In 1857, toilet paper took its modern form after New York inventor Joseph Gayetty introduced the world to a hemorrhoids-preventing product…at least that's how he marketed it. His manila hemp sheets were infused with aloe and pulled from a tissue-shaped box.
Toilet paper should be "over," not "under." The eternal debate over bathroom conventions seems to have actually been answered more than a century ago. ing to an 1891 patent by New York businessman Seth Wheeler, the end of a toilet paper roll should be on the outside, or in the “over” position.
And now, thanks to a patent for perforated toilet paper from 1891, we officially have our answer. Spotted by The Huffington Post, writer Owen Williams discovered a picture of the original patent on Monday and shared it with the world.