At Berrington Hall the servants saved the contents of every chamber-pot; the urine was left to mature and then used to soak the bed linen, while the solids went on the compost.
By that time, Mrs Beeton had died, at the age of 28.Aimed at the ordinary young married woman who would probably have had to do without domestic servants, save perhaps a chambermaid, Mrs Beeton's book addressed the mistress of the house as though she were the "commander of an army".
Labour ministers reputedly feel now that their civil servants are saving their ideas and energy for the Conservative government that is likely to be elected next year.
Campaign promises: Reducing the number of city fonctionnaires (civil servants) to save €225m by 2020.
"Performance-related pay in Whitehall should be linked to increasing efficiency and rewarding civil servants who save taxpayers' money.
The disclosure follows an outcry over the practice which has allowed civil servants to save themselves tens of thousands of pounds a year in tax.
The Tories said bonuses should be paid to civil servants who save taxpayers money, while the Liberal Democrats described the figures as "insensitive" and said Government workers should not be immune from the effects of the recession.
On Saturday, those workers were suddenly selfless civil servants: nurses and doctors saving lives, emergency workers braving natural disasters and NASA scientists exploring the frontiers of space.
It's also where lowly paid councillors and civil servants fight to save both the city and their jobs.
Despite concern from union leaders, experts and former military personnel, the plan has been under consideration for almost a year as ministers and senior civil servants grapple with ways of saving money within defence.
