My ongoing History of Disgust spans filthy kings, queens, saints and dukes; bathing, toilets, lunacy, eccentrics, hermits, smoking, fat, gender, exercise, ecology and the internet. One of the most fascinating chapters for me was the visceral class war of the 19th century, in Britain and America. Every time the working classes demanded reform or the vote, the right wing press shot at them the phrase 'the Great Unwashed'. To see how this was patented in England as a powerful form of political snobbery, we begin with one of the great forgotten characters of the nineteenth century. In his day, Edward Bulwer-Lytton was everything and everywhere: writer, thinker, dandy, politician and spiritualist. This episode introduces Lytton, and shows how a seemingly throwaway remark he made became one of the most enduring three word memes in recent history. A later episode will look at some unforgettable bathing habits and problems of the era. Be warned: this will get mucky.