The candy that was originally invented as a laxative is Cascarets Candy Cathartic.
Cascarets Candy Cathartic was developed in the late 19th century from the bark of the Cascara tree and was marketed by the Sterling Remedy Co, and was designed originally to treat constipation.
Cascarets Candy Cathartic became very popular as a pharmaceutical item before other laxatives became available like Ex-Lax.
Cascarets Candy was a candy form laxative that was created to make taxing laxatives more palatable than the other laxative options that were available at the time such as the castor oil.
The key ingredient in Cascarets candy was cascara which is a natural herb that has mild laxative properties, which also was effective in promoting bowel movements treating constipation.
The Cascarets candy became highly successful in the late 1800s, and early 1900s and was promoted in small town newspapers and became very common in drug stores.
Ex-Lax was invented in 1906 by Max Kiss who was born in 1883 and died in 1967.
Max Kiss was a penniless Hungarian Jew that moved to the United States in the year of 1898, and graduated from the Columbia University School of Pharmacy.
The new Excellent Laxative contained phenolphthalein as the active ingredient and chocolate was used for the taste.