History of the Flush Toilet

Flushing Out the Truth

There is disagreement over who was the inventor of the modern flush toilet, and flushing out the truth is not easy. Many give credit to THOMAS CRAPPER (1837-1910), an English sanitary engineer, for inventing the valve~and~siphon arangement that made our modern toilet possible. Then there are others who maintain that our hero was a nameless MINOAN (a native of ancient Crete) who lived some 4,000 years ago. And then there are those who give the credit to ALEXANDER CUMMING who patented a flushing device in 1775.

But we also have Sir JOHN HARRINGTON who published a pamphlet in the 16th Century called the "Metamorphosis of Ajax" (The title is a pun..."jakes" was a common term for privy) with the full instructions for the construction of a valve closet. Still later GEORGE JENNINGS in the 18th Century made contributions that were considered the ultimate in plumbing mechanisms.

	No matter to whom you give the credit, you can't help but appreciate the importance of their contributions to mankind when you consider the alternatives. Reading any of the various accounts of plumbing history should convince everyone that the plumbing industry does not receive near enough credit for the significant contributions it has made to make our lives more safe and comfortable.
	A gleaming tribute to human ingenuity stands silent and ready for use at a moments notice. This invention is now largely ignored, or taken for granted, but it has done as much to revolutionize the health of the world as any vaccine. This marvelous invention is the flush toilet. Thus begins,"The Flush Toilet: A Tribute to Ingenuity", written by Maureen Francis for Mastersplumbers.com PlumbViews.