Please Adjust Your Dress Before Leaving

Regular readers will know that I've been researching George Jennings, the plumber who installed WCs for the Great Exhibition of 1851, sometimes described as the inventor of the public toilet. There's been a lot of misinformation about this subject in the past, largely stemming from The Good Loo Guide which misattributed the opening of the first underground toilets in London to Jennings, and gave the date as 1855 rather than 1885.

For a while, I assumed this was just pure confusion - not least because Jennings' firm, after his death, went on to install and run many public toilets in London in the early 1900s.

Then I found Jennings' letter to the City of London from 1858, actually offering to build an underground public toilet - so there was some fact behind the mistaken attribution. But, tragically, the accompanying illustration was missing from the City archives ... or so I thought.

It was only after some more digging that:

i. I found a useful reference to Jennnings' underground toilets in the Science Museum Archive

ii. I then remembered that Sarah McCabe had remarked upon the same reference in her master's thesis on late Victorian public toilets (generously emailed for my perusal - many thanks again, Sarah)

The illustration was not lost at all ... indeed, here it is, courtesy of those lovely people at the Science Museum:

Copyright: Science Museum Archives

The background, I think, is a generic City-scape, although I'm willing to be corrected. This is surely the same plan sent to the City of London, although this copy was sent to Capt. Francis Fowke, Director of Works at South Kensington Museum, with a view to it appearing in the 1862 International Exhibition (Jennings would also design and run the toilets at the 1862 Exhibition).

The seat on the left is the attendants room, not a toilet (as the fact that it is unconnected with the drainage, and the overview shows):

Copyright: Science Museum Archive

What's fascinating about this drawing is that all its key features would eventually appear in Victorian underground public toilets, some twenty years later - right from the City's first effort in 1885 (see here for a full description). William Haywood, the City's Engineer, seems to have happily copied the key features of Jennings' unused 1858 plan - from the 'inner ring' of urinals around a central column, to a gas lamp above ground providing a draught for ventilation - and put them into his Royal Exchange toilets which opened in 1885.

No wonder, then, that people have latterly been keen to attribute the work to Jennings himself (who inconveniently died in 1882). Nor that Jennings is reputed to have nurtured a grievance against the City authorities.

Note also the public drinking fountain at the ground level - the latest thing in sanitary improvement in 1850s London when the toilets were designed (Haywood did not bother to copy this in the 1880s).

The best bit of the drawing, of course, is the mid-Victorian gentleman nonchalantly emerging from the WC.

Copyright: Science Museum

Is this the only picture of a Victorian leaving a public lavatory, immediately after the act?

Victorian urinals would have the instruction 'Please adjust your dress before leaving' painted upon the wall (or, in the case of cast iron urinals, even embossed upon the metal - as one rare surviving example at Twickenham shows). At least our gentleman has paid heed to that injunction.

[thanks to JL for the image]

But can anyone help me with the trousers, as it were? Would there have been buttons at the front, round the waist, where?

Possibly I am already in too deep.

But - if you have good pics of mid-Victorian trousers and their buttons, I'd like to see them.

Public Conveniences .2

The area covered by this metropolis is so vast that a well-known French political writer could find no fitter term in which to describe its extent than by calling it a province covered with houses. Now, the avocations of many thousands of the inhabitants of this brick-and-mortar province impel them to traverse long distances from their dwellings, and to spend many hours in remote parts of the town. It is one of the features of the internal economy of this province that, different localities of it are appropriated to distinct purposes.
Thus the great centres of the different branches of financial and commercial business lie in the east and central parts of the province; whilst all around these are situated various manufacturing establishments; and, in the suburbs, which are each in themselves equal to considerable towns, are found the dwelling houses of our population. Every morning vast throngs of merchants, clerks, messengers, artizans, and others leave the suburbs, and travel perhaps several miles to the places where their business is transacted. Numbers of these, again, are by the necessities of their pursuits travelling about all day long. It is obvious, on a moment's consideration of the circumstances under which so large a proportion o the busy denizens of this London-province pursue their callings at a distance from their homes, and often in places where they are as absolute strangers to the residents as if they were in a foreign town, that the provision of numerous public conveniences  is a necessity that arises out of the very size, structure, and economy of tho metropolis. We, therefore, feel no hesitation in drawing the prominent attention of our local authorities to a matter of street-reform, daily becoming more and more essential to the public health and comfort. We are glad to observe that Mr. WING—a medical gentleman favourably known as the author of an excellent work on the " Evils of the Factory System"—has brought the subject before the Hammersmith District Board of Works.

There are three grounds upon which a large extension of public urinals and latrines is imperatively required. These are—convenience, public decency, and public health. As regards the public convenience we do not feel called upon to offer a word. Everyone who, after some hours' engagements from home, has found himself in a strange part of the town, must have experienced the inconvenience of traversing street after street, anxiously and furtively prying round corners, into courts and lanes, and meeting at every turn with passers-by, or the unfeeling injunction to "Commit no Nuisance," will readily admit that this ground is amply established. The City, so peculiarly thronged with men at a distance from their homes and places where they are known, is, beyond all other quarters of London, the least provided with public urinals. That public decency demands their formation, is equally clear. All who have occasion to traverse London must be conscious of abundant reasons on this ground. The sanitary argument is, perhaps, less generally appreciated. It is, nevertheless, most important,both in itself and in association with the other grounds. The consequence of the want of properly-constructed conveniences in accessible places has been the creation of a number of
extempore and conventional urinals in spots unprovided with any apparatus for ensuring cleanliness. These spots have become offensive nuisances to the passers-by, and, in many cases, sources of unhealthiness to the inhabitants of the neighbourhood. But even these places fall very far short of the necessity. Cases must be known to most medical practitioners, of persons who have suffered most severely in health, and who have even had to undergo serious surgical operations through the want of proper and timely facilities for relief. Especially in elderly men, the consequence of neglecting, under certain circumstances, even for a short time, a natural call, has been the occurrence of one of the most formidable of surgical accidents, and death itself.
It is not improper to add a word in the name of hospitality. The numerous foreigners who visit this metropolis are subjected to the greatest annoyance and inconvenience. The population, the superficial extent, and the traffic of London are daily increasing. The necessity for providing public conveniences of the kind to which we have referred, is daily growing more urgent. It is incumbent upon District Boards of Works to lose no time in selecting and reserving I appropriate sites for their construction. Such sites are already difficult to find. This difficulty increases with delay ; and the demand is also increasing in an inverse ratio to the supply.

The Lancet 10 May 1856

Public Conveniences

PUBLIC CONVENIENCES.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.

Sir,—Having seen in the newspapers of three or four days since an account of a mall's dying in consequence of the privilege of a necessary being denied to him, I am induced to write to you on a subject which has doubtless occurred to the minds of most persons, but which, from some unaccountable feelings of false delicacy, has never been made a subject of public inquiry. I allude to the almost total want of public necessaries, and of skreened places for making water in, in the centres of the great towns of England. In Paris and other continental towns skreens or retired places are most numerous; as, for instance, in the Boulevard des Italiens, where they occur every sixty paces, and the constant requisition to which they are put by all orders testify well to their use; whereas in London a man may walk literally for miles without meeting with a single place to which he can possibly retire. If he walk down any alley or side street which seems favourable for his purpose, the notice of "no nuisance" is sure to meet his eyes, the sanctity of which command is enforced by law. Now, Sir, I appeal to your medical experience whether a much more common disease exists, at least among men of advanced years, than a degree of prostatic irritation, and whether a much greater degree of inconvenience can be imagined than the inability of complying with nature's calls under those circumstances. It is needless to enumerate the various diseases, as gravel, stone, stricture, &c., which act in a similar way on the bladder, and all of which are common.
    I, therefore, am anxious to draw the attention of the public, and more especially of those whose authority in such cases would be first appealed to—the medical public, to the necessity which exists for the construction of public necessaries and skreens in the centres of all large towns, not placed in conspicuous situations, but down small streets and in other convenient places. If an individual were to erect water-closets for the use of gentlemen and ladies, it no doubt would prove a paying speculation ; but there is an absolute duty that necessaries and skreens should be placed by those whose premises the law protects from indiscriminate nuisance. Earnestly submitting this to the notice of yourself and of your readers, I remain your obedient servant,
G. A. May, 1842

The Lancet, 4 June 1842

A Woman's Complaint

An 1890s woman speaks out against poor provision of public toilets on the railway, and elsewhere:

A WOMAN'S COMPLAINT.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

Sir,—The writer of " A Woman's Complaint" deserves the thanks of hundreds of thousands of men and women for drawing attention to out of the greatest evils which disgrace our pseudo-civilization. Savage races which have no false delicacy would never allow such absurdities. It is not too much to say that in England men and women are daily tortured because the subject is tabooed, though vice may be openly discussed, and not only directors but shareholders and many others are to blame because when there is cause for complaint no one will speak out and focus public attention. Whether travelling on distant journeys or merely round London evidence is constantly forthcoming of the absence of the proper accessories of civilization. Several times have I seen women try in vain to open the door of a ladies' room when returning at night from theatres, &c., by train; and even at an exhibition under Royal patronage I have seen the same thing occur, though a cloak-room should obviously be open just before closing time as much as the drinking bars which were then open. Some day a husband or a brother will burst a door open, regardless of concentrating the attention of idlers, and a jury will justify him, it all English spirit has not been drilled out of us by then. I have heard that a passenger can require a train to be detained in case of necessity. Perhaps some lawyer will enlighten us on this point. It might be awkward for the railway companies, but they will have themselves to thank. More is required, however. Proper accommodation and attendance after arrival at a terminus, and also sometimes refreshments at a terminus. We want a few women as well as men invested with autocratic power as Government inspectors, not to attend to the higher politics of railways, but to supervise the minor details which make the real comfort of life to the thousands. The County Council in London has intended to set an example, but is most unfortunate in its methods. The accommodation it provides and labels "Ladies" is practically useless, because it is usually in such a situation, in the middle of a street and often opposite a cab-rank, that respectable women cannot go near the entrance. Who building a house would put the  accommodation for his female servants, to say nothing of visitors, in the middle of a stable yard? The result is that constables are still specially employed to watch the retired streets,and interfere, though with no right to do so, when they are preferred. The subject may not be a select one for public discussion, but there is a crying evil which must be cured sooner or later, and as the subject has been mooted I hope you will allow it to be ventilated - I enclose my card, but beg to subscribe myself
Your obedient servant,
ZETETES.

George Jennings and the Public Toilet

Did the well-known Victorian sanitary engineer George Jennings invent the public toilet?

It's a fact that's often repeated on various websites and books, but not really true. Admittedly, he installed his toilets at the Great Exhibition, but the Exhibition's commissioners had been lobbied to take action by a committee of members of the Royal Society of Arts.

It's often said that he installed underground toilets at the Royal Exchange in 1855 but this claim seems to date back to 'The Good Loo Guide' - a comic 1960s publication by Jonathan Routh - which gets the date wrong by some thirty years - 1885 is the correct date (click here for details), and Jennings was not involved in that particular build (not least because he was dead three years earlier), nor his firm.

He did, however, offer at least twice to set up public toilets in the City of London, and came up with the idea of underground public toilets in 1858, which were rejected due to 'English delicacy of feeling' (i.e. public water closets were considered unsavoury and immodest). [I only have an account of this response from Lawrence Wright's 'Clean and Decent' 1960, p.201, which reprints a memoir/letter/comment from Jennings without providing a citation]. Jenning's company, which survived his demise and prospered, would provide fixtures and fittings for many of the public toilets built in the 1880s and beyond, and contracted to manage some of them, in prime locations in London.

I've been mooching around the archives at the LMA (which I love, but the City's sanitary records are the worst-catalogued collection of material in the known universe) and, although I haven't found the City of London's rejection of Jenning's proposal, I have found his original 1858 letter. Here it is, in full:

5 Holland Street, Blackfriars, S.E.

December 13th 1858

To the Honourable the Commissioners of Sewers for the City of London

Gentlemen, I observe in 'The Times' that certain matters of a Sanitary character have been referred to your Engineer.

I think it only right to call attention to the efforts I have made to prevent the defilement of our thoroughfares and to remove those Plague spots that are offensive to the eye, and a reproach to the Metropolis.

Having provided, and fixed the Sanitary appliances at the Exhibition of 1851 and the Dublin Exhibition of 1852, as also those in the present Crystal Palace, I can bear testimony to the Public application of conveniences, suited to the advanced stage of civilization.

I know the subject is a peculiar one, and very difficult to handle, but no false delicacy ought to prevent immediate attention being given to matters effecting the health, and comfort, of the thousands who daily throng the thoroughfares of your City.

Herewith, I send you Lithographed drawings of a 'Halting Place' for a public Crossing: the space proposed to be occupied is not more than is appropriated to the any of the present 'Halting Places' and the design also provides for a Public Lamp & Drinking Fountain.

In the super-structure (which may be extended to any size without in the slightest degree impairing the stability of the thoroughfare above) you will see I show a Public Urinal, similar to those I have so satisfactorily erected for the St. Giles District Board of Works in the Seven Dials, and at the British Museum, as alson on the Great Northern and other Railways.

Water Closets and Lavatories are also shown with a Room for the Attendants. The wall space I propose should be covered with Time Tables from the different Railways; lists of Cab-fares from that particular point, to any part of the Metropolis, and other useful information. You will also observe that every arrangement is made for lighting and perfect ventilation.

In 1851 in connection with the Society of Arts, I spent a considerable sum to promote the establishment of Public Waiting Rooms and in the beginning of 1856, I had elaborate drawings made, showing how the vacant space next to the Royal Exchange might be advantageously employed. These drawings were submitted to the then Gresham Committee.

Public Waiting Rooms - Fountains - Water Closets and Lavatories may by some be considered a little in advance of the times, but they are nevertheless a necessary and would be appreciated accordingly.

As an example - At the Crystal Palace,for want of funds, the Lavatories were nearly excluded. I urged their introduction, but was told "persons would not come to Sydenham to wash their hands." I persisted and ultimately at a nominal cost, fitted the whole of the Waiting Rooms. These Waiting rooms I am told now produce a thousand pounds per annum.

If you consider my arrangements bear the stamp of common sense, I offer through you to supply and fix in any part of the City every Sanitary appliance shown in my drawings free of any charge.

If the cost of Gas-lights Water Supply and respectable Attendants capable of understanding and answering a question, should be considered an expense too great to be encountered, I am willing to take every expense on myself, and carry out every detail, under your Engineer's direction, provided the attendants I furnish are allowed to receive a small gratuity for use of Towels &c. as at the Crystal Palace.

If this (which many would turn a speculation) should prove commercially valuable, I shall be quite ready at any time to resign my trust, or retain it, using the proceeds for the establishment of similar conveniences.

I have the honour to be My Lord & Gentlemen,

Your obedient Servant,

George Jennings

Lithographed Drawings of the proposed 'Halting Place' were laid before the Court, and examined.

Resolved

That it be referred to the Committee on General Purposes to consider the said proposal and report.

1832 Toilet Plan

And here's J.C.Loudon's 1832 design for a public toilet:

[with thanks to the Natural History Museum Library for the copy]

Closet Accommodation for Women

REPORT TO THE STREETS COMMITTEE OF THE HONOROURABLE THE COMMISSIONERS OF SEWERS OF THE CITY OF LONDON

UPON THE PROVISION OF CLOSET ACCOMMODATION FOR WOMEN

by WILLIAM HAYWOOD

29th April 1887

Streets committee report to Commissioners of Sewers

'Recommending that thereference of tyhe 16th November last, relative to providing accommodation for women, adjacent to the chalet at Ludgate Circus, be discharged; that the propossed underground convenience for men be forthwith substituted for the said chalet; that it be referred back to the Committee to obtain premises in a more suitable locality as retiring rooms for women; and that the report of the Engineer on the subject be printed and circulated ...

GENTLEMEN,

PUBLIC CLOSET ACCOMMODATION FOR WOMEN

With refernece to the provision of closet accommodation for women,. I beg, in the first place, tto remark that the subject it, under sundry aspects, a difficult one to deal with plainly in a report of this sort; that it is also difficult to ascertain whether there is a great neccessitty for the provision of such public accommodation in the City of London; and that the question of free usage of the closet, if provided by the Commission, is a serious consideration from a financial point of view.

As to necessity, - In 1867, when I reported upon the traffic and improvements needed in the City of London, found upon investigation that there entered the City daily about one women to every five men. If the proportion is the same at the present time, there must be something like 160,000 women who enter and leave the City daily. It has been stated to me that a larger proportion of women now come to the City than formerly was ythe case, but the opinion was not based upon statistics, which alone can verify such opinion. My own impression is that the women bear much the same proportion to the men that they did in the year 1867.

The great bulk of the females are employed all day long in manufactories, show rooms, shops and other places of business in City, where ample accommodation is provided, and from which they are not far distant, when they once pass the City boundary. Others come during the day in considerable numbers to large warehouses, and great trading houses, to make purchases: at many of the largest of which special arrangements are made for women; even if there be not, there would, I imagine, be no difficulty in obtaining the use of clossets in case of necessity; and, therefore, for the classes named, I think it may be assumed that there is already sufficient accommodation.

There are, I believe, in some parts of the City, and particularly at certain season of the year, many poorr workwomen, who come mostly early in the morning, but also at other times, to fetch or take home work. I am informed that this class is very numerous, but have no means of judging this. The remainder of the women who come, comprise a certain number of strangers who enter by rail, omnibus, or cab, to see the City, and others who come to look at the shops where female wares are dealt in. Few, I should think, come for exercise or pleasure. It is for these classes, as it appears to me, that the accommodation is mainly needed.

The accommodation for women which already exists must now be enquired into.

There is at the present time a Chalet in Bridge Street by Ludgate Circus; and one in tthe centre of Bishopsgate Street Without, where accommodation for a limited number of women is provided.

There are seventeen railway stations - a list of which is given in the appendix - where it is provided. At twelve of them it can be had without a passenger's ticket having first to be taken; at the others a ticket must be taken, although it is probable that on the plea of urgency, accommodation would not be refused to anyone especially as a payment would have to be made; for at all of the stations a penny is either demanded or expected to be given for the usage of the closet.

The stationsare well known; and are all close to thoroughfares of considerable traffic; but with the exception of those at Ludgate Hill, the Holborn Viaduct, the Mansion House, Aldgate, thewy are not upon  the great east and west lines of thoroughfare, which begin at Temple Bar and Holborn, and terminate at Aldgate.

On those main lines of thoroughfare, or immediately adjacent to them, taverns, dining rooms and pastry cooks abound; at many of these places accommodation can be had; nearer to the City boundary there are shops where humble people can procure food, and where probbably accommodation would be given in case of extreme need; but I apprehend, it would nearly always invvolve in some shape or other, a payment.

With this existing accommodation it seems to me doubtful, therefore, whether there is any great necessity for further provision of public closets for women, but the only way to test this would be to make an experiment in one of the leading thoroughfares. If that were done, a year or two's experience would determine whether it was needful to extend the accommodation or not.

If the Commission should be of opinion that it is desirable to make further provision, the first difficulty to be met is that of finding suitable sites.

Few women, I think, would willingly go to such places if erected in the centres of the public ways. It would be inexpedient, also, according to English notions, to provide it in one and same building for both men and women, yet such arrangement exists at Paris and in many of the large towns in Europe; no objections have been raised against it; nor do I think that under proper regulations objections would be tenable; nevertheless it would here, I think, tend to prevent the usage by women of the well-to-do classes, who now find it and continue to find it at pastry cooks and elsewhere. I incline to the opinion that separate accommodation for women would be deemed necessary, and that it should not be placed in the centres of the public ways, where, indeed, it must be remarked that is may be difficult to find room, as such sites are fast being occupied by conveniences for men.

Room would, therefore, have to acquired by purchasing or hiring the ground floors, or perhapss the basements or first floors, of buildings abutting the great highways, for it would be useless to provide it in bye-streets or out of the way places wher strangers could not readily find it. It must in fact be upon the main lines of thoroughfare. The acquisition of sites in such streets would be very costly, rentals of from #200 to #300 per annum and perhaps still more would have to be given.

The question of payments for the usage of such closets then arises.

It was found at the Royal Exchange that the free usage of the closets was abused, that they were largely used by the same men daily - men who undoubtedly could go elsewhere, but preferred the most perfect accommodation provided gratis by the Commission. The free use of the closets was then discontinued and has since been paid for; the urinal accommodation remaining - as it always was - free.

Directly the free usage ceased, the payments for the closets increased, showing clearly that men quite able to pay would not do so when they could obtain accommodation for nothing. It is by the charges made for usage that the expense of maintaining the closets at the Royal Exchange, Farringdon Street, and King William Street is now largely met.

It seems to me that without charge being made to women, not only would a similar abuse take place, but as it must occur to everyone, it might do so to a very much larger extent, under the plea of a necessity, which no one could deny, whether true or not, and the Commission, to meet it, would have either to provide very needlessly large buildings, or be obliged to charge for the usage.

But if payment be demanded, it is doubtful to me whether sufficient money would be obtained to recoup, in any material degree, the cost of maintenace; however, as bevore observed, with regard to the necessity for closets, this is also a point which could alone be cleared up by experiment.

My conclusions generally are:-

That there already exists in the City of London large accessible accommodationfor women, but that the usage in all cases involves the expenditure of a penny or more.

That if further accommodation be provided for them by the Commission, it could only usefully be given on the main thoroughfares, and that the cost of acquiring sites for that purpose, as well as the cost of maintenace, subsequently, would be large.

That if free usage were granted, the privilege would be abused, and that if payments are demanded, the receipts would not go far towards recouping the annual expenses.

I append a plan of the City showing the situations of the various railway stations, also in the Appendix an account of accommodation given at each of them.

I have the honour to remain,

Gentlemen,

Your most obedient servant,

WILLIAM HAYWOOD

Engineer and Surveyor.

Filthy Impurities

Sir - "They order this matter better in France," observed Sterne, and never was there a more forcible illustration of the remark of the sarcastic sentimentalist than can be witnessed in Trafalgar-square, which you but a day or two ago, with justice, pronounced one of the handsomest squares in Europe. On the contemplated throwing open of St. Paul's, it was objected to by the witty Sidney Smith, on the ground that the public would make this superb and sacred edifice a grand "cabinet d'aisance;" and already has Trafalgar-square been polluted by some brutes in human shape, and urinals are being there formed in every direction, and this without any plea of necessity, as in proper places behind the National Gallery the wants of nature are duly provided against, without any offence to common decency. Nevertheless, dirty boys, besides, are suffered to disfigure the reservoirs, and fill them with orange peel, wood, dirty rags, and paper. Meanwhile, the police, whom we pay so well, are idly looking on, or engaged in the elegant employment of ogling the women. Could not a couple of sentries be spared from a place where they are of no use to this sitaution, "where they might d some service?" You, Sir, have shown that you possessed the power to pull down one Ministry and set up another, and through the medium of the all-powerful press the life of an unfortunate woman has lately been saved from the gallows; do, therefore, raise your voice as public monitor against the noble arena formed in honour of England's immortal hero becoming a complete eyesore, and the common receptacle for all the most filthy impurities, instead of being an ornament to the metropolis.

    I remain,
         YOUR CONSTANT READER.

The Times, 6 May 1844

Davis's Portable Urinal

The year of the Great Exhibition saw a sudden surge in interest regarding public toilets - or, rather, London's complete lack of them. Some entrepreneurs rose to meet the challenge:-

A deputation from the inhabitatns of the ward of Farringdon-within waited upon the Court for the purpose of comlpaining of the appearance of a large portable urinal at the west end of Cheapside, and requesting that the magistrates would cause its immediate removal from its present locality, as a much greater nuisance than any of those which it was intended to supercede. The curiosity excited among the female population by so unusual an object, which looked like a monster of the omnibus kind, and was gaudily painted, semed to be the principal objection to the introduction of the stranger, some of the gentlemen of the deputation having been actually put to the blush several times in the course of the morning upon being asked by ladies who popped their heads into their shops, 'Pray, what is that?'

A discussion of some length took place upon the question of the immediate removal of the bulky machine, the introduction of which had been sanctioned by the Court itself as an experiment, and it was argued by those whose delicacy seemd to be most excitable that the model which had been exhibited at a former Court, when the permission of the members was solicited at a former Court, when the permission of the members was solicited and obtained, was by no means copied in the article itself, the one being excessively modest and unobtrusive, and the other being, as a commissioner observed, carried out upon a principle of the "most glaring, attractive and offensive description."

Upon the other side it was contended that the curiosity would very soon be at an end; that so slight an objection would naturally vanish altogether before the great argument of public utility, competent judges of which were crowding the metropolis every day from all parts of the world; that public decency would be greatly promoted by an invention which had been successfully tested in other great cities; and that before the Court pronounced their condemnation, they would quietly watch the process of a little experience. Allusion was made to a vehicle of a similar kind which was placed in King William-street, where it was considered by some members as a very welcome visitor.

Ultimately, the matter was referred to a committee, with directs to report.

Times, June 4, 1851

Mr. Davis, the patentee of the portable urinal, which has attracted the observation of multitudes in the crowded thoroughfares of the city, appeared to answer the complaint of Mr. Macgregor and other respectable inhabitants of the neighbourhood of Cheapside, for having unlawfully placed in the public street a machine which was a common nuisance to the residents. . . . . Mr. Daw, chief clerk of the commissionery attended, and stated that the commissioners [of Sewers] had originally, on being shown the model, deemed it useful, and not likely to be inconvenient to the public, but the inventor found he had erred in having the machine painted too conspicuously, and the commissioners, who had that morning viewed it, thought so too, and were of opinion that the site was not a proper one for the purpose.

. . . . For some days past a vehicle, constructed on the principle of the prison van, but painted in conspicuous colours, has been stationed at the western end of Cheapside. It is intended for the convenience of gentlemen only, who are admitted by an attendant inside on payment of 1d. each person. In consequence of the great novelty of the speculation crowds have gathered round the vehicle every morning, as soon as it has taken its station. A similar vehicles has also been exhibited at the Monument, at the end of King William-street.
    Mr. Joseph Payne, a barrister, who attended for the defence, said he had just attended a summons at the Mansion-house with regard to the same affair, and it was there agreed to withdraw the summons on the promise that the nuisance complained of should be removed.

Alderman WILSON said, if the parties would only select some retired spot for these machines no complaint would be made about them. There was a vacant space of ground at the end of Cheapside which was a much more preferable site for such a purpose than the middle of a public thoroughfare like Cheapside or King William-street.

    Mr. Payne said that both vehicles should be instantly removed.

    Upon that understanding the case was discharged.

Times, June 6, 1851

Bazalgette's Job Application

Joseph Bazalgette would achieve lasting fame as the civil engineer who designed London's sewers. The document below is part of his 1849 job application for the post of Assistant Surveyor to the Metropolitan Commission of Sewers. (The MCS was the ultimately rather ineffectual body established at the urging of Edwin Chadwick in 1848, to resolve the sewer problem. It would be replaced by the more productive Metropolitan Board of Works in 1855, for whom Bazalgette would finally become chief engineer, and set London's sewerage to rights.)

Bazalgette chose to frame this application with a plan for improving the sanitation of the capital - not with sewers, but with public toilets. Sadly, he did not get the job. The vision of a capital replete with Bazalgette's dainty classical conveniences, situated at careful intervals throughout the city, is a marvellous one. Perhaps the happenny charge for toilet paper was not to Chadwick's liking.

© UCL Library Services,
Special Collections, Chadwick Papers

LETTER OF MR BAZALGETTE, C.E.,
ON
ESTABLISHMENT OF PUBLIC CONVENIENCES.
[Printed by Order of Court, 22nd March, 1849.]

24 GREAT GEORGE STREET, WESTMINSTER,

March, 1849.

DEAR SIR,

With a view to forward my application to the Commissioners of Sewers for the appointment of Assistant Surveyor under the Commission I have already placed in your hands the testimonials in my favour given by gentlemen whose opinions on engineering matters would command general confidence; but as I take it for granted that the Commissioners would be desirous of forming their own opinion as to the propriety of complying with my application, I shall feel obliged by your submitting to them this paper, with the accompanying plans, at the earliest proper opportunity.
     The subject which I have selected is one which appears to be of very great importance to the inhabitants of a large city, and the effectual carrying out of a scheme for affording to those who traverse its streets relief from frequent personal inconvenience and occasional pain, if not physical injury, would secure to the Commissioners the good-will of a large portion of its inhabitants. The recent sanitary inquiries are throwing so much light on many of the subjects now brought within the jurisdiction of the Commissioners, that I cannot presume to offer the following suggestions as perfect; but they may, perhaps, serve as a groundwork for  improvement. With this view I have considered the subject of establishing public water-closets and urinals throughout the metropolis, and will proceed with a description of the system proposed.
 
THEIR SITUATION.
 
Upon the accompanying map (*Wyld's Map of London) I have marked the positions in which I would propose to erect some of these buildings at first, leaving it for time to develope where their more extended adoption is required.
    At present there are but few urinals (mostly of a very primitive and insufficient kind) in existence, and as I conceive that the most profitable and effective management of such places would be accomplished by the combination of water-closets and urinals in one building, I have considered this city as at present destitute of any such accommodation, and have generally selected the foci of the main thoroughfares for their situation, and have placed them at such distances that, at the farthest, a man would have but a short walk to reach any one of them, varying this according to the density and character of the surrounding population and traffic through the streets.
    There is no map in existence large enough to define the exact spot where these buildings could be placed : and indeed the position of each one must be the result of particular local inquiry and treaty. The accompanying plan will suffice to show that these establishments can be arranged to occupy an exceedingly small space, in almost any position, so as to be at once conspicuous and inoffensive, or even ornamental if required.
 
THEIR CONSTRUCTION.
 
Plan, section, and elevation A represent one of these buildings at the side of a street containing a private and two public water-closets, and four urinals, with an office for the person in charge, as hereafter described. The surrounding walls are of brickwork, either solid or hollow ; the flooring and partitions of slate, supported upon iron girders placed across the top of a tank, excavated to receive the urine; to be lined with brickwork, and cased with tarrass cement or asphalte, furnished with a manhole, discharge pipe for pumping the urine into water-carts, and a waste pipe into the other drains. The closets and urinals to be covered by cisterns of slate or earthenware, which at the same time would serve the purposes of roofing and cleansing, to be supplied by the Commissioners or a Water Company, and furnished with a waste pipe connecting with the pans ; so that during any overflow from rains, &c., a constant scouring of the pans and pipes would occur, in addition to the flow of water arising from the use of the water-closets. The urinals should be cleansed by a copious flow of water from the tank down the wall into the drains every night and morning, or oftener if necessary ; the communication with the tank being first closed, so that the bulk of the fluid to be carted away should not be increased. The fittings of the private water-closet to be superior to those of the public; to be covered, as well as the keeper's office, with slate roofing : the remainder of the area to be left open, to admit light and air.
     Figures B, C, and D, on the plan represent plans of buildings of similar construction arranged to suit other situations most likely to arise in carrying out this system, such as the corner of a public building or the side of a churchyard.

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THEIR MANAGEMENT.
  
With a population among whom are some prone to commit breaches of good order and decorum it is difficult, to propose any plan which shall in itself be sufficient without taking into consideration its after management ; and as such management would form an important item of profit, it is proposed to farm these establishments like turnpikes, requiring the tenant to be constantly at his post within certain hours (after which the doors of the closets should be locked), and holding him responsible for the cleanliness and order of his charge. His situation would be such as to command a view of every one entering; the profit would arise from the sale of papers and the hire of private water-closets to those persons preferring them to the free use of the public ones, at a fixed rate of charge, and the receipt of fines in cases of nuisance or misdemeanour, which would give him a direct interest in maintaining good order and decorum.
     It is proposed to construct four large reservoirs situated in the north, east, south, and west suburbs of the metropolis, carefully constructed so as to avoid any possible annoyance, into which the urine should from time to time be deposited, and where it would be increased in value as a manure by fermentation, from whence it could be conveniently distributed to the surrounding farmers and market-gardeners, to be diluted and applied by them as required. The admixture of water adding so materially to the cost of carriage, the dilution of the urine has been avoided, believing that whilst contained in a close tank there would be little or no evaporation or escape of the ammonia; and it having been ascertained that gypsum in the proportion of one quarter to one eighth per cent. fixes the ammonia, it is proposed to use this material in the suburban reservoirs.
     Taking the contents of each town reservoir as shown in design A at 658 cubic feet, and assuming the constant use of the urinals for six hours per day, this reservoir would require emptying every two months into one of the suburban reservoirs, each of these receiving the contents of one-fourth, or fifteen, of the town reservoirs. Retaining it for six months, they would require to be sixty feet long, fifty feet wide,
and ten feet deep, containing 30,000 cubic feet.

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THEIR PROFIT.
 
This would arise from two sources, viz,, their management and the sale of the contents of the tank, to ascertain the probable amount and value of which I have made the following observations. At a urinal at the Royal Exchange, accommodating three persons at one time, there were counted from
 
10 to 10 30 A.M.  50 persons
1 30 to 2 P.M       90 persons {this being the greatest number the place could accommodate in the time occupied}
7 30 to 8 P.M.       61 persons

At the back of the Bank, with accommodation for two persons at one was time, the number observed from  2 to 2 30 P.M  was sixty, being the greatest  number the place could accommodate.
    At the back of the National Gallery, with accommodation for four persons at one time, the number observed was
  
From 9 30 to 10 A.M. 28 persons.
12 to 12 30 P.M.     86 persons
7 45 to 8 15 P.M.   80 Persons

At the Mansion-house, with accommodation for two persons at one tine, the numbers were

From 9 30 to 10 A.M. 26 persons.
2 to 2 30 P.M.    54 persons
8 to 8 30 P.M.    35 persons

At the corner of Hyde Park, with accommodation for four persons, the number observed was

From 10 to 10 30 A.M 50 persons.
7 45 to 8 15 P.M. 46 persons

In estimating the size of the reservoir, a continuance of the greatest possible traffic (as shown by the above observations) is assumed for twelve hours per day ; and taking the average deposit of urine at half-a-pint per individual (ascertained upon medical authority), the four urinals would produce twenty-six cubic feet per diem. A reservoir of the area shown upon the plans, five feet deep, would require emptying every twenty-five days. It is probable, however, that this is taking an extreme view of the case, and that with the extended accommodation afforded by these conveniences, the reservoir would contain the fluid for double that time.
    Taking this more moderate view of the case, and assuming that each urinal is only occupied four hours each day, we have four hundred and eighty pints per day. The average quantity of urine discharged by each individual in the twenty-four hours being three pints, the accumulation of this deposit has been valued by Professor Johnson at six shillings per annum for each person. We lave, then, as the value of the produce of the four urinals, forty-eight pounds per annum. This sum appears large, and it is possible that but a small portion, or even no part of it, would at once be realised. It would probably be necessary to establish its value by conveying it to the farmers and market-gardeners at prices scarcely remunerating for the outlay and plant for removing. This would require an agent, whose business it should be to secure its extended trial in comparison with other manures. If, however, such authority as that of Professor Johnson, supported by others, is to be relied upon and the scheme properly worked, there can be no doubt that the result must eventually prove a decidedly profitable speculation.
    In proof of this, the experiments made by M. Maxime Paulet, described in his work " Theorie et Pratique des Engrais," shoving the following results, are offered, the weights and measures used by M. Paulet being reduced to the English standard.
    M. Paulet takes the quantity of azote (nitrogen) contained by the manure as determining its value, and assumes as a standard of comparison farm-yard manure, which contains four per mille of azote, 35.288 lbs. of azote being required to manure one acre of land.

This would require of—

Good farm-yard manure 8820 lbs.
Human urine not having undergone fermentation - 4939 lbs.
Poudrette of Montfaucon - - - - 1,985 lbs.
Mixed human excrements and blood from the abattoirs - 1175 lbs.
Bones- - - - - - -  173 lbs.
Guano, average taken from two specimens - - 452 lbs.
Urine in a state of fermentation, and imperfectly dried, from the public urinals - - - - 205 lbs.

The comparison between this latter and good firm-yard manure being as one to forty-three; bones, one to two and four-fifths; and guano, as one to two and one-fifth.

Assuming that only 60 people use the waterclosets in 24 hours, two-thirds of them purchasing paper at one halfpenny each - £0 1 8 per day
One-third pay 2d. each for a private water-closet - 0 3 4
[total] 0 5 0
Or per annum - - - - 91 5 0
Deduct keeper's wages, 25s. per week - 65 0 0
Leaving a clear profit from this source of - 26 5 0
To which may be added fines.

In the following estimate of the cost of constructions of these buildings I have assumed the use of the best materials at the current prices of the day; but considering the improvements and economy now in progress through the efforts of this Commission and others, I have no doubt that they will be constructed at a smaller
cost.

ESTIMATE OF URINALS &c.

Excavation, 49 yards at 2s. £4 18 0
Brickwork, 1 10/11 rods reduced work 11l. 10s     21 19 0
Cement lining to tank, 43 yards at 2s 6d    5 7 6
Tile paving, coping to ditto     4 4 0
Iron girders, 6cwt at 10s    3 0 0
Slate paving, at per foot super 1s 4d.     6 17 6
Slate partitions, cisterns, &c. at 1s 8d    14 14 5
Weather boarding and lining to office    6 18 8
Bringing on water     5 0 0
Roofing, flooring, doors, windows, pans, drains, and fittings, complete, taken out in detail    23 3 9
Total   £96 2 10

Having seen a liquid manure cart, built for a gentleman at Banstead in Surrey, containing 505 gallons, being about eighty-one cubic feet, or (taking urine as equal in weight to salt water, at sixty-seven pounds to the cubic foot) 2½ tons, which is one-eighth part of the town reservoir; therefore, assuming that each of these carts would on the average make two journeys per day from the town to the suburban reservoirs, it would take one cart four days to empty each town reservoir, which, if required every two months, would give regular employment to one cart and three horses for each suburban reservoir.
    According to Professor Johnson's standard of the value of urine, it is worth 9s. 2d. per ton ; and one of these carts would contain about 23s. worth of urine.

GENERAL ESTIMATE

Construction of 60 urinals £6000
Ditto 4 suburban reservoirs and stables 4000
Purchase of 6 water carts at 30l. each 180
Purchase of 12 horses and harness at 30l. 360
Purchase of pumps, hose, &c. 160
Total 10,700
Contingencies, 10 per cent. 1,070
Total: £11,770

Annual Working Expenses
Keep of 12 horses at 10s each per week £312
Wages of 8 men at 20s each per week 416
Wear and tear of horses, carts &c. taken at 20 per cent £144
Supervision, offices, printing &c. 728
Total £1,600

In the above estimate, provision is made for removing the produce of the urinals taken at six hours per day; but in estimating their produce as worth 48l. per annum, it has been calculated at only four hours per day; which is, in fact, deducting one-third from the revenue which might be realised without addition to the estimated capital and working expenses.

Taking, therefore, the produce of sixty urinals at 48l. per annum each  £2,880
From which deduct working expenses - - - 1,600
There is left a balance of profit of - - - £1,280
being more than 10 per cent. upon the capital of 11,770l from this source alone.
    Until, however, the attention of manufacturers, dyers, farmers, and gardeners has been called, and a free demand established for this article, there is a source of revenue to be derived from the use and management alone of these establishments as before shown, yielding 26l. 5s. each per annum  .... £1,575
Deduct 10 per cent. for wear and tear - - £600
Deduct for management, &c. - - - 375

 975

Leaving a profit of - - - - £600
or 5 per cent, upon a capital of 12,000l. upon the worst view of the case; showing the speculation, therefore, a safe one.

    Upon the map of London I have marked the situations for about sixty of these buildings, considering that the carrying out this scheme, including the construction of the four suburban reservoirs and the purchase of water-carts, would require a capital of from ten to twelve thousand pounds. Should the Commissioners approve of the plan and give it their support, I have no doubt of being able to find a few individuals who would be willing to undertake the scheme as speculation at their own expense, under the general supervision of the Commission; the. Commissioners giving power to build upon the spots selected, assuming that the buildings would generally be erected on land already devoted to the public, and that, for the sake of securing a great public benefit, the Commissioners would not find any serious impediment offered by other authorities; the Company sharing the profit with the Commission, after realising say ten per cent. upon the outlay, or  some similar arrangement to be the subject of future decision.

     I am, &c
          J.W.BAZALGETTE
                Mem. Inst. C.E.

Counting Urinals in the City of London

I found this marvellous table yesterday, showing the location of every urinal in the City of London, 1849. I know. I need help.

I have now mapped it, too.

View Public Urinals in City of London, 1849 in a larger map

Situation of Urinal	Description of Premises in which Urinal is attached	If be Commissioners of Sewers	If by a Publican	If by other persons	Persons having charge of urinals	If communicating with sewer	If water laid on	If closed or open at night	No of persons urinal will accommodate at one time
1. Acorn Street, Bishopsgate	Public House	--	yes	--	Publican	yes	no	open	1
2. Bucklesbury	against Public House in Ch. Yd.	--	yes	--	Publican	yes	no	open	1
3. Botolph Alley	Public House	--	yes	--	Publican	yes	yes	open	1
4. Bury Street	Dead Wall of Warehouse	yes	--	--	Commission	yes	no	open	1
5. Bride Lane	Under Church Yard	yes	--	--	Commission	yes	yes	open	4
6. Bath Street	Warehouse Yard	yes	--	--	Commission	yes	no	open	1
7. Boars Head Court	Public House	--	yes	--	Publican	no	no	open	1
8. Bristow Street	Public House	--	yes	--	Publican	no	no	open	1
9. Black Swan Alley, St. Paul's Church Yard	Public House	--	yes	--	Publican	yes	no	open	1
10. Bear Alley	Public House	--	yes	--	Publican	no	no	open	1
11. Bridgwater Place	Public House	--	yes	--	Publican	no	no	open	1
12. Britannia Place	Public House	--	yes	--	Publican	no	no	open	1
13. Castle Court, Lawrence Lane	Dead Wall	yse	--	--	Commission	yes	no	open	1
14. Coopers Row	Under Railway	yes	--	--	Commission	yes	no	open	1
15. Church Court, Fenchurch Street	Public House	--	yes		Publican	yes	yes	open	1
16. Cree Church Lane	Dead Wall, Public House	yes	--	--	Commission	yes	no	open	1
17. Cross Key Square	Public House	--	yes	--	Publican	yes	no	open	1
18. Dove Court, Old Jewry	Public House	--	yes	--	Publican	yes	no	open	1
19. Dolphin Court, Fleet St.	Dead Wall, Public House	--	yes	--	Publican	no	no	open	1
20. Excise Office, Bishopsgate St.	Excise Office	--	--	Excise Office	Excise	yes	no	closed	5
21. Fyefoot Lane	Warehouse Wall	yes	--	--	Commission	yes	no	open	1
22. Fitcherts Court, Noble Street	Public House	--	yes	--	Publican	yes	no	open	1
23. Freeman's Court, Cheapside	Public House	--	yes	--	Publican	no	no	open	1
24. Fleur de lis Court	Dead Wall	yes	--	--	Commission	yes	no	open	1
25. Farringdon Market	In Market	--	--	Market office	Markets Committee	yes	no	open	1
26. Fleet Prison	Dead wall of street	--	--	City Lands Committee	City Lands Committee	yes	yes	open	4
27. French Ordinary Court	Railway arch	yes	--	--	Commission	yes	no	open	1
28. George Yard, Snowhill	Public House	--	yes	--	Publican	no	no	open	1
29. Guildhall Yard (front)	Guildhall	--	--	City Lands Committee	City Lands Committee	yse	yes	open	2
30. Guildhall Yard (back)	Guildhall	--	--	City Lands Committee	City Lands Committee	yes	yes	closed	2
31. Great Swan alley	Blank Wall	yes	--	--	Commission	yes	no	open	1
32. Hanging Sword alley	Public House	--	yes	--	Publican	yes	no	open	1
33. Heneage Lane	Public House	--	yes	--	Publican	no	no	open	1
34. Houndsditch	Public House	--	yes	--	Publican	no	no	open	1
35. Jacobs Well Passage	Public House	--	yes	--	Publican	no	no	open	1
36. King's Head Court, Pudding Lane	Public House	--	yes	--	Publican	yes	no	open	1
37. Leadenhall Buildings	Public House	yes	--	--	Commission	yes	no	open	1
38. Leadenhall Market	Dead Wall	--	yes	Markets Committee	Markets Committee	yes	no	open	4
39. London House Yard	Dead Wall	--	yes	--	Publican	yes	no	open	1
40. Lothbury	Bank of England	--	yes	Gov. and Co. Bank of England	Bank	yes	no	closed	2
41. Mansion house Place	Under Mansion House	--	yes	City Lands Committee	City Lands Committee	yes	yes	open	2
42. Montague Court Little Britain	Public House	--	yes	--	Publican	no	no	open	1
43. Mitre Square	Church Wall	yes	--	--	Commission	yes	no	open	1
44. Northumberland Alley	Wall of warehouse	yes	--	--	Commission	no	no	open	1
45. Newgate Market	by shambles	--	yes	Markets Committee	Markets Committee	yes	yes	open	3
46. Norwich Court Fetter Lane	Public House	--	yes	--	Publican	no	no	open	1
47. New Union Street	Public House	--	yes	--	Publican	yes	no	open	1
48. Old Bailey	In carriageway	yes	--	--	Commission	yes	yes	closed	6
49. Pitchers Court	Dead Wall	yes	--	--	Commission	yes	no	open	1
50.Printing House Yard	Wall	yes	--	--	Commission	yes	no	open	1
51. Princes St. Sparrow Corner	Public House	--	yes	--	Publican	no	no	open	1
52. Seething Lane	Warehouse Wall	yes	--	--	Commission	yes	no	open	1
53. St. Dunstans Alley	Public House	yes	--	--	Commission	yes	no	open	1
54. Smithfield Market	Sheep pens	--	--	Markets Committee	Markets Committee	yes	no	open	4
55. Shoe Lane	Church Yard wall	yes	--	--	Commission	yes	no	open	2
56. St. Dunstans Court, Fleet Street	Public House	--	yes	--	Publican	no	no	open	1
57. Ship Yard, Little Bridge Street	Public House	--	yes	--	Publican	no	no	open	1
58. Sun Court, Cloth Fair	Public House	--	yes	--	Publican	no	no	open	1
59. St. Paul's Cathedral	Church Yard	--	--	Dean and Chapt. St. Paul's	Dean and Chapt. St. Paul's	yes	no	closed	4
60. Star Court, Bread Street hill	Wall of Warehouse	--	yes	--	Publican	no	no	open	1
61. Sugar Loaf Court, Garlick Hill	Public House	--	yes	--	Publican	no	no	open	1
62. Temple Lane	Public House	--	yes	--	Publican	no	no	open	1
63. Three Falcon Court	Public House	--	yes	--	Publican	no	no	open	1
64. Talbot Court	Public House	--	yes	--	Publican	yes	no	open	1
65. Thames Street	East side London Bridge	yes	--	--	Commission	yes	no	open	1
66. Thames Street	West side London Bridge	yes	--	--	Commission	yes	no	open	1
67. Thames Street	Calverts Tap House	--	yes	--	Publican	yes	no	open	2
68. Threadneedle Street	Royal Exchange	--	--	Gresham Committee	Gresham Committee	yes	yes	open	3
69. Vine Street	Public House	--	yes	--	Publican	no	no	open	1
70. White Lion Court, Tower Street	Public House	yes	--	--	Commission	yes	no	open	1
71.  Waterman's Alley	Public House	--	yes	--	Publican	yes	no	open	1
72. Wilderness Lane	Public House	--	yes	--	Publican	no	no	open	1
73. White Street Cripplegate	Dead Wall	--	yes	--	Publican	yes	no	open	1
74. Waterside by Swan Lane	Warehouse Wall	--	yes	--	Publican	yes	no	open	1

Total Number of Urinals	By whom erected	If communicating with sewer		If water laid on		If closed or open at night		Number of persons urinal will accommodate
		yes	no	yes	no	yes	no
22	Commissioners of Sewers	21	1	2	20	21	1	31
9	Corporation Committees	9		6	3	7	2	28
1	Bank of England	1			1		1	2
1	Dean and Chapter of St. Paul's	1			1		1	4
1	Excise Office	1			1		1	5
40	Publicans	17	23	2	38	40		41
[74 [total]	Totals:	50	24	10	64	68	6	111

Here's the context, a bit long and tedious, but we learn that the first public water-closet in London was actually in Poultry, in c.1830 ... anyone beat that?

[166]

To the Honourable Commissioners of Sewers of the City of London
Sewers Office, Guildhall, March 5 1850

"Public Urinals"

Gentlemen,
    I have taken the first available time to complete a Report, which was commenced twelve months ago, and which I now have the honor to submit to you, upon the subject of Public Urinals.

    The subject is one of very considerable importance, for its is a question of comfort to the large throng of human beings who daily traverse the streets of the City of London.
    It is a subject in which every man must be interested, for there are few, I apprehend, who have not occasionally experienced the inconvenience of those urinals which exist, and the frequent inconvenience of their absence, I speak of the metropolis generally; and I believe the medical profession could recount many instances where (for nature will not be thwarted with impunity) serious and long continued illness has resulted from the want of them.
     I submit also that it is a question of decency, for although a man of delicate mind may have a repugnance to use situations which, from their publicity and otherwise, are manifestly unfit for such a purpose, yet it is impossible to traverse the streets if the metropolis without its being obvious that such is not the condition of every person's feeling; and I believe that to the want of  such public conveniences, much outrage is committed against deceny, cleanliness and morality -  for which nuder existing circumstances it must be allowed there is some show of excuse; but for which there could be none, if in proper situations a sufficient number of Public Urinals were erected.
    Indeed, I believe their necessity is indisputable and will be admitted by all, for it needs but slight observation to perceive how inadequate to the wants of the population are the present number in existence even in the City of London, which is in this respect as may be seen from the appendix already provided with a [167] considerable number and the principal if not the only difficulty attendant upon the erection of a sufficient number is the choice of situations.
    I have deemed it expedient in the first place to direct your attention to the urinals at present existing within the City, and to make suggestions with the view of rendering them as perfect as circumstances will permit, before commencing the consideration of the erection of additional ones.
    In pursuance of this, I have collated and arranged in a tabular form, a state of the whole of the Public Urinals at present existing within the City of London, shewing their situation, extent of accommodation, drainage, water supply, and such other information as I thought might be useful, and beg herewith to submit the same.
    The Urinals upon the Bridges being beyond your jurisdiction I have not included in the list.
    By the tabulated statement it will be seen that the total number of urinals within the City is 74, and the total number of persons that can be accommodated by them at one time is 111. This number includes all that can be generally used by the public and are accessible from the street, without going through private property to arrive at them, whether trhey have been erected by public bodies, private persons, or by this Commission.
    Strictly speaking, perhaps those alone are Public Urinals which have been erected by this Commission, and dedicated by them to the public use; but as it was my wish to ascertain what accommodation actually existed to which the public could have access at all times, and as those erected by the public bodies and private persons upon the public way are accessible naerly at all times to the public, I have included them in the list submitted, as they certainly form a large portion of the total amount of general accommodation.
    For the same reason I ahve included in the list the urinals in St. Paul's Church Yard, in the Court Yard of the Excise Office, and in the land at the back of the Guildhall, in as much as all of them are accessible to the public during the businses hours of the day, and are extensively used.
    By far the largest portion included in this total number been erected by publicans against their own permises, and scarcely deserve the name of urinals, for the most part they each consist simply of one screen stone, which generally fulfills the office of its designation very imperfectly, and they are almost universally deficient in drainage and water supply. they have principally been placed in their present situations, not because such situations were those which were the best that could have been selected for the use of the general public, but most frequently because the publican found that by erecting them he prevented far greater nuisance against his own premises; but in some cases, indeed, because it was evident that the public considered the situation appropriate, treated it accoridngly, and they therefore quickly became places of habitual resort.
   Out of this total number of 74 Urinals, 22 have been erected by this Commission in various public situations; 40 by Publicans, generally against their own premises; 9 by various Committees of the Corporation; 1 by the Company of the Bank of England; 1 by the Dean and Chapter of St. Paul's; and 1 bvy the Commissioners of Excise.
    Of the 22 which have been erected by the Commission and are under its immediate control, 21 are drained into the public sewer,1 is undrained, 2 have water supply, 20 have none.
    I have but to suggest in reference to thse, that the 1 which is undrained should at once be made to communicate with the public sewers, and that a constant water supply be at once given to the 20 which have it not.
    [168] Of the 8 erected by the Committees of the COrporation in the markets and other places, all are drained into the Sewers, and but 3 have no water. I beg to suggest that their attention be drawn to the expediency of providing water to the same forthwith.
    The one erected by the Bank of England is drained but has no water supply, but is well attended too, kept properly clean, and is a great public accommodation; another one near the same spot (for the erection of which a suitable situation exists adjacently) would be an additional boon to the public and one much needed in that situation. I beg to suggest that respresentation be made to the Company of the bank to this effect, and also as to the expediency of their providing a water supply to the one already in existence.
    The Urinals in St. Paul's Church Yard are drained, but water is not laid on to them; the Urinals are however but little known, they are removed some distance from the line of traffic, and little used, slight inconvenience therefore arises from the want of water; but I think it desirable that water should be supplied to them and beg to suggest that the attention of the Dean and Chapter of St. Paul's be drawn to the same.
    The Urinal in the Court Yard of the Excise Office is drained but it is not supplied with water; it is however frequently washed and kept in every respect in good condition, but a constant supply of water is nevertheless desirable.
    Of the remaining number of 40 which are attached to public houses, 17 are drained, and 23 are undrained; but two have water supply, 38 have no water supply. Drainage and water supply which are so needful to the other urinals are doubly so to those attached to Public House, for they are much used, and are for the most part in situations where from their publicity the want of such appliances is most severely felt, and I therefore beg to suggest that such should be at once made imperative.
    I now arrive at a point far more difficult of disposal, viz. the recommendation of additional urinals, and the situations where they should be erected; this is indeed a difficulty owing to an almost universal repugnance among persons to have them in their own vicinities; for those who, as a principle, would advocate their erection frequently have the greatest objection to their being placed near to them, even although in some cases their walls are daily defiled for want of them.
    The difficulty attending their establishment is increased by the necessary limitation to the privacy of such public conveniences for to be of use they must be easy of access, and be readily found, and to prevent improper usage of them they require to be under the general eye of the public as well as of the guardians of the peace and decency.
    Their necessity, however, being conceded, and those conditions as to choice of situation and structure being imperative, all that remains to be done is to select impartially such situations as will give the greatest general benefit to the public at the same time striving in their selection and construction to give as little individual or local annoyance as possible.
     I have not thought it needful at present to particularise places for their erection, as until the adoption of the general principle suggested in my report, such appeared to me to be premature. I will however submit such classes of situations as by their nature appear to me to be those in which they might be erected with advantage to the public and with as little offence as possible.
    Firstly The vicinities of cabstands appear to me to be suitable for their erection, as the cabs themselves will form upon one side a species of screen, and as there is always a certain amount [169] of bustle and traffic in connexion with a cab stand, the eye and mind would both be diverted from the associations connected with the urinals; besides which there is much nuisance perpetrated near cab stands by the drivers especially; which at prseent cannot but be highly offensive to the inhabitants in their localities, and which would be obviated by the erection of Urinals adjacent to them.
    The Urinal at the Northern end of the Old Bailey designed by the my predecessor (Mr. Kelsey) furnishes  a good illustration as regards situation and construction of the subject matter reported on; it is I am sure a great public benefit, and I think offensive to no one.
    Secondly I think that public buildings should have them erected within their precincts. A highly convenient Urinal is now in existence within the Court Yard of the Excise Office; and Bartholomew Hospital, the Post Office, Custom House, East India House and public buildings genearlly have for the most part room for similar accommodation. All such buildings owing to the large number of male persons constantly in personal communication with them are situations where they might be placed with the greatest public advantage; and I beg to sugegstion that representation to such effect should be made to the proper authorities by this Commission which I cannot doubt would be favourably received, and be acted upon in all cases where special circumstances might not interfere to prevent.
    Thirdly Whenever new streets are in course of formation situations might genearlly be found where they could be placed with advantage; and if constructed before the erection of houses in the line of street, no complaint could be lodged of inconvenience or nuisance being brough to the inhabitants of the locality as the reverse would be the case, for the inhabitants would go to the nuisance (if nuisance it was) which I do not apprehend it would necessarily be.
    Fourthly The sides of the Bridges which in some instances have them already; they are however insufficient in number, defective in construction, and capable of much improvement as the locality is highly favourable to the erection of such public conveniences. The Bridges are without the jurisdiction of this Commission, but ithin that of the Corporation and it cannot be for a moment doubted that the Honourable Committee to whom are delegated the care and supervision of the Bridges would at the representation of this Committee perform everything requisite to make them as perfect as their situation admits of.
    There is yet another species of situation where they might be constructed with the greatest advantage viz. upon the sites of the existing church yards, out of which alone I think I could name sufficient situations eminently adapted for such a purpose as would nearly suffice with those already in existence for the portion of the metropolis under your jurisdiction.
    It is much to be desired that the time when intramural interments shall cease is close at hand; when therefore they shall be among the things which were, the surface of the present churchyards might be levelled to proper inclinations. The tombstones might be laid horizontally so as to form paving slabs, which would thus still fulfil their intention of marking the resting places of those gone before us, and the intermediate spaces be filled in with paving, so as to form an uniform, even and non-absorbent surfacel or what appears to me still better, the head stones might be laid as before suggested and the intermediate spaces after having a proper stratum of earth over them, might be planted with various handy plants and shrubs which could be maintained at but a trifling annual expense after the first outlay; indeed, I should thnik the future annual maintenance might be less than the present cost of cultivating the rank unwholesome looking straggling grass which is annualy sown in many of the churchyards; then when these open spaces have become a source of health instead of disease  [170] there appears to me no reasonable objection to the further extensions of their benefits by the allotment of small portions of their sites to the establishment of public urinals.
    Generally, with regard to public urinals, whether now existing or in future to be constructed, their sitse having been carefully selected so as to give the greatest possible public benefit, I propose that they should be constructed in the best manner, that they should be well drained, ventilated, and lighted and have a copious and constant supply of water; their exterior should be as ornamental as circumstances or propriety would admit; they should be as much screened as is safely practical both by their design and by establishing around them pitching blocks for porters &c.; should be carefully inspected and cleansed every day, and in brief everything should be done which can render them a public benefit with as little attendant inconvenience as possible.
    With the existing arrangemenst of Urinals nothing so conduces to their cleanliness and freedom from offence as a constant and copious water supply; whatever argument may be used in favor of a system of cisternage for domestic purposes cannot apply to public urinals, besides which it is almost imposslbe in many cases to fix cisterns and the necesasry apparatus and I am strongly of opinion that water be running through the urinals both night and day, unless other means can be adopted whereby the same effect can be obtained.
    I again refer to the Public Urinals at the Northern end of the Old Bailey erected by this Commission; as an illustration of the type of the class I would erect modified according to circumstances of locality &c. and I believe that upon this model having certain improvements in the material forming their interiors, which frecent introductions would enable to be made, they might be constructed so as to leave very little to be desired.
    I here beg to call to the recollection of your Honorable Court that an Urinal, a fac simile of , and prepared at the same time as that existign at the Northern end of the Old Bailey , was originally intended to have been placed at the Southern end of Farringdon Street, but which for certain reasons was not; this urinal has been every since that period and still is lying at the City Stone Yard, quite ready for immediate erection in any suitable situation.
    It will be pereceived that the forgoing suggestions have reference to Urinals as under existing circumstances in which good drainage and a copious and constant supply of water are treated as absolte essentials to their decency and cleanliness.
    But in advocating the extension of Public Urinals, although obliged to state that which appears to me to be thie proper structural and other arrangements (as necessary under existing conditions) I think it expedient before quitting the subject to allude to that which appeared a more than probable arrangement of them, at some future (perhaps not far distant) period as well as to do my best, by setting before you such information as I am able to expedite and further such future arrangements, believing as I do that it will conduce to the general good.
    Of the value as manure of Human Excreta both solid and liquid when collected in an undiluted and concentrated state, it is now almost superfluous to dilate; very few are now skeptical upon that point, the labors of the great Sir Humphrey Davey and more recently of the illustrious Liebig, of Spengel, Bossingeult, Johnston, Paulet and others have by chemical analyses separated its constituents and shewn theoretically its probably worth; its applicant at Edinboro', Mansfield and Manchester has practically and irrefutably proved its agricultural value; and the large sums which ahve been for a long period annually realised by its convention and sale by the municipalities of some of the Towns upon the Continent are indisputable and well authenticated facts. Paris alone receives 800,000 [171] francs per annum by the sale of the excreta of its population, whislt in Belgium its sale realises £1.17.0 per head per annum; these with other instances sufficiently testify its commercial value when thus collected and disposed of. The sum named also as realised at Paris appears to me as I gather from the Pamphlet of Parent Duchatelet in his work "Hygiene Publique" and from other writers to be realised by the sale of the excreta so unscientifically manipulated in its convention into Manure, that a very large portion of its most valuable ingredients are lost partly by evaporation and by the expulsion and rejection of the liquid fecula.
    The researches of the eminent agricultual chemists named, and of others who have also added their quota to the general fund of knowledge have proved that such mode of manipulation is absolute waste, and that liquid dejecta of human beings is equally valuable as a manure, if not more so than the solid, and that when properly heated and applied it becomes one of the most valuable known fertilising agents.
     The system adopted in England of storing the excreta of the population in Cesspools which bore some analogy to the Continental system of fosses d'aisances inasmuch as both required periodical emptying, the former however being permeable whilst the latter is impermeable. being now exploded in this Country, and the modern system of sewage and removing the exuviae of the population by the agency of running water bidding fair by is rapid extension soon to entirely destroy any similitude between the continental system and our own, will at the same time prevent in this conutry the storage of soil and the power of obtaining human faeces in an undiluted condition, excepting perhaps in the Country or from large establishments under peculiar arrangements.
    Without venturing upon the much debated question of the relative values of liquid and solid manure, I think it will be conceded that even if the value of the former mode of application was proven to be decidedly superior, that even if the whole of the land within a radius of many miles of the metropolis was in proper condition as to drainage to receive it, and the whole of the cultivators of the soil ready to apply it and pay for it (all most important considerations) yet that many years must elapse before the exuviae of this metropolitan population could be profitably applied as a liquid even if the whole of it could ever be; and if we admit thus much, we also must admit that there will always be much waste of them, which if differently collected would be of considerable value.
    Under such circumstances, and with the knowledge of the value and conventability of human faeces when undiluted, it appears to me that effort should be made to save so valuable a fertilising agent from waste wherever it can be effected, without by its retention inflicting injury upon the sanitary condition of the locality, this under modern domestic arrangements alluded to and with recent evidence as to the insaulbrity of thestorage in and removal from premises of human excreta cannot be effected, but it appears to me that it would be perfectly practical to save and remove, without injury of nuisance, the daily deposition from the Public Urinals.
   To form some estimate of the probable deposition from the Public Urinals within the City, I have had observations made of the avearge use of certain of them, which may serve as a basis for present calculation as well as for general refernce should the question be at some future day the subject of consideration or proposal.

[172]

Table of Observations shewing the number of persons using certain Public Urinals within the City of London, between the hours of 8 o'clock a.m. and 6 o'clock p.m.

During 2 hour ending at	Old Bailey Nov.5 1849 accomm. 6 persons	Shoe Lane Nov. 6 1849 accomm. 2 persons	Mansion House, Nov 7 1849 accomm.2 persons	Royal Exchange Nov.8 1849 accomm. 3 persons	Seething Lane, Nov 9 1849 accomm. 1 person)	Bank Nov 1 1849 accomm. 2 persons	Thames St. W. Nov 12 1849 accomm. 1 person	Thames St. E. Nov. 13 1849 accomm. 1 person	Total Number per hour at the Urinal
9 am	105	34	35	24	8	Not open	32	61	299
10	169	69	50	73	11	52	51	105	580
11	218	95	70	111	29	96	64	134	807
12 noon	250	113	109	161	42	117	91	108	991
1 pm	259	111	117	214	47	134	99	106	1087
2	256	129	124	211	46	139	94	65	1084
3	207	113	130	204	33	115	92	77	971
4	201	119	106	178	33	124	87	52	900
5	180	16	92	166	31	105	91	89	861
6	166	98	61	155	16	67	57	59	679
Total with hours ending at 6pm	2011	987	845	1497	296	949	758	876	8269

Summary of Foregoing Observations

Urinal at		No. of persons capable of being accommodated at one time	Used in ten hours terminating at 6.40pm by persons
1	Old Bailey	6	2011
2	Shoe Lane	2	987
3	Mansion House	2	895
4	Royal Exchange	3	1497
5	Seething Lane	1	296
6	Bank	2	949
7	Thames St.  West of London Bridge	1	758
8	Thames St East of London Bridge	1	879
Total		18	8269

Thus it will be seen that 8 urinals capable of accommodatign 18 people at the same time, were during ten of the busy hours of the day, used by no less than 8269 times.
    Nothing that I could have urged, nothing that I could possibly have set forth to your Honorable Court, as to the advantages of such constructions could have demonstrated their utility plainly as this intelligible fact.
    If we follow up these observations by calculation and assume (which may fairly be done) that during 12 hours per diem there 8 urinals accommodating 18 persons are used at the same average rate given by the observations, namely 46 per accommodation per hour, the number of times they are used per diem will be 9,936; per week 69,552; or per annum 3,616,704.
    Now, the total number of persons capable of being accommodated in the City at the same time as shewn by the appended table of public urinals is 111, but the majority of them are not so much used in a given space of time as those which I have chosen for observation; they are however used for a much longer period than 12 hours per diem but assuming that each of the other urinals are used upon an average for 12 hours per diem and at the average rate only of two thirds of the number of persons shewn by the observations to use the other urinals per hour the number of times they will be used will be per diem of 12 hours 32,224; per week 239,568; per annum 12,457,536.
And thus the total number of times that the whole of the Public Urinals of the City of London amy be assumed to be used is per day of 12 hours 44,160; per week 309,120; per annum 16,074,240.
     [173] Human urine is now used in various manufacturign processes and possesses in that respect a certain value although I am not aware that for such objects money is ever made by its sale; but referring again t othe agricultural value of human excreta, human urine is known to possess soluble mineral constituents not found in the solid faeces. Professor Liebig states that in the culture of certain vegetables it is the most powerful manure known, and for general use I believe it ranks higher than most animal manures; it is capable of being manipulated in various ways, and can always be applied with advantage, whatever its mode of treatment; its monetary value has generally been received as stated by Professor Johnson who assigns six shillings as the usual value, as manure of the urine of each individual. It is probable, however, that this value, assigned by comparison with the prices of the various artificial manures of the day, it may be exceedingly difficult to realise, at all events at present, besides which its cost of conversion and transport must materially tend to reduce this stated value.
    It is no, however, needful for me here to progress further with enquiry into the question of its value beyond stating that at the value assigned by Professor Johnson the annual value of the urine collected to be deposited at the Public Urinals within the City may be estimated at about £2200.
    I think that the estimated usage of the Public Urinals although approximately is still considerably beneath the actual usage and am also of opinion that be the erection of additional ones their usage may in time be double that of their present usage, and that the value of the deposition at them according to the before mentioned would arrivew closely at £4000 per annum.
    I have brought this before your Honorable Court because that I believe persons will be found who would not only take charge of the Urinals free of expense, but would pay you for the right of using the urine; such is no new idea, it has been proposed to you at various times, the last time about 5 years since but the applicant damaged his case by proposign to turn the lamp posts along Cheapside into urinals, in somewhat the same way as those in the Boulevards at Paris with other good intentions, which neither your mind nor the public were prepared to receive, and therefore the consideration dropped; more recently a somewhat similar application has been made to you by Mr. D'Angely, the subject has alos recently been reported upon by one of the Officers of the Metropolitan Commission, who suggests the formation of a company to form Public Urinals.
    Public opinion has changed and is still changing upon this subject and I think that the establishment of additional public urinals would be conferring a great benefit upon the community, and may also become the means of returning to the soil a large quantity of valuable fertilizing matter at present worse than thrown away.
    I believe that public mind is also changing as regards the propriety of constructing Public Water Closets; one was experimentally erected about the year 1830 in the Poultry, but I believe that, as as communal speculation, as well as in every point of view it proved a failure. Continental intercourse of late years has, however, effected I think an attenuation of public feeling upon this point and I am disposed to think that their construction will ultimately taken place and that they will, like urinals, be considered a public benefit.
    I have the honor to be,
           Gentlemen,
                Your most obedient servant,
                      William Haywood,
                           Surveyor