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Chamber Pot

(c) Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield MA. All rights reserved.
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Many Americans, especially those living in warmer regions, did not bother to build or use "privies," or outhouses. Privies were much more common in densely-populated areas or in those parts of the country with a colder climate. Most households also had at least one or two chamber pots. These "chambers" were usually ceramic and often had lids. Families stored them under the bed and used them at night, upon waking, and for invalids who could not make the journey to the privy. Emptying chamber pots, either down the privy or simply by tossing the contents out of a convenient window, was a daily morning chore.

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