# I want me some spruce gum! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [June 18, 2010, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-me-some-spruce-gum/543686 "2010-06-18T16:53:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-me-some-spruce-gum/543686/1 "2010-06-18T16:53:25Z")
> **[The amazing history of chewing gum](https://www.straightdope.com/21341488/the-amazing-history-of-chewing-gum)** > [@](#): > > In 1848, John Curtis set up shop in Bangor, Maine, manufacturing “State of Maine Pure Spruce Gum” from a stove-top plant. Curtis’s success was not overwhelming. There was one serious problem with “Pure Spruce Gum”–namely, that it tasted entirely too much like pure spruce. Curtis experimented with adding other flavors to the mixture, but nothing seemed capable of disguising the essential sprucidity of his product. By 1850 Curtis had thrown over spruce gum in favor of paraffin, a petroleum by-product that had the advantage of being tasteless, but wasn’t up to the spruce stuff texture-wise. **(Spruce gum didn’t entirely disappear, though; I’m told you can still get it in New Hampshire today, tasting as rank as ever.)** Can anyone confirm this? A website that sells it, perhaps? I want my breath to have a rich, sprucy aroma! ---
**Author:** ![Lare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@Lare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lare)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-me-some-spruce-gum/543686/2 "2010-06-18T17:26:12Z")
Here you go. Ordering instructions are on the “Product Description” page. [http://www.naturallist.com/gum.htm](http://www.naturallist.com/gum.htm) ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-me-some-spruce-gum/543686/3 "2010-06-18T17:40:58Z")
Cecil, never did say. When did Wrigley’s gum come out? Who made the first bubble gum and where did it’s unique flavor develop? ---
**Author:** ![Lare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@Lare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lare)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-me-some-spruce-gum/543686/4 "2010-06-18T17:56:28Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Cecil, never did say. When did Wrigley’s gum come out? Who made the first bubble gum and where did it’s unique flavor develop? [www. **wrigley**.com](http://www.wrigley.com) has most of the answers for you, aceplace57. ---
**Author:** ![qazwart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/5fc32e/32.png) [@qazwart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qazwart)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-me-some-spruce-gum/543686/5 "2010-06-18T21:03:50Z")
> [@Lare](#): > > Here you go. Ordering instructions are on the “Product Description” page. > > [http://www.naturallist.com/gum.htm](http://www.naturallist.com/gum.htm) I’m not so sure if it’s a good idea. Here are the _directions_ from the webpage on how to chew spruce gum. I underlined the salient parts: Put the lump of gum in your mouth (it doesn’t look very appealing at this stage–don’t worry, it’s antiseptic and 100% safe) and break it up into a granular and strong-tasting substance. At this stage it is somewhat distasteful but resist the temptation to spit it out. In this granular form it will merge with saliva and be warmed by your mouth. Keep chewing for about four minutes without spitting. You will notice that it becomes less granular as you chew. When you have a sizable lump which holds together, then spit out the juice and the impurities, which separated out, and keep chewing. You will spit out another 4 times before it is purified and great! After this period, take it out and look at it. It will have a beautiful color and taste great. It will now be good for about 30 minutes of terrific chewing and is the greatest tooth cleaner you can get. You can swallow the juice. It is antiseptic and medicinal and will not harm you in any way. After 30 minutes of chewing it becomes harder to chew and eventually becomes granular again and needs to be discarded. I don’t understand why but this gum helped me stop smoking and relaxed me when I have felt stressed. I strongly recommend this as the very best thing that can happen to your mouth and you. So, if I understand this, it looks awful, tastes awful, and is like chewing gum mixed with sand. You have to put up with this wonderful experience for four minutes. Then, you get to spit out the impurities four or five times. After five to ten minutes, you’ll now have the ability to chew this stuff for no more than 30 minutes before it becomes awful again. And all for under $10 per ounce! Maybe I’ll just stick to Doublemint. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-me-some-spruce-gum/543686/6 "2010-06-19T00:01:51Z")
> [@](#): > > Can anyone confirm this? I have relatives in New Hampshire and while visiting them, I have indeed seen spruce gum for sale. ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2010, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-me-some-spruce-gum/543686/7 "2010-06-20T02:07:44Z")
I don’t know about nowadays, but it used to be available when I lived in Maine. It is true that it tastes nasty at first, but you quickly get used to it, and it is really quite refreshing. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-me-some-spruce-gum/543686/8 "2010-06-21T15:05:46Z")
> [@](#): > > There was one serious problem with “Pure Spruce Gum”–namely, that it tasted entirely too much like pure spruce. Obviously he hadn’t tried the young sprigs. Nothing sprucey about them. ---
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-me-some-spruce-gum/543686/9 "2010-06-21T18:56:48Z")
> [@qazwart](#): > > I’m not so sure if it’s a good idea. Here are the _directions_ from the webpage on how to chew spruce gum. I underlined the salient parts: > > Put the lump of gum in your mouth (it doesn’t look very appealing at this stage–don’t worry, it’s antiseptic and 100% safe) and break it up into a granular and strong-tasting substance. At this stage it is somewhat distasteful but resist the temptation to spit it out. In this granular form it will merge with saliva and be warmed by your mouth. > > Keep chewing for about four minutes without spitting. You will notice that it becomes less granular as you chew. When you have a sizable lump which holds together, then spit out the juice and the impurities, which separated out, and keep chewing. > > You will spit out another 4 times before it is purified and great! After this period, take it out and look at it. It will have a beautiful color and taste great. It will now be good for about 30 minutes of terrific chewing and is the greatest tooth cleaner you can get. You can swallow the juice. It is antiseptic and medicinal and will not harm you in any way. > > After 30 minutes of chewing it becomes harder to chew and eventually becomes granular again and needs to be discarded. I don’t understand why but this gum helped me stop smoking and relaxed me when I have felt stressed. I strongly recommend this as the very best thing that can happen to your mouth and you. > > So, if I understand this, it looks awful, tastes awful, and is like chewing gum mixed with sand. You have to put up with this wonderful experience for four minutes. Then, you get to spit out the impurities four or five times. After five to ten minutes, you’ll now have the ability to chew this stuff for no more than 30 minutes before it becomes awful again. > > And all for under $10 per ounce! > > Maybe I’ll just stick to Doublemint. It’s antiseptic? Cool! If i get one of those unsightly little mouth ulcers, I can chew on spruce gum instead of swishing around Jim Beam! ---
**Author:** ![Arkcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Arkcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arkcon)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-me-some-spruce-gum/543686/10 "2010-06-24T15:15:01Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Cecil, never did say. When did Wrigley’s gum come out? Who made the first bubble gum and where did it’s unique flavor develop? Cecil did address what flavor bubble gum is supposed to be in this multi-question column: > **[What’s the term for people who can’t smell or taste? Plus: what flavor is...](https://www.straightdope.com/21343428/what-s-the-term-for-people-who-can-t-smell-or-taste-plus-what-flavor-is-bubble-gum)** Basically, it’s a mix of flavors, meant to be unique and un-natural tasting. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-me-some-spruce-gum/543686/11 "2010-06-24T16:45:16Z")
> [@](#): > > I don’t understand why but this gum helped me stop smoking Aversion therapy. One chew of spruce gum and you’ll never want to put anything in your mouth ever again. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-me-some-spruce-gum/543686/12 "2010-06-24T18:25:39Z")
i was sure if anyone carried it in New Hampshire, [Clark’s Trading Post](http://www.clarkstradingpost.com/) would have it, so I emailed them. No joy: > [@](#): > > [COLOR=black]Hi [Fear Itself], [/COLOR] > > [COLOR=black]We don’t carry spruce gum. I remember the day in the 1960’s when we did though. Sorry we can’t help. [/COLOR] > > [COLOR=black]Regards, [/COLOR] > [COLOR=black][Nice New Hampshire Lady][/COLOR] ---
**Author:** ![qazwart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/5fc32e/32.png) [@qazwart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qazwart)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-me-some-spruce-gum/543686/13 "2010-06-24T20:12:50Z")
> [@antonio107](#): > > It’s antiseptic? Cool! If i get one of those unsightly little mouth ulcers, I can chew on spruce gum instead of swishing around Jim Beam! They _claim_ it is antiseptic. I guess its based on the theory it tastes so damn awful that the germs will jump right out of your mouth in panic. I doubt they ever did any serious studies on spruce gum and it’s antiseptic properties. Or, even non-serious ones. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-me-some-spruce-gum/543686/14 "2010-06-24T20:49:57Z")
Do they mean antiseptic, or do they mean sterile? Something can be safe from contributing germs without being a germ killer. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-me-some-spruce-gum/543686/15 "2010-06-24T21:15:39Z")
Leave it to someone from Maine to figure out how to market stuff that sticks to the sole of your shoes as a food product.