# cornflakes **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 1, 2004, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cornflakes/277475 "2004-12-01T11:52:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jmunster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/67e7ee/32.png) [@Jmunster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jmunster)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cornflakes/277475/1 "2004-12-01T11:52:30Z")
[FONT=Fixedsys]I was told this by my A level History teacher, so obviously I believed her… Is it true that Mr Kellogg invented cornflakes as a cure for masturbation? And if so, how exactly did he suppose they were going to work?[/FONT] :eek: ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cornflakes/277475/2 "2004-12-01T12:02:15Z")
There’s a Snopes article along similar lines: [http://www.snopes.com/food/origins/graham.htm](http://www.snopes.com/food/origins/graham.htm) ---
**Author:** ![aahala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@aahala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aahala)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cornflakes/277475/3 "2004-12-01T12:23:05Z")
> [@Jmunster](#): > > [FONT=Fixedsys]I was told this by my A level History teacher, so obviously I believed her… Is it true that Mr Kellogg invented cornflakes as a cure for masturbation? And if so, how exactly did he suppose they were going to work?[/FONT] :eek: I’m somewhat surprised the subject of cornflakes or masturbation cures came up in A level history, or for that matter any history course. To find the answer, you’ll need to take coursework in nutrition or the health sciences. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cornflakes/277475/4 "2004-12-01T12:33:13Z")
> [@aahala](#): > > I’m somewhat surprised the subject of cornflakes or masturbation cures > came up in A level history, or for that matter any history course. > > To find the answer, you’ll need to take coursework in nutrition or the health sciences. Why? Aren’t Victorian sexual morals a valid topic to study? And it’s a historical question far more than a nutritional one. ---
**Author:** ![Jmunster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/67e7ee/32.png) [@Jmunster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jmunster)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cornflakes/277475/5 "2004-12-01T13:41:34Z")
It came up when discussing the Kellogg-Briand pact. Not that I can remember what on earth that was now. I’m sure it was in one of my Nazi modules though… :smack: ---
**Author:** ![aahala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@aahala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aahala)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cornflakes/277475/6 "2004-12-01T14:13:01Z")
I’m not sure there is much of an explanation, except to say Dr. K was a pretty unusual individual. His big things were the bowels and daily enemas - a sort of sexual obsession he practiced and tried to convince others to. A pretty funny account of some of this is in the movie “Road to Wellville”. ---
**Author:** ![Teelo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@Teelo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teelo)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cornflakes/277475/7 "2004-12-01T14:15:51Z")
> [@aahala](#): > > A pretty funny account of some of this is in the movie “Road to Wellville”. I was going to mention this movie, I thought it was really entertaining and everyone here should at least rent it one day. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cornflakes/277475/8 "2004-12-01T15:17:46Z")
I’m pretty sure it was graham crackers that were supposed to “cure” masturbation. Wasn’t it Dr. Kellog’s brother that invented Corn Flakes? ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cornflakes/277475/9 "2004-12-01T15:51:18Z")
I learned (confimed by [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corn_flakes) ) that cornflakes were invented by Kellogg and his brothers by accident (wheat mash was left out too long, but they didn’t have money to waste food, so they rolled it and dried it and had their patients eat it anyway. Eventually they tried it with other grains, including corn.) Will Kellogg (the brother) is the one who marketed them to the public. Dr. Kellogg, a Seventh Day Adventist, used them along with other bland foods which he thought had anti-aphrodisiac properties to reduce the sex drive. 'Cause Sex Is Bad. It was thought that spicy or sweet foods would increase arousal. So he wasn’t trying to cure masterbation directly, he was trying to reduce the sex drive, period. Graham Crackers were invented by [Sylvester Graham](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvester_Graham) , a Presbyterian Minister, who advocated a vegetarian diet to cure alcoholism. Sexual restraint was another of his pet projects, but curing alcoholism was his white whale. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cornflakes/277475/10 "2004-12-01T16:58:36Z")
> [@Teelo](#): > > I was going to mention this movie, I thought it was really entertaining and everyone here should at least rent it one day. Plus you get to see both Lara Flynn Boyle and Brigitte Fonda’s bare breasts! \*I didn’t eat my cornflakes today. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cornflakes/277475/11 "2004-12-01T17:09:24Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > I learned (confimed by [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corn_flakes) ) that cornflakes were invented by Kellogg and his brothers by accident (wheat mash was left out too long, but they didn’t have money to waste food, so they rolled it and dried it and had their patients eat it anyway. Eventually they tried it with other grains, including corn.) Will Kellogg (the brother) is the one who marketed them to the public. Dr. Kellogg, a Seventh Day Adventist, used them along with other bland foods which he thought had anti-aphrodisiac properties to reduce the sex drive. 'Cause Sex Is Bad. It was thought that spicy or sweet foods would increase arousal. So he wasn’t trying to cure masterbation directly, he was trying to reduce the sex drive, period. > > Graham Crackers were invented by [Sylvester Graham](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvester_Graham) , a Presbyterian Minister, who advocated a vegetarian diet to cure alcoholism. Sexual restraint was another of his pet projects, but curing alcoholism was his white whale. Cornflakes didn’t sell well until Will added the poison [gasp] sugar. Dr. Kellogg never forgave his brother. BTW, the marketing of cold brealfast cereal didn’t take off until a businessman working with the Kelloggs took off and stole their ideas. You might have heard of him: C. W. Post. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cornflakes/277475/12 "2004-12-01T17:58:18Z")
> [@Teelo](#): > > I was going to mention this movie, I thought it was really entertaining and everyone here should at least rent it one day. Or better yet, read the book by T.C. Boyle…no annoying Dana Carvey overacting in that version. The paperback version I have slips into a “cereal box” package. Very cute. ---
**Author:** ![LorieSmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a587f6/32.png) [@LorieSmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LorieSmurf)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cornflakes/277475/13 "2004-12-02T00:43:21Z")
What an odd coincidence. I just saw “Road to Wellville” for the first time ever today (about Mr. Kellog and his freaky health practices). I had to bleach my eyes from seeing so many pasty white man-asses. But that’s a subject for Cafe Society… ---
**Author:** ![Khampelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Khampelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khampelf)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cornflakes/277475/14 "2004-12-02T03:52:22Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Graham Crackers were invented by [Sylvester Graham](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvester_Graham) , a Presbyterian Minister, who advocated a vegetarian diet to cure alcoholism. Sexual restraint was another of his pet projects, but curing alcoholism was his white whale. They must work. I know of very few dipsomaniacal toddlers.