Examination of Toronto's oldest surviving toilet

TORONTO, ON- MARCH 10 - Elizabeth Nelson-Raffael shows some newspaper they found in the pipe that leads to the cesspool, they believe that the newspaper was paced inside the pipe to cut down on smalls sometime in the 1970's. Examination of Toronto's oldest surviving toilet offers a rare glimpse into how it worked. Toronto's first surveyor, John Howard, loved gadgets and had this one installed in his home, Colborne Lodge in what would become High Park. The toilet is a pan toilet, a copper pan (the bottom has fallen out) catches the poop and a lever is pulled up dipping the waste out of the pan. The lever also pulls a wire that released water from a cystern somewhere in the house. (Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images)