the tipper closet, which used greywater for flushing) may be of interest to modern reductionists. There are also interesting sidelights into the history of the 'sanitaryware' industry and its designers and magnates.

One quick quote from Bogs, Baths and Basins:

Hampton Court, for example, begun by Cardinal Wolsey (c. 1473-1530) in 1515 , and subsequently occupied by Henry VIII (b. 1491 r. 1509-1547), contained bathrooms supplied with piped water. The French architect, Savot, included designs for bathrooms in plans for large houses published in 1624. (p. 84).

Also, Eveleigh claims "Bidets- for 'baths of a special nature' -- had appeared in France by the early eighteenth century" possibly putting it out of our time period, though the sitz bath may not be. He does cite Clean and Decent for this fact however.
A frew more useful quotes will follow soon.

From Bogs, Baths and Basins

This is from the beginning of the first chapter, on the privy and its names: ( Cut for length )

More from Bogs, Baths and Basins

David Eveleigh on close-stools:( Read more... )

A rather good kid's book

On, of course, privies etc.:
Loos through the Ages, Richard Wood. (Hove, England: Wayland, 1997)

This is a great book, even though it is targetted at younger readers. I should probably try and get a copy through ABE books. Among other things, it has excellent clear pictures of the roman latrines at Hadrian's Baths & at Housteads, as well as a pciture of the loo seat from Yorvik (and the 1000-year-old scat), an extant piss-pot, and the close stool from Hampton court palace. A good quote:

Castle cesspits could be dangerous places. In 1184, Emperor Frederick Barbarossa of Germany met with his nobles at Erfurt Castle. So many of them followed him when he went into the garderobe to use the loo that the floor gave way. The Emperor grabbed the iron window bars and saved himself, but many others fell to an unpleasant death. When King Edward II of England lost the crown in 1327, he is said to have been tortured in the stinking garderobe pit of Berkeley Castle. (p. 15)