Around the turn of the 19th century, during the reign of King George III, the recipe for Altoids was perfected by Smith & Company, a London confectionary firm. Altoids were then promoted for over a century as a "stomach calmative". The exact origin of the Altoids name is unclear, but it seems that during the 19th Century confections were given names employing the -oids suffix to imply a medicinal benefit (of course Altoids provides no medicinal benefit). Curiously strong Altoids are very effective breath fresheners.