Toilets of the World — Toiletological Correspondance

Unfortunately I long ago deleted the message sent by some frenzied correspondant describing in some detail the world-wide trend of disappearing public urinals. It was supposedly due to some sinister cabal of militant feminists, environmentalists, and communists, which were merged into one fuzzy category in the worldview of my rather paranoid correspondant. Now I save my toilet-related mail and highlights appear here.

I must point out that I have slightly edited a few of the messages to replace non-clinical terminology. Not to be a prude, but this information is obviously valuable and needs the widest possible dissemination. Some casual toilet terminology will be blocked by the content-blocking filters, so I have made some minor changes.

Some of the most bizarre mail is from various industrial and aviation concerns around the world who see that I have taken some photographs of toilets, so therefore I must be a good source of aircraft lavatory parts, auxilliary fuel tanks, industrial valves, and so on.

The category of inappropriate requests for quotes and my strange responses has finally reached the point of getting its own collection of pages. Click here to see people wanting me to ship stainless steel lavatory equipment to Zambia, or to ship teflon-lined cast-iron values suitable for 80-90% sulphuric acid to Pakistan, or to dig a set of pits at the Bahrain airport, or to supply auxiliary fuel tanks in Peru, and so on.

Then there are people like Jim Park, bamarketing@sbcglobal.net, who wanted a "costom soap manufacture company [.... or] any company making a soap". Or Robert Smith, smith_98@bellsouth.net, who wanted to purchase "toilets in bulk with no names on them" to then retrofit some odor-removing modification and resell them.

Pay attention, people — I have taken a few pictures of foreign toilets, I don't really deliver plumbing supplies worldwide!

Or "Paula Grulee Designs", pgdesign@fuse.net, an interior decorating company in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, with "a client that is looking for a toilet incased in wood." Beyond their spelling difficulties, they seem unaware that I DON'T SELL TOILETS despite saying on this page that I DON'T SELL TOILETS. The rest of you, feel free to send these people a note...

Or, inventors like John Giamis, itcorputc@rcn.com, who has "just been issued a patent for a toilet design that will revolutionize the industry. It is new and dynamic." Nor do I represent the toilet-manufacturing industry! I have, however, attempted to put some of these people in touch with each other.

Then there was Mohammed al Faour <mohammed.faour@metito.com> who contacted me on behalf of his company. They wanted me to submit a quote for being their subtractor to build a series of lavatory service pits at the Bahrain airport. Nor do I undertake major construction jobs in the Middle East — I am simply a person who has taken some pictures of toilets.

I do have a page with these odd requests and my rather detailed responses, if you are into toilet-related nonsense.

An unexpected question from Kate the Constipated.
Pointless attempts to engage me in business or otherwise involve me in their schemes
Other toiletological correspondance
Strange requests for quotes I have received

An unexpected question from Kate the Constipated

First, one of the least expected questions, from a girl named Kate:

I visited Italy 3 years ago and had no idea that some restaurants
had in-ground toilets.  I was just aghast when I went into the john,
but eventually figured it out.  I just have one question that I
couldn't find an answer to:  What does one do about a big bowel
movement that won't fit the diameter of the pipe?

I replied:

Egads, I don't know what you're eating....

All the squat toilets I have seen have a drain pipe that's 3 to 4 inches
in diameter and drop straight into a large-diameter gooseneck.  That's
going to be FAR larger than anything coming out of a human.

Most new US toilet designs have a sort of double-S vapor-lock drain pipe
that's maybe 2" in diameter.  You can usually see the shape of much of
that by looking to the side at the rear of the toilet, at least on many
of the newer designs.

The US design is going to be much more likely to get stopped up, especially
the new "low flow" models.  The only ones worse about flushing are the
German "inspection shelf" models.

She then responded with far more information than I was looking for:

I am notorious for stopping up toilets.  It doesn't happen every day,
about once a month.  It's almost always after I've eaten a large meal
the night before or if I've been constipated.  Three weeks ago was
the first time I clogged up a commercial toilet at work.  I finally
got the stool down after 3 tries, but it overflowed.  Thank goodness
I didn't have to go no. 2 in Italy.

She didn't have a bowel movement the entire time she was in Italy?? I think I have an idea about the cause of her problem! And wherever she went next, their national plumbing was probably defeated.

Pointless attempts to engage me in business or otherwise involve me in their schemes

The Toilet Seat Vacuum

From: DsEsfOuRyoU@aol.com
Date: Thu, 25 Jul 2002 19:16:48 -0400
Subject: Toilet Seat Vaccum

My name is Daniel Murillo.representing Hector and Alba Penagos,inventors of
the toilet seat vacuum,who are offering you the opportunity to manufacture
this new product.For more information or if interested in a license,please
 reply to this E-mail address.Thank you.

Someone needs 1970s era Australian plastic toilet flush buttons, or else they will have to completely re-write a movie script based around them.

From: Rowena Zande rowenazande@bigpond.com
Date: Wed, 14 Apr 2004 13:50:42 +1000
Subject: Toilets of the World

My name is Rowena Zande and I'm curious to know if you can help me with some
research I'm doing for a short film called "My Dad Victor"

The script takes place in Queensland Australia during the 1970's and 1980's
and rotates around a immigrant (Victor Tang) who's first job in Australia is
working for a plastics manufacturing company that produces plastic toilet
flush buttons... 

Over all it's a lovely little script but one major problem we've discovered
is, PLASTIC TOILET FLUSH BUTTONS (which are primary to the script as it
stands) didn't come out until approx the 1990's! Secondary to the TOILET
FLUSH BUTTON it is imperative that our hero (Victor Tang) at very least work
in a factory that produces some form of toilet plastic item (ie plastic seat
covers etc)

Now having said that - my question is - do you have any info (and/or
photo's) on and/or of toilets from the 1970's, 1980's & 1990's preferable in
the Queensland, Australia area.... as it's becoming apparent to me we will
need to do a re-write on the script to make it historically accurate...but I
am hoping to keep the story set in the 1970's & 1980's as that is part of
the films charm.....

OK - I hope this e-mail makes sense and it's my sincere hope that you can
help, as any and all assistance will be greatly appreciated...

kindest regards
Rowena

A seller of stainless steel toilet pans awaits our reply.

From: "P.Malik" pmalik.melican@mantraonline.com
Date: Tue, 19 Nov 2002 15:00:01 +0530
Subject: Toilets of the World

Dear Bob,
We are a company based in India and manufacture stainless steel toilet =
pans,if you would be interested please do let us know.

Waiting for your reply.

Thanking you,
Payal

For MELICAN PROFILES
F-15,Sector 6,
Noida
India
#91-4422196,91-4422449,fax-91-4422393

Attached image of "Wall Mounted Toilet Pan - Model MP 101" deleted. No, but I can think of some Zambians you might contact...

Please tell me who manufactures low cost toilets in East Asia.

From: "javaid miya" javaidmiya@hotmail.com
Date: Sun, 15 Dec 2002 21:42:49 +0000
Subject: toilet information

Dear Sir,
I am working with services provider and rental of mobile office/accomadation
company.
it will be of your great help if you can pass me few of far east
(china,taiwan,thailand etc) toilets manufacture company.
it is  Bcoz of their low cost product. our most intrest are those toilets
which can be assemble on requriment and disassemble when the need is over.
your help and assistance will be highly appreciated in this regards.
thanking you in advance.

Javaid Miya.
Business Co-ordinator.
Al Umara Trad. & Real Estate Est.
P.O.Box # 9819.
Doha Qatar.
Tel: - 00974 4355055.
Fax: - 00974 4411476.
Mob: - 00974 5807467.

I saw something on the Travel Channel, how do I buy it?

From: "Clifford McIlwain" c_mcilwain@msn.com
Subject: Art Toilets
Date: Wed, 1 Jan 2003 21:40:07 -0600

Noticed on travel channel some companies producing art covered toilets.
Thought you might know some web sites I could go to & order
from..thanks, Cliff.

Please send us your catalog of toilet cabins.

From: "ramesh anand satav" ramesh_satav@rediffmail.com
Date: 2 Jan 2003 19:38:42 -0000
Subject: Request for catalogue

Dear Sir,

We are planning for developing Amusement & Water park with boating in
India (PUNE). When we visited your web side we came to now that you provide
all WC Block & toilet  cabins. We would be very glad to you if you can
forward your catalogue and all details of toilet accessories as soon as
possible so it will be helpful to us in decision making.

So with this letter I request you to send me detail catalogue with latest
designs and innovative Toilets.

Pls. send your details on this address as soon as possible:
Mr. Ramesh A Satav,
Mohan nagar, Chinchwad,
Pune 411019. Maharashtra. India
Tel No. : +91 020 7185156
E-mail : ramesh_satav@rediffmail.com

Your assistance in any way in appreciable, and your guidelines will open a
new ways to our future expansion plans

Thanking you and waiting eagerly for your reply.

Yours truly,

Ramesh

This was when I simply ignored most of these irrelevant requests.

Other toiletological correspondance

Please explain my irrational fear of toilets, Part One

From mackenzie@parrett.net
Date: Tue, 08 Oct 2002 22:30:32 +0000
Subject: Toilets of the World

Hi there. I have an extreme fear of toilets and have since I was a child.
Weird? Well, sure, but I have it nevertheless. Do you by chance know what
this phobia is called? Elaine McKenzie

Please explain my irrational fear of toilets, Part Two

From: "Alexander Short" panther777cat@hotmail.co.uk
Date: Tue Mar 21 11:48:25 2006
Subject: Toilets of the World

Hi there,

I was just on your website and wondered if you could possibly help me with a 
question?

Ever since childhood I have had a phobia of toilets, but not all toilets.  
The toilets that have a horseshoe shaped toilet seat specifically.

I was wondering if you knew whether or not there was an actual name for 
somone who has a phobia of toilets and what the technical term for the 
"horseshoe" shaped seats were.

Any searches I have done before just describe them as openfronted.

Also I was wondering if you have come accross this phobia before as I have 
never met anyone else with this phobia.  It is particularly bad as I want to 
travel abroad to see different countries but feel that I couldn't incase the 
toilets are "horseshoe" shaped.  Specifically I would love to go to New 
York, but I have heard that theses toilet seats are quite common there.

I would be grateful for any answers you would be able to give me.

Thanks

I did, of course, immediately refer him to the above similiarly toiletophobic Elaine McKenzie, and recommended that he stay out of North America as public codes generally require the U-shaped seats.

Please give me silhouettes for the Men's and Women's doors

From: '12' 11deceptions@perthmail.com
Date: Tue, 22 Oct 2002 22:09:07 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: toilet man and toilet lady query

hello, i was wondering if you could hook me up with pictures on the door to the
toilets of the man and the lady?
if that's possilbe that would be great.
thanks,
       larry

Please tell me more.

From: Giuliana Rando jules@colors.it
Date: Thu, 21 May 1998 15:35:32 +0000
Organization: COLORS magazine
Subject: toilets

Dear Mr Cromwell,

I've just visited your Toilets of the World website. I'm doing some 
research into public toilets, both the pay kind and the
free kind. Perhaps you have some interesting titbits about cities or 
countries in which public toilets were hard/easy to find or were 
cheap/expensive etc. What people use rather than toilet paper in the 
places you've visited etc.

Please get back to me if you think of anything.

Regards

Giuliana Rando
jules@colors.it

Actually it's "Dr Cromwell", as I have a Ph.D., although not in this particular area of expertise, but whatever....

From: Bob Cromwell
Date: Thu, 21 May 1998 12:17:33 -0500 (EST)
To: jules@colors.it
Subject: Re: toilets
Cc: cromwell

Guiliana —

I was delighted that you found my web page helpful.  I hope that if
you can use any of my images or anecdotes, that I can get a copy of
the article.

As for finding public toilets, Russia can be rather difficult.  There
are usually public toilets in parks, but see my web page for comments
on their quality.  Russian park toilets are very grim.  Sometimes there
will be one along a major downtown street, like along Nevsky Prospekt
in Sankt Peterburg.  Generally speaking, they are not too common.  If
you can find a cafe, or a train station, they will probably have one.
However, the Soviets built things on grand scales, so it is quite
possible to be in an area completely dedicated to factories, or to
apartment blocks, for several kilometers in all directions.

As for toilet paper alternative, once you cross into Asia on your way
into the Middle East, toilet paper completely disappears (outside some
places obviously catering to western tourists).  Water is the prefered
method.  If toilet paper exists it is a luxury for drying your hands
afterward.  In Turkey, a small valve on the wall leads to a copper tube.
This tube snakes into the toilet bowl, then points up from below the
rear of the seat.  Kind of a combined toilet and bidet system.  In
Syria, you'll find a faucet with a small bucket below it.

In the Middle East, toilets may be very simple by western standards,
but they are far more plentiful.

Once out into the desert, there are no formalized facilities as such.
The standard method there involves your hand, and sand.  Really.

				Bob

From: Giuliana Rando jules@colors.it
Date: Fri, 22 May 1998 10:27:03 +0000
Subject: hello again

Dear Bob

Thank you for your prompt response to my message. We're publishing a 
small book actually. Colors usually publishes a bi-monthly magazine. I 
can send you some back issues if you're interested but you'll have to 
send me your mailing address. As for the book, I'm not sure exactly how 
it's going to work with courtesy copies yet but I will definately send 
you the piece on public toilets and wiping (I will try to send you the 
book though).

[....]

Warm regards

Giuliana Rando
jules@colors.it

I, too, am going to Turkey.

From: zola@halcyon.com
Date: Thu, 9 Jul 1998 23:19:44 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: turkey, poop, not turkey poop...

Hi there,
Yes of course I have found your Toilets of the World page.  It's been
linked (immediately) on my travel page...

I ended up on your pages because of your writings on Turkey (I leave two
weeks from today!)... and wanted to write you because we are some sort of
wacky distant relatives...  My mother's maiden name is Crowell, and the
story goes something like "the descendents of Cromwell changed their name
when they came to America so as not to be associated with Ollie"...

So, I am still working my way through the Turkey and Travel info :)

Thanks for the fun read :)
Rebecca

Oh, if you're curious: http://www.halcyon.com/zola/travel.html  (more junk
on the main page)....

Cheers!

Please tell me more about toilet history.

From: "m.craig" m.craig@MCI2000.com
Date: Mon, 30 Nov 1998 18:58:36 -0800
Subject: Toilets, RE:

	Your webpage has been a primary source for information I am using to
create a project, but do you have a webpage I could visit that tells me the
past of the toilet?

				Thankyou,
					M. Craig

A guy at work was going to do that!

From: r.egan@mcauley.acu.edu.au
Date: Wed, 3 Feb 1999 14:15:09 +1000
Subject: Toilets

It is good to see other people interested in what kind of toilets exist in the
world!!!!

Another guy here at work was thinking of doing the same thing as you without
even knowing that your site existed!!!

Rachael

You should go to China, Part One

From: Scott Swanberry sswanberry@freewwweb.com"
Date: Wed, 07 Jul 1999 19:25:00 -0400
Organization: Lunar Lite, Inc.
Subject: toilets

Hey, you don't have any toilets from the Far East. I lived a short time
in communist China and can tell you horror stories.

For example, i was at a printing plant about 4 hours east of Hong Kong.
The toilet was a long trough running thru about a half dozen waist high
stalls. They are only waist high because Chinese squat to pee and
defecate.

Anyway you defecate into the trough. At the end of the trough there is
a bucket on a pivot. The bucket is slowly filled by a water source. Once
full, its weight causes it to fall over into the trough. This sends a
literal wave of feces flying down the trough.

My first time in this toilet, luckily I was at the furthest end of
trough. I was able to move out of the way in time before the "wave"
came spewing by!!!

Best regards,

Scott Swanbery

I had not visited the "Peoples" Republic of China when I received this message. Since then, however, I have been there twice. I have not, however been "fortunate" enough to see such a system.

You should go to China, Part Two

From: Paul Galanti pgalanti@opal.iupui.edu
Date: Wed, 21 Jul 1999 10:35:20 -0500
Subject: P.R.C.WCs

As a middle age male (with all that entails) I travel through China with
one eye out for the magic letters "WC." I think a picture of a
Chinese "funnel and jug" urinal or a picture of the "accident you don't
want to see" - a tricycle carrying 10 or so of the 5 gallon jugs would
be a great addition.

Or a picture footprint squatter in one of the Buddhist monasteries in
Lhasa, Tibet. I suspect that I am one of the few westerners ever to see
that one. Sort of like seeing the Pope's throne.

Paul J. Galanti
Professor of Law
Indiana University School of Law - Indianapolis
735 W. New York Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202-5194
pgalanti@iupui.edu.
Phone: (317) 274-4995
Fax: (317) 278-3326

I kept an eye out for just such a tricycle while in China, but didn't spot one.

You should go to China, Part Three

From: SquadX squadx@yahoo.com
Date: Tue, 15 Aug 2000 17:34:10 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Toilets in China...

"Chi so hi bin doe a?"
(That's Cantonese for "Where is the toilet?"!)

I totally empathize with your toilet experiences! :) 
I've been on 2 missions trips so far- one to West
Africa and one to Hong Kong/ China.  In West Africa, I
had the funniest experience.  We were out in the
middle of nowhere on our way home from a village trip
and I REALLY had to go so our bus driver finally
stopped in this small village that hadn't changed in
centuries.  I got off the bus and the nationals led me
down a "road" in their village to this little hut with
walls made of grass that stood about 4 feet high.  I
stepped inside and closed the flimsy wooden door only
to find a slanted concrete floor with a hole in the
wall greet me.  By now most of the village had
gathered to watch and I could see them quite easily
over the tops of the walls.  They were only staring
because I'm white, but still...  Well, at least I can
laugh about it now! :):):)

By the way, I've included a picture of my friend
modeling a squatty potty (as we affectionatly called
them) in Macau.  Don't worry, the pic is clean- and
suprisingly, so is the toilet!

~squadx

You should have gone to Woodstock.

From: Dave Drinnan drinnan@techmail.gdc.com
Date: Thu, 12 Aug 1999 13:38:08 -0400
Subject: Toilets!

Wow.

What more can I say?  I've glanced at your page on toilets of
the world, and I have to commend you for your "pictorial" !!
It probably has more "meaning" to those of us who have traveled
internationally, and actually had to use some like these!

HOWEVER!  I propose that you're missing at least one picture
that would truly rival anything you've shown on your page.
And it's domestic, too!   You NEED to add a picture of one
of the port-o-johns from Woodstock '99!!   I don't have a
photograph, otherwise I'd forward it to you.  But I *DO*
have the image burned in my memory, of that first port-o-potty
I opened on Friday morning... the "contents" piled higher
than the seat!   8-(   And it didn't get a lot better over
the next few [hot] days...

   -dave

I, too, have already gone to Turkey.

From: "john c. dekas" jd@hamptons.com
Subject: RE:  Turkey Toilets
Date: Tue, 7 Sep 1999 18:53:19 -0400

Just one question.  Although I fully agree with your analysis on
toilet facilities and you quite obviously did your deed with some
earnest and flair, why did you do it?

It's funny that you were so adept at describing such facilities.
Did you try each facility for accurateness?

[ Other than the Imperial, Ottoman, Crusader, and New Testament categories,
  yes, I tested them all, and that does include the Old Testament one.  — Bob ]

All kidding aside, it was a good presentation.	Although I found the
most scary facility in a small village (supposedly the village of
Mary, the mother of Jesus) just outside the city of Ephesus in Turkey.

[ The village is Maryemana, up the mountain south of Selcuk — Bob ]

The facility consisted of a large room with an approximate 18" deep
slot in the floor.  Footprints, made of a black stone and embedded
in  the floor on both sides of the "ditch", were guides as to where
your feet went, while you went.  The facility was coed and there were
no wash pipes anywhere to be seen.  Believe me, it was not easy to
straddle that "ditch."

Folks kind of waited until the room, which was approximately 10'
X 20', until it was empty before using it.

There was a fountain, outside, in a courtyard which doubled as
a pipe wash.

Also, in  the "new" apartment buildings, there was a TP holder built
into the walls of the bathroom;  But, no spindle.  There was a pipe
wash which ran from the back of the toilet to the front.  The valve
was on the right side, of course.

Spent 2 years in Turkey, and loved it.	Aside from a few amenities, the
people were nice and the country was great (including the donar kabob).

I want a squatter in Ireland.

From: trev@thevortex.com
Subject: Squatters!
Date: Thu, 16 Mar 2000 23:24:40 -0800

Hi Mr Cromwell,

I love your toilet web site !
I'm looking for a manufacturer of floor-mounted squatter toilets in
Europe.

(Here's the history)

I was a traveller in my youth, going to the woods every day, then after
a spell in  India I returned to Ireland and settled down to build a
house. In the house I wanted to have a squat toilet but couldnt find one
for love nor money ! In desperation I eventually made one from an old
bday. It served us well for the 5 years we lived there, but now we have
a new house and would like a real squatter ! Can you help point me in
the direction of a supplier?

Thanks,

Trev.

How does one clean oneself in an Indian toilet?

From: "Neil Pharazyn" manager@isc.co.nz
Subject: Toilets of the World
Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2000 10:23:31 +1200

Can you help. I am surfing the web to find how exactly to clean myself
after going to the toilet in India. We are visiting there later this
year and I thought it would be a good idea to know the precise technique
in advance.

Can you advise - or direct me to a web site that does so? Most sites
seem to be humourous.

I know that most/many toilets are a "hole in the floor". I understand
that I place my feet either side and suspend myself (Are their hand
supports?).  When I clean up do I pour water from a bottle over my
backside then reach around and rub my anus with my fingers until it
feels clean? Is it obvious that it is clean? Do I need to pour water
several times? It seems to me that my hand  [esp. under fingernails]
must get very filthy, visibly or invisibly so. So presumably there is a
wash basin, soap and towel.

For fat people the above must be a real balancing trick.

I imagine that poor Indians don't have a washbasin, soap and towel. I
wonder how clean the hands are of staff preparing food in the hotel
where I stay.

Thanks in advance

Neil Pharazyn
New Zealand

I'm sure this is exactly what Al Gore had in mind when he invented the Internet!
"During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet."
— Al Gore, during an interview with Wolf Blitzer on CNN's "Late Edition", 9 March 1999

Anyway, the links page contains a link to The Sulabh International Museum of Toilets in New Delhi, India, and their web page includes the "elaborate drill for defecation" as prescribed in the scripture Manusmriti Vishnupuran.

My favorite toilet is on Mount Whitney!

From: default default@lmco.com
Date: Tue, 18 Jul 2000 15:38:51 -0700
Subject: Toilets of the World

    Dear Dr. Cromwell,

    Greetings!  After reviewing your Toilets Of The World website
I feel compelled to inform you of the toilet with the best view that
I have ever experienced.  It is located at the elevation of 14,496 ft
above sea level on the top of Mount Whitney in California.  I encourage
you to experience it first hand.
    Due to the number of visitors to the top of Mount Whitney in
Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Park the Park Service saw fit to place a
pit toilet there, thankfully.   The toilet itself is standard US
National Park Service stainless steel type pit toilet.  It was built a
number of years ago (10? 20?  I don't know) with plywood walls in the
usual outhouse style.  However the weather being what it is on the very
top of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the wood walls have since been blown
down.  So when one uses this toilet one has a breathtaking 360 degree
view of the highest, most picturesque snow capped peaks in the Sierras!
So, what is lacking in privacy is more than made up for by the view.
    I strongly recommend you make the trek to see it for yourself.
Unfortunately, the only means to get there is by foot usually starting
at the Whitney Portal trailhead (elev 9,200 ft) and climbs steeply up
more than 5,000 ft over about 15 miles to the top of the peak.  There is
a limit to the number of permits issued to enter the Mt. Whitney area so
plan accordingly ( I can send you info for the wilderness permits if you
like).
    The peak itself is rather flat on top (for a Sierra Mountain) so the
toilet is a good 300 feet from the very highest part of the mountain,
maybe 5 or 10 feet below the official summit elevation of 14,496.399
ft.  Toilet paper must be provided by the user but that is really not a
problem because most backpackers here carry their own roll of paper
while on the trail.  The peak can be visited in a one day hike but this
is a very strenuous choice.  Most visitors wisely choose to break up
their climb into at least two days.
    When I visited it was the last leg of an 8 day 95 mile hike starting
at Kennedy Meadows to the south and spent the last night of the hike
sleeping on the top of Mt Whitney.  This was in June of 1999 and the
weather was perfect.  Other seasons don't allow for any but the most
experienced mountaineers to climb Mt Whitney.
    There is reportedly another very picturesque toilet without walls
view in Idaho in the Hell's Canyon region of the Snake River but I
myself have not had the pleasure of using that one.  I am told one must
float or hike several days down the river to reach the bluff that this
toilet sits on but the spectacular view makes it well worth the effort.
     Of course, being a backpacker I have had many choice views while
performing toilet ablutions, but toilets were not a part of the
process.  That however, is another subject entirely.
    Thanks for an informative website,

    Sincerely,
Chris Barrett

Why don't you show the German "Inspection Shelf"?

From: SomeOne SomeOne@FOSTER.com
Subject: Toilets of the World
Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2000 08:53:55 -0700

How come you haven't any pictures of that most beloved of all devices in the
most anal retentive of all societies, the German toilet?  Have you seen the
shelf that catches the poop on them?  Sure would love to have a comparative
analysis and commentary.  Great page, by the way.  Thanks muchly!

XXX XXXXXXXX
Assistant to attorneys XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX
Foster Pepper & Shefelman PLLC
Suite 3400
1111 Third Avenue
Seattle, WA 98136

Ah yes, the curious Teutonic inspection shelf! Since then I have added some pictures, with some further explanation, on my page of Dutch toilets.

The Soviets built this same questionable technology into their commodes, with their own unique flair. It seems that the height of the inspection shelf on a Soviet commode is almost always a local minimum — that is, the shelf does not drain. It provides for a much quicker build-up of the rank stink so closely associated with those porcelain nightmares. Of course, Russian flooring is seldom level, so there's a slight possibility that a toilet will be installed with an overall forward tilt, thus accidentally negating this feature.

Also see http://www.banterist.com/archivefiles/000212.html for a picture and detailed discussion.

According to toiletological correspondant Jan Engelhardt, "[...] this is useful as to inspect the excrement for medical tracking. Certain illnesses or diseases only change the color of your urine or excrements and can be a useful hint on illnesses that otherwise do not reflect "in you" (like blood component changes).
BTW, since Soviets had taken over part of Germany after WW2, these inspection-shelf-style toilets can often be found in East Germany, but only exist to a very limited degree in West Germany, if at all. I know that since I was born in East Germany ;-) New building in "East Germany" of course get the "standard" style without a shelf."

Hmmm. Sigmund Freud was Germanic. Sigmund Freud was concerned with matters anal retentive and anal expulsive. A connection?

I live in Australia, but I want to buy from an Italian or Asian manufacturer.

From: mkiddle mkiddle@idx.com.au
Date: Fri, 17 Nov 2000 23:13:27 +1100
Subject: Squat toilet manufacturers

Dear Mr Cromwell,
                              You have created a marvelous store of
information about toilets, which I found very interesting. I am on a
school council that has a very "multi-cultural" population. We are
currently investigating constructing part squat toilets in new
buildings, because they would be easier to clean, use less water, paper,
and be more hygenic to use, etc, etc.

However I am unable to locate any squat toilet manufacturers in Sydney.
I do remember travelling in Italy back in 1981, and using many
well-crafted squat toilets there. However, Yahoo and other searches all
favour manufacturers of thrones ...

Would you know of any Asian or Italian or other manufacturers ?

Thanks
Mike K

I want to teach my dog to use a Turkish toilet.

From: David Amundson nbfarmer@evenlink.com
Date: Fri Sep 5 16:10:36 2003

Did you ever find a US source for Turkish toilets? I have a very large 
dog, and I think he could be trained to use one if I used it too. I used 
tohave a cat who peed in the bathtub, and that was handy--just run some 
water now and then--but this dog needs a Real toilet with plenty of space 
around it and the capacity to deal with large dog stools.
Thanks--I hope this query isn't too weird....
David Amundson

Halliburton wants multi-cultural toilets.

From: John.Wendt@halliburton.com
Date: Thu Dec 16 04:45:43 2004
Subject: Toilet issue in Iraq

Sir,

I am currently working in Iraq. Of course we are dealing with a cross
stream of cultures at the base I am employed. We are having issues with
the local nationals using our western toilets. To your knowledge, is
there a toilet that can accommodate both eastern and western cultures?

Regards,

John Wendt

East Site Management
Camp Anaconda 
Balad, Iraq

I referred him to the Russian-Latvian railway toilets....

Back to the toilet menu

Rose George's The Big Necessity: The Unmentionable World of Human Waste and Why It Matters is a fascinating description of sanitation conditions around the world. "2.6 billion people don't have sanitation. [....] Four in ten people have no access to any latrine, toilet, bucket, or box."

In September 2009, Morna Gregory and Sian James published a book titled Toilets of the World. It's pretty much the same theme that you find here — photographs and commentary on other people's plumbing.

A Sani-Flush blue border indicates a toilet that I've used.

How long have my Toilets of the World pages been around? I'm not exactly sure, although they started in the mid 1990s as a single page on a Purdue University server. The Internet Archive Wayback Machine lets you see what that looked like as far back as January 17, 1999.

My cromwell-intl.com domain appeared in September, 2001, although the Wayback Machine didn't notice its one enormous Toilet of the World page until January 17, 2002. Some time soon after that I split it into categories, and the collection has grown ever since.

If you're not bored yet, you might be interested in (or at least tolerate):