Toilets

Patented: History of Inventions

It’s time to talk about the toilet, or crapper, or bog, or the john, head, the comfort station, khazi, dunny, can, throne, pissoir.

Join Dallas and his guest, Rose George - author of The Big Necessity, on a trip down the toilet bowl of history as they uncover the origins of the flush toilet.

Listen in to find out how Queen Elizabeth’s naughty cousin tried to win back her favour, why sewers don’t smell as bad as we think, and what a condom filled with miso paste has to do with all this.

Edited by Aidan Lonergan, produced by Freddy Chick, senior producer is Charlotte Long.

For more History Hit content, subscribe to our newsletters here.