Changed the “important paper” today. Which led me to wonder: who invented toilet paper?
Wikipedia, of course, has much to say about the history of the “important paper.”
For most of human history, people used whatever was handy. The Romans shared a sponge on a stick in public latrines. Rural Americans relied on newspapers, catalogs, or corn cobs. Hygiene was largely improvisational. Indoor plumbing was rare.
Paper entered the story early in China, but it wasn’t until 1857 that Joseph Gayetty began selling packaged “medicated paper” in the United States. It lasted until the 1920s but was never wildly popular. Many Americans were perfectly content with the Sears & Roebuck catalog.
In 1890, the Scott Paper Company introduced toilet paper on a roll. Perforations came later. In 1935, one brand proudly advertised its product as “splinter-free,” which raises unsettling questions about the competition.
Here at the Asylum, management provides the TP. Long before my time, a committee was convened to select the optimal product. It was known, with full seriousness, as “The Tissue Issue.”
I like to imagine earnest residents comparing ply, tensile strength, absorbency, and dignity — all in service of the common good.
Civilization is fragile.
But thanks to the “Tissue Issue” Committee, my toilet paper is splinter-free.