There toilet paper it’s ainvention relatively recent: it was invented in 1857 from Joseph C. Gavettyeven if in the form of loose leaf packs; The holed rollto hang in the bathroom, was patented only in 1891 by Seth Wheeler. On the other hand, for much of its history, man has solved his hygiene needs with other tools. The use of paper for hygienic reasons was introduced in Chinathe country in which paper was invented. The first attestation of its use for hygienic reasons dates back to the 6th century AD and, over time, it has also spread to the rest of the world. However, until less than two centuries ago the normal paper used to write and only in the nineteenth century, as we anticipated, was a paper specifically intended for the first time produced personal cleanliness needs. In the following century, toilet paper spread on a large scale, ceasing to be a luxury product to become a good for everyday use in much of the world.
What was used before toilet paper
For most of our history, humans did not use toilet paper. In its place, they were used different objects and materials depending on the times and places. In ancient Rome, for example, they probably used the tersorium (also known as xylospongium), a stick with a sponge placed at the end (but some scholars believe that the tersorium used for other uses).
Other peoples of the past used leaves, fabrics and fabrics. We know, for example, that in the Middle Ages, specially cut pieces of old cassocks were used in convents. Instead, in Etiquette or customsthe famous treatise on good manners published by Monsignor Giovanni Della Casa in 1558, mention is made of the “pezze degli agiamenti”, i.e. fabrics used for hygienic needs. In many other cases, simply hands and water were used.
The origins of toilet paper: from China to the rest of the world
There paper was invented in China around the 2nd century BC It is not surprising, therefore, that theuse for hygienic reasons has been introduced into Chinese territory. The first mention dates back to a writing by Yan Zhituian intellectual who lived in the 6th century AD, who suggested not using the paper on which the Four Books and the Five Classics, fundamental works of Confucian philosophy, were written for hygienic purposes. From Yan Zhitui’s mention we deduce that in his time paper was already used for hygienic reasons. However, it was not specially produced paper, as happens today, but the same material used for writing.
In China, the use of paper for cleaning needs is also attested in subsequent centuries, but it took a long time for the “discovery” to reach the rest of the world. The innovation probably arrived in Europe around the 15th century and became more widespread as the centuries passed. In the eighteenth century, among noble families paper was sometimes cut and “packaged” specifically to be used for hygienic reasons.
The invention of “modern” toilet paper and its current diffusion
The production of toilet paper, i.e. paper produced specifically for personal cleaning, dates back to recent times. The first producer was Joseph C. Gavettya New York-based entrepreneur, who in 1857 put the first proper toilet paper on the market. The product, however, was sold in loose leaf packs, not in rolls like today, and the quality was significantly lower than today.
The roll was introduced in the 1880s and became popular in the following decade, when the Scott Paper Company began producing and advertising it. In the 1891Furthermore, the New York entrepreneur Seth Wheeler filed the patent for the “laundry” rollthat is, with an opening that allows it to be hung on the wall (these are the rolls we commonly use today). Another important innovation came in 1942when an English company first produced paper double veil.
Until the Second World War, however, toilet paper was much less widespread than it is today and was often “replaced” by newspapers. Even in our country it was considered a luxury item and only after the war, thanks to the economic boom of the 1950s, did it spread to all homes.
Toilet paper today
Today toilet paper is a object of daily use in many countriesalso because, thanks to the mechanization of industry, production has become very economical. However, it is not used throughout the world and some populations, such as the Indians, prefer to use water. Some statistics claim that 70% of the world’s population does not use toilet paper, but there are also different data.
What is certain is that toilet paper is very widespread in the West. Generally, supply does not create problems in Western countries, but during some economic crises and other calamities there has been fear that there could be a shortage of toilet paper, as happened during the recent Covid-19 pandemic. The concerns, however, proved to be largely unfounded.
