In 1596 , england lept into modern sanitation when sir john harrington , godson of elizabeth I , publishedmetamorphosis of ajaxin which he described a new kind of water closet : a raised cistern with a small pipe down which water ran when released by a valve .

1596年，当伊丽莎白一世的教子，约翰.哈灵顿公爵发表了一本名叫《阿贾克斯变形记》的书，在里面他描述了一种新型的水厕：一个位于高处的蓄水箱，他下方有一根细管道，当阀门被打开之后可以供水通过。