Historical Toilet Practices Before Indoor Bathrooms
The advent of indoor plumbing with flushable toilets and running water inside homes and apartments is a relatively recent development in human history. Before such facilities became commonplace, people resorted to a variety of solutions to manage their basic human needs. This article explores the evolution of toilet practices—from the outhouse to outdoor and natural methods.
The Outhouse: A Familiar Fixture on Farms and Campgrounds
The outhouse was a standard fixture on many farms, including the author's own childhood home. In warmer climates, such as during the summer, the outhouse was enjoyed and used by the family. Even after the installation of indoor plumbing, the outhouse remained a popular option. The primarily wooden structure was eventually repurposed as a garden shed by the author's father when it was no longer needed for such regular use.
However, in colder regions or during winter months, the outhouse was not always feasible. In such cases, a ‘slop bucket’ was used as a temporary solution. These buckets allowed for the collection of waste until a more convenient time to dispose of it, which typically occurred in the spring when the ground would thaw and provide proper sanitation for the dumped content.
The outhouse was often repurposed after it was no longer used as a bathroom, such as when the author's mother continued to use it as a garden shed into her later years. This repurposing demonstrates the flexibility and practicality of these structures, which evolved from serving a specific need to becoming useful for other household tasks.
Off-Grid Cabins and the Use of outhouses
When living in an off-grid cabin, the outhouse became an expected and necessary part. The author describes using an outhouse in a 2-room US Forest Service cabin in Montana, whether the temperature was 80 Fahrenheit or -56 Fahrenheit. This highlights the resilience and practicality of the outhouse in various weather conditions, particularly in remote or rural areas where access to plumbing is limited or non-existent.
The use of an outhouse in such settings is not unique. In many off-grid cabins, the absence of indoor facilities is a common reality, reflecting the ongoing need to adapt to environmental and practical constraints.
Prior to Outhouses: Other Basic Practices
Before the invention of the outhouse, many people relied on more primitive methods for managing waste. In rural areas, the common practice was to defecate or urinate behind a tree or in a secluded area. This location provided some level of privacy but still maintained a certain level of human connection to the natural environment. In urban areas, waste was often disposed of by opening windows or doors and simply tossing the contents outside. This method, however, highlights the potential for pollution and hygiene issues.
Before the water closet, people would often choose the location they felt offered the best level of privacy. In cities, this might have meant walking a short distance to a secluded spot around the corner of a street. This practice reflects the adaptive nature of human behavior in the face of limited infrastructure.
It is also worth noting that fluid retention was generally short-lived, due to the presence of bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens in both urban and rural environments. The frequent occurrence of diarrhea as a result of these factors contributed to the necessity of finding quick and private solutions for waste disposal.
In summary, the historical toilet practices discussed in this article range from the ingenuity of the outhouse to the more primitive methods used before its invention. These practices reflect the evolution of sanitation and the adaptation of human behavior to meet the needs of different environments and times.