The spittoon is a cream, glazed earthenware dish with a hole in the centre. It was not considered rude by some people to clear your throat, cough up phlegm and spit it out into the dish. It has an emptying hole at the side. They were often found in public houses to discourage men from spitting on the floor.

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Roll over this photo to switch between the spittoon in the museum's collection and a photo of Dr Slack on his rounds in Uffculme.

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