Anyone who has traveled to the United States knows that there are no squat pits in the United States, only toilets. However, unlike China, there will be a gap in the American toilet or toilet seat. What is this gap used for?

toilet? Is it more convenient for men or women? What is it used for? Anyone who has traveled to the United States knows that there are no squat pits in the United States, only toilets. However, unlike China, there will be a gap in the American toilet or toilet seat. What is this gap used for? Why doesn’t our country have one? Come, come, pay attention to the passers-by and listen to what the passers-by have to say.

The development history of the toilet

In fact, various forms of flush toilets have existed since ancient Rome. The toilets at that time were "public toilets" and were not distinguished between men and women. They were usually in the form of a large courtyard with marble floors. The seating platform is carved from a single piece of volcanic rock. Holes will be drilled at regular intervals in the volcanic rock, similar to the pits of today's public toilets. People can sit directly on them to use the toilet. There is a channel underneath, which will flush away excrement directly.

With the decline of the Roman Empire , "public toilets" were gradually abandoned. In the Middle Ages, there was a shortage of toilets, especially in Paris. The smell of excrement was everywhere, such as streets, indoors, beside stairs, and bedrooms. , churches, riverside, etc. At that time, Paris was equivalent to a "huge toilet".

Not only that, some people would defecate directly in the bucket and then pour it out directly from the window. The picture can be imagined. At that time, people had to be very careful when going out, otherwise it would be easy for "feces to fall from the sky".

1 In 1270, the local government finally issued a regulation prohibiting people from pouring excrement out of the window sill, but the local people were unwilling to comply. In addition, there was no good way to deal with excrement at that time, so a century later, this rule changed to: if you want to pour excrement from the window sill, you need to shout three times to remind passing pedestrians.

It was not until 1596 that a British Sir John Harrington invented a flush toilet, which gradually changed the way people used the toilet. However, the toilet had many problems after it was first invented, such as loud sound, incomplete flushing facilities, and no septic tank , so the smell easily flowed back into the room along the water pipes.

In the 18th century, a British inventor, Joseph Brame, once again improved the design of the toilet, and the first modern flush toilet took shape. By the mid-19th century, the toilet was already a defecation device used by every household.

Why is there a gap in front of the toilet? What is the use? Why doesn’t our country have one? After the invention of the

toilet, in order to increase comfort and prevent odor, toilet seats and lids were added. With the continuous development of technology, there are more styles of toilets, and the styles of toilets used in each place may be different. What is puzzling is that American toilets, whether they are household or public, always have a gap in front of the toilet. What is this used for?

In fact, the United States has had regulations since 1955: Seats in public toilets must be made of smooth, hydrophobic materials, and the front end of the seat must be open. There are two reasons why this is stipulated:

First, hygiene . Before there were urinals, both men and women used toilets. Therefore, in order to have a design that is more in line with the human body, it was decided to use a front-opening toilet. The "U-shaped" toilet lid can not only prevent women from coming into contact with the toilet but also increase air circulation. In addition, men can prevent urine from dripping on the toilet even if they do not lift the toilet seat when urinating.

The second is safety . This is based on the body shape of American locals. Because American women are generally fatter, the U-shaped toilet has a relatively better bearing capacity and is not easily crushed. Another thing is to prevent being too fat and getting stuck in the toilet. Although this possibility is very small, it does happen.

Previously, a 400-pound pianist got stuck in the toilet while flying. The reason was that his butt was too big and there was no gap. The suction generated after sitting on the toilet and flushing made him stuck in the toilet. It took rescuers more than an hour to save him.

In addition to the above two points, another reason may be that the design of the previous "public toilet" is followed. Judging from the toilet design at the time of ancient Rome , there will also be a gap in the front. Maybe from that time, people have considered avoiding Contact issues.

The reason why this situation does not exist in our country is mainly due to people’s needs. Usually, as long as they are outside, people’s demand for toilets is very low, and they basically choose squatting toilets, unless they are some special groups, such as the elderly, disabled people, etc. . The first is hygiene issues, and the second is due to people's habits. Our country has basically used squatting toilets since ancient times, while Western countries have always used sitting toilets, so there is not much demand for U-shaped toilets.

Why are there always queues in the women's toilet? What do they do when they go to the toilet?

No matter where you are, you can often see queues in the women's restrooms and empty men's restrooms, especially in scenic spots in various places. The women's restrooms can be said to be "endless". Judging from the average urination time of people, men and women are about the same, so why are there always queues in the women's toilet?

In fact, there are always queues in women's restrooms for three main reasons:

First, the design of the restrooms. Men's restrooms generally have two ways of using the toilet, one is a urinal, and the other is an ordinary urinal. There is only one type of women's restroom, so the men's restroom has an advantage in terms of quantity and can accommodate more people at the same time, thus avoiding queues.

The second is the physiological structure . The physiological structures of men and women are different. The male urethra is long and curved, and has a double-layered sphincter blessing, while the female urethra is short and straight, and the sphincter is not very strong, so men are more sensitive than women. It is easy to hold in urine.

The third is the "sense of ritual" for girls . Girls generally like to go to the toilet together, just like boys' "go, come and follow Huazi", while girls' "go, come and go to the toilet", so the number is invisible. has increased a lot. In addition, the process for girls to go to the toilet is also more cumbersome, such as "wipe first and then pad". In addition, after using the toilet, they will take the opportunity to touch up their makeup, etc., so it takes a long time.

Okay, that’s it for today. Follow the passers-by and listen to what the passers-by said. See you in the next issue.