In light of the American Medical Association’s testing of patent medicines, the Michigan Food and Drug Monthly published a section entitled, “Facts,” during 1919, that identified and tested proprietary medicines; the publication provided comments on the veracity of the advertisements, of the identified products, for its truthfulness and accuracy to keep the public informed. The Monthly tested and commented on the advertised product Murine Eye Remedy. [Facts 19]
Murine Eye Remedy The Chicago Ledger, v. XLVI, no. 39, Saturday, September 28, 1918, p. 19.
Murine Eye Remedy The Fra : a Journal of Affirmation, v. 5, no. 2, May, 1910, p. e.2.
Llewellyn's Skin Food Ardmore Chronicle, v 15, no. 34, May 14, 1904, p. [2].
Below advertisements include:
Resinol ointment The Chicago Ledger, v. XLIX, no. 1, Saturday, January 1, 1921, p. 15.
Eczema The Chicago Ledger, v. XLIV, no. 16, April 15, 1916, p. 18.
Yager's Liniment Ardmore Chronicle, v. 28, no. 20, February 17, 1917, p. [3].
Sloan's Liniment The Chicago Ledger, v. XLIX, no. 48, Saturday, November 26, 1921, p. 169.
Sloan's Liniment The Chicago Ledger, v. XLIV, no. 47, November 18, 1916, p. 22.
Below advertisements include:
Ayer's Hair Vigor Ardmore Chronicle, v. 15, no. 34, May 14, 1904, p. [3].
Electric Health Brush The Chicago Ledger, v. XLIX, no. 1, Saturday, January 1, 1921, p. 13.
Below advertisements include:
Hall's Hair Renewer Ardmore Chronicle, v. 16, no. 19, December 31, 1904, p. [3].
Parker's Hair Balsam Ardmore Chronicle, v. 29, no. 21, February 23, 1918, p. [2].
In the article, "Barbers," published in Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion, author Cox wrote, ". . . The practice of self-shaving also transformed the role of the barbershop. Jean Jacques Perret invented the first safety razor with a wooden guard along the blade in 1770, but the self-shaving revolution really began with the invention of the Gillette safety razor in 1895. . . ." [Cox 119]
Williams’ Shaving Stick The Youth's Companion: the Best of American Life in Fiction Fact and Comment, v. 73, no. 42, October 19, 1899, rear cover.
Colgate The Youth's Companion: the Best of American Life in Fiction Fact and Comment, v. 94, no. 43, October 21, 1920, front cover.
In the 2nd edition of Encyclopedia of Global Brands, published in 2013, the origins of the product noted that it was ". . . . A better-tasting alternative to chalky, soapy-tasting competitors, Colgate was introduced as a major brand, though few people used toothpaste at the time, in part because it was considered a luxury item. In the late 19th century the technology for tubes was imported into the United States and soon further improved Colgate's fortunes. In 1896 Colgate introduced toothpaste in tubes. . . Colgate also realized that ingraining the habit of toothbrushing in children would help build the brand. Colgate distributed two million free tubes of toothpaste . . . This marketing effort effectively instilled habitual brushing in American society and improved the reputation of Colgate." ["Colgate" 239]
Correct Ill-shaped Nose The Chicago Ledger, v. XLV, no. 18, May 5, 1917, p. 5.
Wilson’s Common Sense Ear Drums The Chicago Ledger, v. XXVII, no. 3, January 14, 1899, p. 16.
Borhek's Parabola Glasses Ardmore Chronicle v. 15, no. 34, May 14, 1904 p. [2].
Bausch & Dransfield The American Rural Home, v. 4, no. 1, January 3, 1874, Whole Number 157, p. 11.
According to The Industries of the City of Rochester, published in 1888, “The specialties of the firm are fitting spectacles and eye-glasses to every kind of defective vision, and all who value the precious boon of good eyesight should have their eyes examined by this capable firm.” [Industries 232]
Electric Stimulation Advertisement "Scientific Lectures", [n.d]. Patrick Coad. Patrick Coad Family Papers. Digitized. Digital Library@Villanova University.
References
Young, James Harvey. "Patent Medicines: An Early Example Of Competitive Marketing." Journal Of Economic History 20.4 (1960): 654. America: History & Life. Web. 9 May 2016.
Tran, Mai. "Conjunctivitis." The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine. Ed. Jacqueline L. Longe and Kristine Krapp. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 2001. 471. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 2 Dec. 2016.
"5659. Misbranding of 'Sloan's Liniment'." Date Issued: May 3, 1918. Foods and Drugs (FDNJ). FDA Notices of Judgment Collection. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Bethesda, MD. Web. 2 Dec. 2016.
"Facts." The State of Michigan Food and Drug Department. April, 1919, p. 19. Web. 14 Nov. 2016.
Cox, Caroline. "Barbers." Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion. Ed. Valerie Steele. Vol. 1. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2005. 119. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 18 Nov. 2016.
"Colgate." Encyclopedia of Global Brands. 2nd ed. Vol. 1. Detroit: St. James Press, 2013. 239. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 18 Nov. 2016.
“E. E. Bausch & Son.” The Industries of the City of Rochester: A Résumé of Her Past History and Progress .. Rochester, N.Y. : The Elstner Publishing Co., 1888, 232. Google ebook. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.
Additional Notes
The medical profession stance on the Murine Eye Remedy's false advertising and inference to an exhibit at the A.M.A. meeting in Chicago in 1908. See "Pharmacology: Murine Eye Remedy." The Journal of the American Medical Association, 51(19,) Nov. 7, 1908, p. 1614-1616. Web. 1 Sept. 2016.
Hodges, Jim. "Historical Society Curator Reveals Early 20th Century Success Story." New Bern Sun Journal. Posted: Aug 2, 2014. © Copyright 2006-2016 GateHouse Media, LLC. Web. 2 Dec. 2016.
“Wilson’s Common Sense Ear Drums.” Blog. Jaipreet Virdi-Dhesi. Posted: September 29, 2014. Web. 13 Sept. 2016.
“Wilson Ear Drum Company.” IN: Cruikshank, Jeffrey L. and Arthur W Schultz. The man who sold America : the amazing (but true!) story of Albert D. Lasker and the creation of the advertising century. Boston, Mass. : Harvard Business Review Press, 2010. Web. 14 Sept. 2016.
Newspaper Clippings & Testimonials. "Patrick Coad Family Papers." Digitized. Digital Library@Villanova University. Web. 14 Sept. 2016.
“. . . the first galvanic battery protected by patent in America…” Kistner, C. J. “History of the Electrical Art in the United States Patent Office.” Electrical World, v. 8-9, May 15, 1886, p. 228. Web. 14 Sept. 2016.
"Distinctive names printed in distinctive type induced customer familiarity. Pictorial symbols served the same function . . . " [Young]
“Conjuctivitis is an inflammation (redness) of the lining of the white part of the eye and the underside of the eyelid (conjunctiva). It can be caused by infection, allergic reaction, or physical agents like infrared or ultraviolet light.” [Tran]
On Sloan's Liniment, in 1918, Foods and Drugs Court Case Notices of Judgment (FDNJ) noted: ". . . its labels falsely and fraudulently represented it to be effective for killing pain and as a remedy for . . . "
