Inventions: Chewing Gum, Penicillin, and Anesthesia

Posted on Jan 8, 2025 in History

Chewing Gum

Thomas Adams was an inventor and businessman. His attempt to use chicle as a replacement for rubber did not work at first. However, he discovered that chicle could be used to make chewing gum. He started a company to manufacture it. His company became successful, and he revolutionized the chewing gum industry.

Questions About Chewing Gum

  1. What is natural chicle made from?
  2. Where does natural chicle come from?
  3. What happened to chicle after World War II?
  4. What virtually replaced chicle in chewing gum manufacture after World War II?
  5. What kind of market did artificially sweetened chewing gum find in the United States by the late 20th century?
  6. What remained the favorite flavor among a wide variety of flavors of chewing gum in the United States?
  7. What are some alternatives to natural chicle mentioned in the text?
  8. What role did mint play in the popularity of chewing gum?
  9. Where is the sapodilla tree primarily found?
  10. What is the geographic origin of the sapodilla tree?

Penicillin

Alexander Fleming was a Scottish medical doctor and microbiologist. While on vacation, he accidentally left a dirty Petri dish in the lab sink. Upon returning, he observed that mold on the dish had prevented bacterial growth. This discovery led to the development of penicillin. Penicillin revolutionized medicine by providing an effective treatment for many infectious diseases.

Questions About Penicillin

  1. Who was Alexander Fleming?
  2. What happened in 1928 during Alexander Fleming’s experiment with bacteria?
  3. Why did Alexander Fleming leave a dirty Petri dish in the lab sink?
  4. What did Alexander Fleming discover when he returned from vacation and found the Petri dish?
  5. How did the mold on the Petri dish affect the bacteria?
  6. What was the significance of Alexander Fleming’s discovery?
  7. What is penicillin?
  8. How did the discovery of penicillin revolutionize medicine?
  9. Why is penicillin considered one of the greatest medical breakthroughs of all time?
  10. What impact did the discovery of penicillin have on the control of infectious diseases?

Anesthesia

Horace Wells, a dentist, became fascinated by painless dental procedures after witnessing the effects of nitrous oxide at a fair. Although initially met with skepticism, he remained determined to explore its potential. He began experimenting with nitrous oxide on his patients, ultimately revolutionizing the field of dentistry.

Questions About Anesthesia

  1. Who was Horace Wells?
  2. In what year and where was Horace Wells practicing dentistry?
  3. How did Horace Wells discover the pain-killing properties of nitrous oxide?
  4. How did Horace Wells start using nitrous oxide in dental operations?
  5. Where was Horace Wells allowed to demonstrate his method in January 1845?
  6. What happened during Horace Wells’ demonstration at the Massachusetts General Hospital?

Questions About Job Interviews

  1. Who does a job interview?
  2. When do the candidates receive a call or an email?
  3. Why do you think the candidates aren’t selected in a job interview?
  4. What is the percentage of candidates that never heard back after a job interview?