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Achamber pot is aportable toilet, meant for nocturnal use in the bedroom. It was common in many cultures before the advent ofindoor plumbing andflushing toilets.
"Chamber" is an older term for bedroom. The chamber pot is also known as aJordan,[1][2] ajerry, aguzunder, apo (possibly fromFrench:pot de chambre), apotty pot, apotty, athunder pot, or athunder mug. It was also known as achamber utensil orbedroom ware.
Chamber pots were used inancient Greece at least since the 6th century BC and were known under different names:ἀμίς (amis),[3]οὐράνη (ouranē)[4] andοὐρητρίς (ourētris,[5] fromοὖρον -ouron, "urine"[6]),σκωραμίς / (skōramis),χερνίβιον (chernibion).[7]
The introduction of indoorflush toilets started to displace chamber pots in the 19th century, but they remained common until the mid-20th century.[8] The alternative to using the chamber pot was a trip to theouthouse.
In China, the chamber pot (便壶 (biàn hú) was common. A wealthysalt merchant in the city of Yangzhou became the symbol of conspicuous excess when he commissioned a chamber pot made of gold which was so tall that he had to climb a ladder to use it.[9]
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Chamber pots continue in use today[update] in areas lacking indoor plumbing.
In the Philippines, chamber pots are used asurinals and are known asarinola in mostPhilippine languages, such asCebuano[10] andTagalog.
In Korea, chamber pots are referred to asyogang (요강). They were used by people who did not have indoor plumbing to avoid the cold elements during the winter months.
The term "potty" is usually used to refer to the small, toilet-shaped devices made especially for children training to use the toilet, also calledpotty training, which are similar to chamber pots.[11] These potties are generally a large plastic bowl with an ergonomically designed back and front to protect against splashes. They may have a built-in handle or grasp at the back to allow easy emptying and a non-slip bottom to prevent the child from sliding while in use. Some are given bright colors, and others may feature gentle or unoffensive drawings or cartoon characters. In many cases they are used since it is difficult for children to maneuver themselves up onto the normal toilet; in addition the larger opening in the regular toilet is much too wide for a child to sit over comfortably and can be intimidating when they first start learning.[12] The size of a potty chair means they can be packed away in a bag for days out or when camping with young children.
A chamber pot might be disguised in a sort of chair (aclose stool). It might be stored in acabinet with doors to hide it; this sort ofnightstand was known as acommode, hence the latter word came to mean "toilet" as well. For homes without these items of furniture, the chamber pot was stored under the bed.
The moderncommode toilet andbedpan, used by bedbound or disabled persons, are variants of the chamber pot.
A related item was thebourdalou orbourdaloue, a small handheld oblong ceramic pot used in 17th- and 18th-century France to allow women to urinate conveniently. This item, similar in shape to a deepgravy boat, could be held between the legs and urinated into while standing or crouching, with little risk of soiling their clothing. At the time, women did not customarily wear two-legged underwear as today.[13]
"The Crabfish" is a 17th-century folk song about what is most likely acommon lobster, stored in a chamber pot by an unwise fisherman. The moral of the song is that one should look into a chamberpot before using it.
Philippine mythology recounts that giving newlyweds a chamber pot assures them of prosperity.PresidentElpidio Quirino, as part of asmear campaign against him, was falsely rumoured to possess a goldenarinola.[14]
In his satireUtopia,Thomas More had chamberpots made out of gold.
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