slb@drutx.UUCP (Sue Brezden) (12/13/85)
>Both at Knossos (on Crete) and at Hadrian's villa at Tivoli, near Rome, >I have seen what were described as water flushed sanitary facilities, >so I think the idea goes rather farther back than 1200 (Knossos is >fifteen centuries or so BC). >scott preece Yes, but the idea was forgotten--along with so much else--during the Middle Ages. Perhaps it was one of those horrible pagan practices (like regular bathing, scientific inquiry, enjoyment of sex, and common literacy) that was deemed debilitating to the masses. It was reinvented in the 1700's sometime. -- Sue Brezden ihnp4!drutx!slb ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To search for perfection is all very well, But to look for heaven is to live here in hell. --Sting ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
john@cisden.UUCP (John Woolley) (12/19/85)
In article <40@drutx.UUCP> slb@drutx.UUCP (Sue Brezden) writes: >Yes, but the idea was forgotten--along with so much else--during the >Middle Ages. > >It was reinvented in the 1700's sometime. > Sue Brezden I've seen plans to medieval monasteries in which a continuous flow of water was diverted through the latrines from a stream, then through underground cisterns to the, ah, treatment plant. (Usually a large pit away from houses.) I can't remember where this was, but my impression is that it wasn't uncommon. -- Peace and Good!, Fr. John Woolley "The heart has its reasons that the mind does not know." -- Blaise Pascal