1890s advertising

Munyon is ready…

Would you buy a homeopathic remedy from this man? Source: The Morning Times (Washington D.C.) 13 December 1896 James Monroe Munyon’s pompadour hairstyle was a familiar feature of American newspapers around the turn of the 20th century. Having tried his hand at teaching, law, social work, publishing and song-writing, he started his Homoeopathic Home Remedy […]

Read More

The ‘Instra’ Warmer

Source: The Sporting Times, 28 January 1899. Although this product isn’t solely medical, its advertising did claim that it could prevent chills, colds, rheumatism and lumbago, and alleviate toothache, neuralgia and sciatica. Whether or not it could effectively combat these ailments is doubtful, but it nevertheless sounds like a useful gadget for the depths of […]

Read More

Vigor’s Horse-Action Saddle

Source: Country Life Illustrated, 8 Jan 1897 (this image from a later facsimile edition) Unusually for anything involving exercise, this contraption looks almost fun. Although perhaps not completely  ‘a perfect substitute for a live horse’ – at least, not if you wanted to travel somewhere – it was well-received as an aid to fitness. The medical […]

Read More

Gordon’s Vital Sexualine Restorative

STRENGTH, VITALITY, MANHOOD. ­A Valuable Treatise on Nervous Exhaustion, Loss of Strength, Mental Depression, Exhausted Vitality, and all special diseases and weaknesses of man; their causes, and means of cure. This book not only contains valuable remarks on how to preserve strength and retain the powers to an advanced age, but points out the best […]

Read More

The Brinkerhoff System

THE Brinkerhoff System —–OF—– RECTAL MEDICATION!! Piles, Fistulal Fissue [sic], Polypsus, Pru- ritus, and Rectal Ulceration Permanently and Pain- lessly Cured. Rectal Ulceration is the most dangerous of all Rectal Maladies, owing to its undermining the system before its victims realize their dan- ger, this being due to the scarcity of nerves of sensation in […]

Read More

Harness’ Electric Corset (with podcast)

. Source: The Penny Illustrated Paper and Illustrated Times, 31 December 1892 . I’ve decided to have a go at doing a podcast. It’s about 13 mins long and goes into much more detail than the post below, so if you’ve got time, do have a listen. If for some reason you desperately want to […]

Read More

Salt Regal

THE COMING EPIDEMIC! THE COMING EPIDEMIC!! ———————————- SALT REGAL A PREVENTIVE AND SAFEGUARD!! EXTRACT FROM LONDON PRESS— TELEGRAMS FROM BERLIN AND VIENNA state “that the Epidemic of Influenza, which has been playing such havoc in Russia, has now spread to Germany and Austria, and will shortly make its appearance in England” FORTIFY YOURSELVES Against the […]

Read More

Wine of Cardui

WINE FOR WOMEN! Woman’s modesty and ignorance of danger often cause her to endure pains and suffer torture rather than consult a physician about important subjects. Pains in the head, neck, back, hips, limbs and lower bowels at monthly intervals, indicate alarming derangements. McELREE’S WINE OF CARDUI is a harmless Bitter Wine without intoxicating qualities. […]

Read More

Allcock's Porous Plasters

Source: The Penny Illustrated Paper and Illustrated Times, Sat 26 January 1895. To view this rather fine-looking gentleman in full technicolour glory, click this ad from the National Archives. Allcock’s Plasters had their origins in an invention patented in the US in 1845 by Horace Day and William Shecut. (Day was a wealthy manufacturer of rubber […]

Read More

Homocea

Source: The Graphic (London) 13 October 1894 I haven’t tried to transcribe this for obvious reasons, but I think it should be clear enough, and you can click to make it bigger. Some of the assertions on the sleeves of those elegant arms sound better than others; ‘touches the spot for hemorrhoids’ doesn’t conjure up […]

Read More