History of the Soda Fountain

History

Early soda fountains were large with "pump rooms", ice chests, and tanks of sulfuric acid that occasionally swallowed unlucky workers. A popular design consisted of a lead lined chamber where sulphuric acid and calcium carbonate (thus the "soda") were mixed together to produce carbon dioxide. The gas was purified and then sent to a tank of cooled water. This tank was shaken, for up to an hour, to help the carbon dioxide dissolve into the water. Eventually the carbonated water was piped to a dispensing tap.

Upstairs, the proprietor, usually a pharmacist, would mix the carbonated water with a variety of pre-made syrups. Medicines at the time were usually in liquid form. And the soda fountain provided an effective and tasty vehicle for dispensing them. At first, pharmacists used flavored and sweetened soda water to mask the taste of bitter drugs like quinine and iron. Eventually they expanded into sweet drinks without the medicines for kids and treats for adults - "bracers" that contained cocaine and other pick-me-ups and "nervines" with sedatives including alcohol and morphine.

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