Alexander Cumming
British inventor · Scientists · Lived 1733 to 1814 · aged 81
Alexander Cumming FRSE was a Scottish watchmaker and instrument inventor, who was the first to patent a design of the flush toilet in 1775, which had been pioneered by Sir John Harington, but without solving the problem of foul smells.
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As well as improving the flush mechanism, Cummings included an S-trap to retain water permanently within the waste pipe, thus preventing sewer gases from entering buildings. Most modern flush toilets still include a similar trap.
