Ever since people stopped living nomadic lives, they have been struggling with where to dispose of their excreta. It did not take long to discover that excrement not only smells bad, but also causes health problems. Therefore, it had to be disposed of in some way. So the first toilets were built.These were by no means perfect. The first way, of course, was to go to a designated area outside the complex. But this was not the ideal way. There could be several people there at once, not to mention that not everyone would be running. It was especially unpleasant in the winter, when the cool temperatures added to the problem.
Thus was born an invention that would be used in minor variations for centuries to come. Basically, it was a box or bucket with a hole in it, on which one could sit and do what needed to be done in the comfort of one\’s home. The contents could be easily taken out of the house.This system was applied by the ancient Greeks and Romans, who introduced the first, albeit very primitive, sewer system. Sewage fell into it and was carried safely by the streams of the rivers. After the fall of these empires, however, this system, like many others, was long forgotten.
With the advent of the Middle Ages came problems, especially in the cities. In contrast to the countryside, cities were inhabited by large numbers of people, but at the same time had very few spaces where sewage could be safely discharged. As a result, sewage was often poured out of windows onto the street. Needless to say, this was not very sanitary and the smell that accompanied it. [It was not until the introduction of sewage systems on a large scale that a revolution took place. With the introduction of the sewage system, towns became inhabitable even in the summer. And it was here that the flush toilet was invented. This was a very simple mechanism: water collected in a cistern was released into the toilet bowl at the push of a button or lever, and the excrement could be flushed directly down the drain.
Of course, this system is not ideal. But it would certainly improve the quality of life so much that most of us can no longer imagine our homes without sewage.