ABSTRACT
The book of Deuteronomy (23:13–14) admonishes soldiers to make a latrine outside camp and carry a trowel “lest God see them as unclean.” Before water and sewer pipes existed, excreta and other waste were flushed into a backyard cesspool or sealed vault tank. At night, scavengers collected and disposed of the euphemistically called “night soil” at farms, dumps, or in rivers. Trash and rubbish, burned in stoves, was collected by “dustmen,” who sorted it for use as manure or bricks. Garbage was simply put out in the street to be eaten by roving bands of dogs, rats, and especially pigs.
