Spittoons were common in the US until the early 20th century, used for spitting tobacco juice and mucus. They were also used in China during the Qing dynasty. Spittoons were made of brass and featured drains for hygiene. As smoking became more popular, spittoons became less used.
A spittoon is a vessel, usually a large vessel, into which people expectorate (spit). For a while, especially in the United States until the early 20th century, it was common to see spittoons in virtually every public place. Americans often chewed rather than smoked tobacco, and therefore the need to spit somewhere was important. Having a large, usually weighted jar into which Americans could spit excess “juice” from tobacco was a common practice not only in bars, but also in banks, hotels, restaurants, and offices. People usually had them in their homes as well.
The spittoon was used in China during the Qing dynasty which lasted from the 17th to the early 20th century. Several ceremonial practices had people spitting on the floor, and the Qing rulers tried to change that by providing porcelain vessels instead. As of the 1917s, most people no longer use spittoons in China and they are rarely used in the United States. An exception however is the use of the spittoon in cellars, where people can spit out wine tasted in one. Most people simply gulp down the wine, although this may be considered gauche among more dedicated wine tasters.
American spittoons were usually made of brass and were weighted so they would not tip over. The obvious mess of cleaning up the contents of an overturned spittoon needs no explanation. People also used them to spit mucus, and it can therefore be argued that spittoons were almost as hygienic as toilets, especially with the many people suffering from tuberculosis. Some spittoons featured drains, while others were simply drained and washed before being used again.
Although there were spittoons in the UK, they were much less used than in the US. Tobacco use in the UK tended to be smoked in pipes or taken as snuff. British visitors were often shocked by how American men seemed to constantly spit. Charles Dickens writes in a letter from America: “We are now in the regions of slavery, spittoons and senators: all three are evil in all countries, but the spittoon is the worst.” Of course the Americans countered that snuff dripping noses were just as disgusting.
As smoking tobacco became more popular, spittoons gradually became less used. Many would suggest that we can only count ourselves lucky that this was the case. Yet smoking has led to lung cancer, as chewing often has led to throat and tongue cancer, and it has also become a despicable habit that many find not only repugnant, but also highly dangerous. Many hope that the ashtray will soon go the way of the spittoon and be seen as a curiosity rather than a widely used thing.
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