Wilbur Scoville facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wilbur Scoville
|
|
|---|---|
Scoville in 1910
|
|
| Born | January 22, 1865 Bridgeport, Connecticut, U.S.
|
| Died | March 10, 1942 (aged 77) Gainesville, Florida, U.S.
|
| Nationality |  United States |
| Occupation | Pharmacist |
Wilbur Lincoln Scoville (born January 22, 1865 – died March 10, 1942) was an American pharmacist. He is famous for creating the "Scoville Organoleptic Test." This test is now known as the Scoville scale. He made this test in 1912 to measure how spicy different chili peppers are. This spiciness is also called "pungency" or "capsaicin concentration."
Contents
Early Life and Family
Wilbur Scoville was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut. This happened on January 22, 1865. He married Cora B. Upham on September 1, 1891. They had two daughters. Their names were Amy Augusta and Ruth Upham.
A Career in Pharmacy
Wilbur Scoville was a very busy and smart pharmacist. He wrote an important book called The Art of Compounding. This book was first published in 1895. It was used by pharmacists for many years. The book even mentioned that milk can help cool down the heat from peppers. He also wrote another book called Extracts and Perfumes. This book had many different recipes for medicines and scents.
For some time, Scoville was a professor. He taught at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.
Creating the Scoville Scale
In 1912, while working at a company called Parke-Davis, he created something special. It was a test and a scale to measure how spicy peppers are. He called it the "Scoville Organoleptic Test." "Organoleptic" means using your senses, like taste.
This test used human tasters to find out the "spiciness" of different chili peppers. Today, this test is known as the Scoville scale. It is still used to measure pepper heat.
Awards and Recognition
Wilbur Scoville received many awards for his work. In 1922, he won the Ebert prize. This award is given to people who do great research on medicinal substances.
In 1929, he received the Remington Honor Medal. This is a very high award from the American Pharmaceutical Association. Also in 1929, Columbia University gave him an honorary Doctor of Science degree. This was a special award to recognize his achievements.
On January 22, 2016, Google Doodle celebrated Wilbur Scoville's 151st birthday. This showed how important his work is.
Later Years
Wilbur Scoville passed away on March 10, 1942. He was 77 years old. He died in Gainesville, Florida.
