"If a man makes a better mousetrap.....the world will [beat a] path to his door."
Ralph Waldo Emerson, writer
Hiram Stevens Maxim (1840-1916) was an eccentric inventor who produced numerous creations throughout his life. He filed 271 patents in total, and his work included such diverse objects as a gun, a flying machine, curling irons, and a coffee substitute. Arguably one of his most famous inventions was also one of the simplest—the spring-loaded mousetrap.
Maxim is said to have built his automatic mousetrap at the tender age of fourteen, while he was working as an apprentice to a local carriage builder. His spring-loaded trap was tested at a local grist mill, which was subsequently rodent-free. He created a trap design that is still familiar today. It has a baited trip that releases a heavy spring-loaded bar trapping the mouse in its tracks. The device thus damages the mouse's spinal cord, skull, or ribs. However, contrary to popular belief the traditional Swiss cheese bait was found to be less effective than morsels such as peanut butter, chocolate, or meat.
Various improvements have been made to the mousetrap since the 1900s, with features such as the terrifying sounding mouth, as well as electric and bucket mousetraps. Humane traps are becoming more popular, allowing mice to be caught and returned to the wild without harm. A modern take involves an inert gas mousetrap, the RADAR device developed by Rentokil which uses carbon dioxide gas to rapidly and painlessly kill the mouse. The users then get an e-mail alerting them to empty and reset the device.
Despite the plethora of designs on the market today, Maxim's classic spring-loaded trap remains instantly recognizable and is still widely used.
