Sewers & Waste Disposal in Medieval Europe

This segregation offici bothy go along byout the Middle Ages; in fact, the first citywide commode systems intended to transport human dissipation out of cities were not constructed until the 1840s (Lewis 49).The reason for this arrangement was that floods presented a serious problem for all cities situated near rivers; sewers were vital for d rainfallage in these cities. In order for sewers to operate properly they had to remain unblocked, a find out frequently impossible when human and animal waste was dumped into the sewers. Thus, laws were often passed prohibiting the dumping of waste into the sewers. Even with this prohibition, draining flood and pelting often overtaxed the sewer systems of the major cities and towns, with the low-lying sections succumbing to floods during exceptional rain or tides (Buer 103).

Drainage began at the street level, with troughs or ditches which were construct into the streets. The main thoroughfares in large cities, such as capital of the United Kingdom and Paris, were paved, with either ii gutters running along the sides of the street (found lonesome(prenominal) along the widest streets in London) or a single gutter running through the center of the street. The London side gutters uncaring the road from the foot-paths abutting to the houses. In London, the pissing flow through these channels was constant since they received most of the rain-water drained from roofs and adjoin properties, excess water from numerous wells, and the "slop,"

Of course, most everyone recognized the convenience of disposing this waste into the street gutters and the sewers. chase outside(a) disposed of in this manner would be carried off by running water and no one would have to snapshot up the cesspits when they became full. Consequently, those persons with the necessary financial means often constructed their privies over sewers, while most persons who did not have a can on their property simply dumped the contents of their chamberpots out onto the streets. totally of these persons figured that the waste would be carried away through the gutters, into the sewers, and finally into the rivers.

King, Walter. "How High is Too High? Disposing of Dung in Seventeenth-Century Prescot.

" The sixteenth Century Journal 23 (1992): 443-457.

This was an advance, however, over simply throwing two planks over a pit. It was one way to use water to move the waste farther away from the posterior itself, hence keeping the living space cleaner than before. It was also a step towards moving the waste away from the city use as few human hands as possible. The next logical step would be to move the waste from the privy to the river using water and sewers alone. Ironically, this step was actually taken in London prior to a ban on mental synthesis privies over the sewers. Around 1259, underground sewers were constructed between the Thames and Westminster Palace to fetch away the animal waste from the royal kitchens, so that the incident smells would not corrupt the air of the halls through which it had previously been carried. At the same time, underground sewers were also constructed to carry the waste away from the royal privies and into the Thames (Sabine, "Latrines and Cesspools" 305). This system was copied by a few agreeable citizens in London, who also constructed sewers connecting their privies with the Thames (Sabine, "Latrines and Cesspools" 311). In addition, several public latrines utilise running waters from the regular open sewers to clear the waste
Ordercustompaper.com is a professional essay writing service at which you can buy essays on any topics and disciplines! All custom essays are written by professional writers!