It is not known whether Dr. William J. Morrison (1860-1926) had an ulterior motive for inventing the soft confection, but the dentist no doubt helped ensure others in his profession continued drawing in plenty of customers.
In 1897, he partnered with confectioner, John C. Wharton to develop the “Electric Candy Machine” that spun sugar into candy (which at the time was known as “Fairy Floss”), and its been bringing kids cavities ever since.
In 1921, another dentist, Josef Lascaux attempted to improve the design and trademarked the name “Cotton Candy.” Dr. Lascaux sold the cotton candy to his patients.
When cotton candy is spun, the sugar can create up to a 4-mile-long string of sugar! One sticky, sweet cloud of cotton candy has less sugar than a can of soda, no fat, no cholesterol, no sodium and only has about 105 calories for a standard one ounce serving.
The basic cotton candy invented in 1897 is still the same today and is sold worldwide. It is still one of the most popular treats at carnivals, fairs, and festivals. Chewing Gum was first patented by a Dentist….
On December 28, 1869, William F. Semple (1834-1922) filed the first chewing gum patent. It was not the sweet candy that it is today. Dr. Semple hoped it would clean the teeth. His ingredients included chalk and powdered licorice root. Charcoal was also considered a suitable ingredient.
Although chewing gum can be traced back to civilizations around the world, modernization and commercialization took place in the USA.
Humans are the only animals that chew gum. If you give a piece of gum to a monkey, he will chew it for a minute and then stick it in his hair.
In the USA alone, the amount of gum sold in one year would make a stick 3.5 million miles long. Over 100,000 tons of gum is chewed each year, with consumers spending a half-billion dollars!
If you are one of the many who enjoy delicious Cotton Candy and chewing gum, be sure to visit your dentist regularly.
