The first mentions of toilet paper were found in the Chinese 5th century writings and during the 14th century.
They even started regular mass production of such paper in the amounts of over 10 million sheets in only one province.
Wealthy citizens and the royal family in Beijing even had access to the several types of soft, stylized and perfumed toilet paper.
In the others parts of the world, use of paper as a cleansing accessory was almost unheard of.
There are several reasons for that – inability to produce massive and affordable quantities, inefficient or nonexistent toilet plumbing network, and more.
After centuries of using water, rags, sticks, sand, leaves, corncobs, animal furs, finally American inventor Joseph Gayetty came to his invention – commercial toilet paper!
Gayetty was born in Massachusetts USA, and worked in New York where he came to the idea of toilet paper in 1857.
His product was marketed and intended to be used as a medical accessory, but it was later remembered as a commercial disaster (although this product remained in licensed use until the late 1920s).
It was sold in a package of 500 papers (scented and watermarked with the manufacturer’s name) and was advertised as a help for people who had troubles with haemorrhoids.
Following Gayetti’s commercial disaster, several other inventors tried to create successful products.
Most notably Englishman Walter Alcock created paper in a roll (again unsuccessfully), and in 1867 brothers Thomas, Edward and Clarence Scott managed to successfully market their toilet paper.
From that point on, use of toilet papers became widespread in the entire world.
