In my Poop book, I wrote that in 1516, Leonardo da Vinci drew a design for a toilet in his journal. This would have been the first ever flushing toilet. His invention even included a ventilation system. He intended for it to be built in the castle of the French king, Francois I. Unfortunately, Leonardo died three years later, and his toilet was never built.
I just stumbled across this drawing on wiki images that is supposed to be a reproduction from his journal of the very design. I can’t authorize its authenticity, but it sure looks pretty . . . authentic. Any experts out there care to weigh in?
