History of Sanitation

34 HISTORY OF SANITATION uninterrupted service for over 2,400 years, and at the present time is still in use, with no signs of immediate failure. The arches were made of neatly jointed stones fitted together Greek Women Bathing Greek Bath Tubs without cement. It is stated by Pliny that a cart loaded with hay could pass down the Cloaca Maxima. It should be borne in mind, however, that a Roman cart and load of hay were of smaller dimensions than a modern one. The actual dimen- sions of the mouth of the sewer are 11 feet wide by 12 feet high. The lateral branches of the main sewer were of a size in proportion with their requirements and in proportion to the main or trunk sewer. The dimensions of these sewers are evidenced by the service they performed for Nero, who threw into them the unfortunate victims of his nightly riots. While each street in Rome was provided with an adequate sewer, it is more than probable that only a small per- centage of the popu- lation had branches extending into their houses. In those that had, the latrines were located adjacent to the kitchen, where through the