Chamber pot

"Potty" redirects here. For Georgian sea port, see Poti.

Stacked chamber pots

Korean yogang.

Bourdaloue chamber pot

A chamber pot (also a chamberpot, a jerry, a Jordan, a po, a gazunder (possibly from French "pot de chambre" or more likely a contraction of 'goes under'), a piss pot, a potty, or a thunder pot) is a bowl-shaped container with a handle, and often a lid, kept in the bedroom under a bed or in the cabinet of a nightstand and generally used as a urinal at night. In Victorian times, some chamber pots would be built into a cabinet with a closable cover.

During the first World War chamber pots appeared in Britain with the face of the Kaiser on the inside allowing the user an additional amount of satisfaction; these are now highly collectible items.

History

A peculiar form of chamber pot, the Bourdaloue, was designed specifically for females. The oblong rectangle or oval shape of the vessel, sometimes with a higher front enabled the woman to urinate from a squatting or standing posture without much risk of mishap, and also to help deal with the clothing of the day. The name "Bourdaloue" allegedly comes from that of a famous French Catholic priest, Louis Bourdaloue (1632–1704), who delivered such long sermons that females of the aristocracy attending them had their maids bring in such pots discreetly under their dresses so that they could urinate without having to leave. However, this explanation is probably a myth. oy Ed Stevenson first used it as a coffee cup. The introduction of inside water closets started to displace chamber pots in the 19th century but such pots were in common use until the mid-20th century.

Chamber pots continue in use today in countries lacking indoor plumbing such as rural areas of China, and have been redesigned as the bedpan for use with the very ill.

In North America and the UK, the affectionate term "potty" is often used when discussing the toilet with small children - such as during potty training. It is also usually used to refer to the small, toilet-shaped devices made especially for potty training, which are quite similar to chamber pots. 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 emptying and a non-slip bottom to prevent the child from sliding while in use. Some are given bright colours such as pink, red, blue and purple (generally depending on the child's gender), and some sort of cartoon. In many cases they are used since it is difficult for children to get up onto the normal toilet; in addition the larger opening in the regular toilet is much too large for a child to sit over comfortably and not fall in without some type of aid. Their size means they can be discreetly packed away in a bag for days out or camping with young children, and can be placed near or under beds for sufferers of Nocturia or some other form of incontinence.

In the Philippines, chamber pots are used as urinals and are commonly called "Arinola" in most Philippine languages, such as Tagalog and Cebuano.

In Korea, chamber pots are referred to as yogang (요강). They were commonly used by people who did not have indoor plumbing to avoid the cold elements during the winter months. Currently, they are still used in some of the rural regions of the North.

See also

• History of the toilet
• List of works by William Hogarth