The "TUMS For The Tummy" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about one of our nation's favorite tablets that has been providing relief to aching tummies for close to 100 years.  Does the word "TUMS" come to mind?  The little round tablet was invented by James Howe, a pharmacist, whose wife had planned for the two of them to go on a cruise and had decided that they should try and take something along in case they overeat or eat something that doesn't agree with their stomachs while on the cruise.  So, in 1928 James, a Missouri pharmacist, invented a product for he and his wife that would help them on their cruise.  

It's name of TUMS came from a nurse at a local  military base, Jefferson Barracks, through a company-sponsored radio contest.  His invention was originally sold in gold colored tubes labeled Tums for the Tummy which cost 10 cents.  A few early ads for TUMS included phrases such as: "Like Good Food? Don't Appear Rude: Always Carry TUMS" and "Even Hamburger Doesn't Faze Me Now."  The TUMS song debuted in 1981 and was called  "Tums, Tum-Tum-Tum, Tums!"  Even though TUMS was invented in 1928, they weren't brought to market until 1930.  It was around the same time that Scotch tape, Wonder bread and Hostess Twinkies were introduced.  Now, if TUMS seem to be chalky, it's because they are actually made of chalk.  They use calcium-carbonate which is a form of mineral calcium found in limestone, chalk and marble.  TUMS begin with a ton of sugar and calcium carbonate which is mixed with water and starch.  When the mix dries it is fed into compressors that squeeze it into tablets by using about five tons of force.  

The tablets are then bottled or rolled to be shipped.  TUMS are manufactured, and have been manufactured since day one, at one of their seven buildings in St. Louis, Missouri.  It has been said that workers at the factory eat them like candy as they are being made.  One bartender in Chicago mixed fruit-flavored TUMS with a rogue's gallery of gut-boilers including cream, egg whites, red pepper and some spicy sausage oil.  A drink that could give someone heartburn and cure it at the same time!  Before our recent pandemic, sales of TUMS was on the rise, and during the pandemic, some varieties were in short supply since many people put TUMS at the top of their list of antacids.  All antacids use a base.  Acid and bases are put together and their ions bond to form water.  Different antacids rely on different bases, but they all work the same way, bringing hours-long relief starting within five to ten minutes of popping a TUMS in your mouth.  Johnson & Johnson invented a pill called the Papoid, which somehow became obsolete, while TUMS have stood the test of time.  Bet you might have a pack in your bathroom, kitchen or even in your pocket.  I know we do!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy,