During Victorian times, tanners were highly skilled craftsman, although the job was very smelly. Tanners would soak cow hides in a mixture called "bate." What did bate consist of?

The Tanner
Leather was a vital Victorian commodity and tanners were highly skilled workers, but they were forced to live on the fringes of society because of the noxious stink that went with the job. Raw hides were dipped in a sickly-sweet smelling lime solution for a week before the tanner scraped off the rotting flesh and hair. They were then soaked in ‘bate’ - warm, steaming gravy made from water and dog faeces, which removed the lime, softened the hides and stank the yard out something terrible! Over the next year, the hides would be soaked in various tanning solutions before the meticulous rinsing and drying out process began. The work was dull, strenuous and very, very smelly. Little wonder that tanners usually married other tanners!

http://www.yourdiscovery.com/history/worst_jobs/victorian/index.shtml

The Pure Collector

‘Pure’ is actually the word for dog poo! The pure collector roamed the streets, scooping the poop left by our canine friends, not for health and hygiene reasons, but for profit. Well someone had to provide the tanners with enough doggie-do-do for their ‘bate’!

http://www.yourdiscovery.com/history/worst_jobs/victorian/index.shtml