Toilet

From ArticleWorld

The term Toilet is defined as being a plumbing fixture and a disposal system created with the purpose of disposing of the bodily wastes urine and feces. Other wastes can also be disposed of by using it.

History

Toilets first appeared around 2500 BC. In India, the people of Harrapa had built water borne toilets that were linked in a drain system, which was covered with clay bricks that have been burnt. Every house had one. In Egypt and China, during the ancient times, records have been found to prove the existence of such facilities. The Roman Empire introduced toilets as a part of a public bath, which served both men and women. A turning point in toilet evolution was the invention of the flush toilet in 1596 by Sir John Harington. In rural areas, outdoor outhouses have been and in some areas are still used as toilets.

Toilet types

Many types of toilets can be noticed around the world. As they evolved even the method of cleaning yourself after using it has become different in some countries. For example, the most common practice is using toilet paper and in occasions mixing it with the bidet. In some areas of Asia, one will use water instead of toilet paper. The left hand will be the one that will do the process of cleaning, creating the basis of the belief that it is impolite, rude and polluting to use that hand. A special category of toilets is found in those that are adapted for people with disabilities. A person that sits in a wheel chair needs to have enough space to enter with it and is usually equipped with hand hold bolted in the walls for easier maneuvering. The most common type of toilet is the flush toilet, with the squat toilet being favored in several public restroom areas. Almost all houses in the developed world will have at least one toilet and can be in the same room with the bathtub, the shower or both. Public toilets can be used freely or by paying a fee. Several of them will have partitions and the washing facility is usually located in another area. Men toilets will also present (in most cases) urinals that can be wall-mounted (designed for one user) or a basin for collective use. Most public toilets will be separated in two: for men and for women, with pictures, writings or other methods of making it know which room is meant for which sex. Public transportation systems can also house a toilet. Examples can be given in airplanes, rail trains, some busses and ferries. Metro facilities, trams and normal buses do not present toilets.