INTRODUCTION
The Museum’s collections are its outstanding resource and are constantly changing as we regularly add new material - including the latest finds from archaeological digs.
The overall aim is to build up a unique resource of Dorset places and Dorset people for future generations to study and enjoy.
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Moule's Patent Dry Earth Closet
COLLECTION HIGHLIGHT
The Moule Dry-Earth Closet
Selected by the BBC and the British Museum as one of its objects that help tell ‘The History of the World’, the Reverend Henry Moule of Dorchester invented this composting toilet in 1859.
Moule discovered that dry earth mixed with human waste produced clean compost in just a few weeks. A religious man, Moule disapproved of the Water Closet because it polluted rivers and he believed the nutrients from excrement should be returned to the soil.
In 1873 Moule took out a patent on this design which consisted of a hopper behind the seat holding dry earth or peat with a removable bucket placed below. When the handle is pulled, a small quantity of earth is spread on top of the human waste to reduce the smell and help it to decay. When the bucket is full, the contents are dug into the garden.
Moule’s closets were still being sold by the Army and Navy Stores in 1908, then costing about 30 shillings.