From Roman times right up to modern-day luxury, this book takes a chronological look at the story of sanitation. With the aid of new research, the author briefly uncovers the early rather primitive sanitation devices, such as cesspits and urban dung heaps, and moves on to describe the advances that came with the onslaught of developing technology from the 17th to the 20th century. Victorian developments in water supply and the growth of piping and steam-powered pumps finally led to the comparative comforts of today. The progression of baths and washbasins is also followed, with evidence of their practicality rising as they became fixed, rather than moveable, eventually resulting in the arrival of the en-suite bathroom of in the 19th century, along with the introduction of decorative tiles and attachments. Featuring first-hand accounts and evidence from diaries and contemporary records, this book traces the history of inventions that have affected everyone throughout history.