Colonial American Medicine Chest

By Susan F. Craft
Author of The Chamomile, an award-winning Revolutionary War romantic suspense.


picture of a medicine chest

 courtesy of http://www.herbalremediesinfo.com/best-herbal-remedies.html

      Sometimes doing research for my colonial era novels can be amusing.
      A couple of weeks ago, I saw my family doctor for a problem I’d been having. The night before, I’d been reading a resource book, “Indian Doctor – Nature’s method of curing and preventing disease according to the Indians.” I took the book with me to show the doctor the Indian cure for my problem.
     What a hoot! We had such fun looking through the book. Seems as if every cure involved mixing something with wine, ale, beer, or liquor. We came to the conclusion that with enough of the “cure,” even if you still had the problem, you wouldn’t care anymore.
      Here’s what the book says for my problem, “Take some pounded panic (panic is the name for powdered corn), and give it to the patient to drink with wine, and he will recover. The same panic, being boiled with goat’s milk, and eaten twice a day, morning and evening, will operate the same.”
      Seriously, knowing the right herbs and natural cures was extremely important in an era where there were very few, if any, doctors available. And, most of the time, those doctors weren’t classically trained.
      Most colonial women maintained a medicine kit that might have included: (Some of the items in this list that may seem misspelled come directly from Nicholas Culpepper's The English Physician, Enlarged in 1653.)

• Valerian root, combined with hops and lemon balm; a sedative for sleep

  

  valerian root

  disorders, insomnia.
• Sweet gum bark, boiled; for sore eyes, wash eyes three times a day Rum or brandy; for a burn apply a wet rag doused
• Two or three swallows of cold water before breakfast; for heartburn
• Feverfew; for headaches/migraines, body aches, and fever
• Southern Wood; for upset stomach (also used as an insect or moth repellent)

  

  southern wood

• Calendula, dried, ground and mixed with animal fat; for cuts 

  

  calendula

• Tansy; for indigestion, cramps, sunburn, and to remove freckles
• Basil; draw poison out of animal bites
• Black Cohosh; for menopause
• Boswellia; for arthritis
• Chamomile tea; for digestive problems
• Flaxseed; for menopausal discomfort and osteoporosis
• White Willow Bark; for back pain
• Ginger; for nausea and vomiting
• Lavender flowers; for anxiety
• Fleabane; for venomous bites, smoke from it kills gnats and fleas; dangerous for women and children
• Hellebore root snuffed up the nose; for sneezing and melancholy and to kill rats and mice
• Penyroyal; for vomiting, gas, and vertigo
• Fox’s tongue softened in vinegar; applied topically, draws out a thorn or splinter
• Rose petals steeped in vinegar; applied topically for headache
• Chalk; for heartburn
• Calamine; for skin irritations
• Cinchona Bark (contains quinine); for fevers
• Garden celedine, pile wort, or fig wort; for boils
• Cottonweed, boyled in lye; it keeps the head from Nits and Lice; being laid among Cloaths, it Keeps them safe from Moths; taken in a Tobacco-pipe it helps Coughs of the Lunges, and vehement headaches.
• Take howse leeke Catts blod and Creame mixed together & oynt the place warme or take the moss that groweth in a well & Catts blod mixed & so aply it warme to the plase whare the shingles be; for the shingles

      Oh, two weeks after I saw my doctor, who prescribed medicine that cured my original problem, I had to see him again for a terrible earache. We looked at the Indian cure that involved lily onions, marsh mallows, oil of violet and, of course, taken with wine. And then, bleeding.

      I’ll stick with the antibiotics.

Blood Pressure: from Horses to Humans

When you go to the doctor today, you probably think little to nothing when the nurse takes the blood

pressure cuff, wraps it around your upper arm, and proceeds to take your blood pressure. But taking one's blood pressure hasn't always been so easy. In fact, it used to be an extremely painful process.

The first blood pressure measurement was taken in 1733 on a horse. Reverend Stephen Hales inserted a glass tube directly into the horse's artery and watched as the blood was forced up the tube. Thank goodness we don't still take blood pressure that way!

The first sphygmograph (not to be confused with the sphygmometers used today) was developed over 100 years later in 1854 by Karl von Vierordt. This was the first non-intrusive way to estimate blood pressure. His sphygmograph was a series of levers that hooked to a pin which rested on the artery in a person's wrist. The small machine measured how much pressure it took to stop the blood flow in the artery.

A decade later a physician by the name of Etienne-Jules Marey improved the sphygmograph into a portable device that also included pen and paper hooked to the series of levers. This allowed a sketch of the blood pressure measurement to be recorded. The sketch would probably look something like the display of a person's heartbeat seen on medical equipment today.

In 1880, a physician by the name of Samuel von Basch developed the sphygmomanometer, which is still in use today, although once again, the device has been improved several times.  The sphygmomanometer differed from the sphygmograph because it used water inside a rubber ball and mercury to measure a person's blood pressure.

In 1896, another physician added a cuff that wrapped around the arm to the device. This addition has stuck for over a hundred years, as I'm sure many of you are familiar with the cuff that gets wrapped around your arm whenever your blood pressure is taken. In 1896, mercury was still used to measure the amount of pressure needed to stop blood flow, though sphygmomanometers were eventually adapted to use dials rather than mercury.

Finally, in 1905, Dr. Nikolai Korotkoff discovered systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and the sounds he used to discover the difference in pressure are even named after him--the Korotkoff sounds.

These sounds are still used for blood pressure measurements today, and although the appearance of
sphygmomameters has changed and they are now available in models that use everything from mercury to electricity, the basics of the sphygmomanometer haven't changed. Furthermore, blood pressure measurements have become a basic medical assessment that can give doctors insight into everything from heart disease to pregnancy complications.

Personally, I'm very thankful for our modern sphygmomanometers--and that we're not still measuring blood pressure by sticking glass tubes into arteries. (Yes, I'm shuddering as I write that.)

~.~.~.~.~ 

A mother of two young boys, Naomi Rawlings spends her days picking up, cleaning, playing and, of

course, writing. Her husband pastors a small church in Michigan’s rugged Upper Peninsula, where her family shares its ten wooded acres with black bears, wolves, coyotes, deer and bald eagles. Naomi and her family live only three miles from Lake Superior, where the scenery is beautiful and they average 200 inches of snow per winter. She is looking forward to the release of her fourth novel, Falling for the Enemy, in January 2015. For more information about Naomi, please visit her website at www.NaomiRawlings.com.

The Fascinating Elgin Marbles and Giveaway!

 The Elgin Marbles, also known as the Parthenon Sculptures currently reside in the British Museum. I've been studying the history behind the sculptures for more than a year now because they are intricately woven into England's Regency history, my favorite era to write about. Though some believe the sculptures need to be returned to Greece where they are said to have been stolen others insist that they were saved from extinction during a horrid war when Elgin took them from the Parthenon. Right or wrong the debate continues to this day between England and Greece.


So why are they referred to as The Elgin Marbles? Ah, the plot thickens.

Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin and 11th Earl of Kincardine by Anton Graff (around 1788).

 Greece was part of the Ottoman Empire in November of 1798. Thomas Bruce, the 7th Earl of Elgin was given a new responsiblilty, "Ambassador Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of His Britannic Majesty to the Sublime Porte of Selim III, Sultan of Ottoman Empire"

This was a post he wanted and pursued because of his love of art and the opportunity to have sketches, paintings, and moldings of Greek art copied while he and his wife Mary were in such an advantageous situation. However, one thing led to another and instead of copying the art Elgin had workers actually begin to dismantle the sculptures and friezes of the Pathenon. One witness to this abomination was Edward Dodwell, a traveler to the area. He states, "During my first tour of Greece, I had the inexpressible mortification of being present when the Parthenon was despoiled of its finest sculptures . . . " Thus the Parthenon sculptures became known as the Elgin Marbles because he took them back to England among incredible controversy. And that's just the beginning of the story.

Parthenon Selene Horse

Lord Byron, the English poet who joined the Greek War of Independence fighting against the Ottoman Empire had his own perspective.

Lord Byron in Albanian dress

Dull is the eye that will not weep to see Thy walls defaced, thy mouldering shrines removed

By British hands, which it had best behoved To guard those relics ne'er to be restored.

Curst be the hour when from their isle they roved, And once again thy hapless bosom gored,

And snatch'd thy shrinking gods to northern climes abhorred!

 My next series will revolve around these fascinating sculptures and I hope to finish my first draft of Athena's Curse during National Novel Writing Month in November. There is too much history to be revealed here in this short space but do you begin to choose a side in this ongoing battle yet? Now, two centuries later do you think the Pathenon Marbles should be returned to Greece? Here's a link to a short video with Christopher Hutchins and the modern debate. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJd63IrK4KY

I'm pleased to giveaway a copy of my favorite instrumental CD titled, Renaissance, by Mark Schultz.  Just leave a comment by midnight Pacific Time on Saturday November 8th and I'll announce a winner sometime Sunday on the 9th. An early Thanksgiving appreciation for HHH fans and those who love to read Jillian Kent Books.

If you are interested in pursuing your own studies I highly recommend reading, The Elgin Affair by Theodore Vrettos and The Elgin Marbles; Should they be returned to Greece? by Christopher Hitchens with essays by Robert Browning adn Graham Binns.

Jillian is employed as a counselor for nursing students in Cincinnati, Ohio and possesses a masters degree in social work. She is a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors and passionate about mental health, wellness, and stomping out the stigma of mental illness. She also coordinates and frequently contributes to The Well Writer within Christian Fiction Online Magazine. Learn more about Jillian and her novels at www.jilliankent.com

Tidbits on Plates and Dishes from the 19th Century

For some reason folks tend to think that Victorians style of dress, furnishings and today's topic, plates, were more black and white. However, for those of you who actually collect antiques, you know that not to be true. Today I thought I'd highlight some dinnerware from the 19th Century. I have a post from my blog with patterns for dishes that I'll share as well at the end of this post. The images you'll be seeing come from the internet may of which come from auctions or online sales, I will post the image, credit the site and give the link. If the links change, I apologize but I don't know how long some of these places keep their old stock up for customers to view.

The first set of dishes come from France. Victorian ROSES Antique Limoges France RARE ICE CREAM or DESSERT SET

LINK

The next is a simple Tiffany Gold Band Plate. There is no link for this image because it is simply a link to the image.

The next is a lovely early Carlton Ware reticulated dessert plate in "Morning Glory" pattern on a blush ground with gilt edging. 9 1/4" diameter, bearing the "Crown" backstamp, date circa 1895.

This link will show you all that was listed at the time I found this image. It may or may not be there, however, I copied the information provided by Zeichen Antiques & Collectibles

Here's another Carlton Ware and what the Zeichen Antiques sale page says: Another of Carlton Ware's beautiful early pierced dishes, but this time oval in shape in the Carnation pattern. The flowers and foliage outlined in gilt and the ground has a slight pink blush to the outside edge. 10.5" x 8" x 2.5" high. Blue Crown backstamp with registration no 30945, making this dish circa 1899. Slight rubbing to the gilt edge & There is a minute firing mark on one pierce hole edge which does not go through to the other side & is mentioned for accuracy.

Link is provided with the image above.

This image comes from someone's Pinterest Group. It is a Victorian Majolica Plate
The link to this board is Tableware- Delightful Dishware on Pinterest.

These are just a few examples that our 19th Century ancestors or characters might have had on their tables. In my newest book THE INNKEEPER'S WIFE the heroine has various sets of dishes she uses for the customers of the inn and for the private family times. Speaking of THE INNKEEPER'S WIFE I'm offering a free copy in a drawing that will be held on the first of Nov. Post a comment to enter to win your free copy. Please put in your email address so I can notify you privately and we can exchange shipping information.

As I mentioned above here is the link to my 19th Century Historical Tidbits Blog with images of Oyster Plates

Lynn A. Coleman is an award winning & best-selling author who makes her home in Keystone Heights, Florida, with her husband of 40 years. Lynn's newest novel THE INNKEEPER'S WIFE will be released November 1, 2014. It is the second in her Historical St. Augustine, FL. series. If you are interested in 19th Century Carriages & Wagons follow the enclosed link.
Check out her 19th Century Historical Tidbits Blog if you like exploring different tidbits of history.

Beyond the Great Divide

by Linda Farmer Harris

In school, history was my favorite subject, running a close second to English and writing, of course. When I learned about the Continental Divide of the Americas, or the Great Divide as it's sometimes called, it sounded magical. Combine mountainous with hydrological, and, to a gal raised on the southeast plains of New Mexico, it was exciting. Drop in Bering Strait, Caribbean Sea, Strait of Magellan, Gulf of Mexico with the Arctic, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans and my imagination soared.

I discovered that there are many other hydrological divides in the Americas, but the Great Divide is the most prominent. It follows a line of peaks along the Rocky Mountains and Andes.

Fast forward 54 years and a move to Colorado. We now live in the San Juan Mountains (Southern Mountain region of the state) between Pagosa Springs and Durango. We're also included in the Western Slope region.

My first trip over Wolf Creek Pass (elevation 10,857) was a red letter day. I had found the Great Divide. I was standing on historical hollowed ground.

As I travel around Colorado, I look for information and facts I can use in my writing. Some facts are just fun to know. For example, William Dale Fries, Jr., using his pseudonym C.W. McCall, wrote a song in 1975 inspired by the treacherous Wolf Creek Pass.

Colorado is one of the most geographically diverse places in the country with several physical regions including the Front Range, Eastern Plains, Northern, Central, and Southern Mountains regions, plus the Western Slope. And, of course, our portion of the Continental Divide.

My imagination was fired again when I began researching the Western Slope and its notorious history. Dotsero, east of Glenwood Canyon, is home to a young volcano. Research says it erupted four millennia ago. Treasure Mountain (elevation 11,908), not far from Pagosa Springs, still waits for someone to discover the lost gold bullion worth about forty million today. 

I'm a contributor/photographer for Find-A-Grave so I'm interested in old cemeteries and abandoned cemeteries. Many cemeteries just disappear-covered over by blowing sand, moved, or become a site for a new town's buildings.

Strange burial customs, like the one in La Posta, fourteen miles south of Durango, also interest me. After a time of singing alabados (songs of praise) during the velorido (watch) the corpse, dressed in night clothes, covered with a cloth, is brought outside on a ladder. Candles are placed on both sides of the body. A bonfire is built, coffee is served, and the deathwatch begins. The next day, the body is buried without a casket, but had a niche carved out that cradled the head. No, I don't know if the ladder was buried with the corpse. Probably not.

As I mentioned in my April 27, 2013 CFHS/HHHistory Blog post, Texas had their imported Arabian camels for the military. I discovered that Colorado had  P.T. Barnum and his elephants. In 1883, Boreas Pass (summit elev. 11,482) was the highest railroad crossing in the world. Grades on both sides were so steep that Denver and South Park Railroad's narrow-gauge High Line was limited to three cars.

Barnum and his circus were scheduled to perform in Breckenridge. When the train neared the summit it stalled because of the menagerie weight. The elephants were removed and pressed into service.

I'm very partial to miracles and the Scotch Pines flanking the arched shrine with a large marble statue of Christ is a favorite. At the base of Anvil Mountain in Silverton, the trees, not native to Colorado, were not expected to grow in crusty, rock-strewn soil. The seedlings flourished and formed the desired backdrop for the shrine. Now, that may not seem too miraculous if you live in a lush tropical, easy grow area, but silver tailings and mine pollution takes a toll on the soil.

Alane Ferguson used Silverton as the setting for her forensic mystery The Christopher Killer. Don't forget that Louis L'Amour lived, wrote, and set some books in Colorado.

What have you recently discovered about your state?

Blessings,




Lin writes historical fiction set primarily in the 1890s. She enjoys history that is also part of present daily living. She and her husband, Jerry, live on a hay and cattle ranch in Chimney Rock, Colorado.

Tartans and Plaids

Since this is my first post here at Hero, Heroines, and History I thought I might take a minute to introduce myself. I’m Amy Lillard and I write a variety of genres. Recently I got back to my first love, historical romance. My primary genre is Amish romance, but I started writing with historicals, went on to contemporary, then circled back around. Currently, I’m working on the follow-up to my first historical novella, The Gingerbread Bride, which releases next month. The Wildflower Bride, slated to come out next summer, features a Scottish hero who now lives in America. Ian MacGruer is the best man at his childhood friend’s wedding. And what would any self-respecting Scotsman wear for such a special occasion? Why a kilt of course. And so the research begins. 

That should be easy enough. All I wanted to know was what type of kilt/tartan/plaid Ian would wear for the event. But it seems there’s much more to kilt wearing than meets the eye. (No pun intended.) Wikipedia defines the kilt as “a knee-length garment with pleats at the rear, originating in the traditional dress of men and boys in the Scottish Highlands of the 16th century. It is most often made of woolen cloth in a tartan pattern.” Kilts are easily the national dress of Scotland. And everyone knows that each clan has a tartan plaid of their own. But it goes a little deeper than that. 

Tartan vs. Plaid 
As late as the 1830s, tartan was defined as a “plain cloth without any patterns.” The Scots introduced “plaid” patterns to the cloth and today the two words are practically synonymous. Both refer to patterned cloth, whose pattern is the interweaving of vertical and horizontal stripes of varying widths in multiple colors. But there was a time when the words were separate from each other and referred to different pieces. Tartan originally meant a type of cloth, and not the pattern. It comes from the French word tiretain, which references a woven cloth. But a plaid is the upper part of the garment we call a kilt. It’s the rectangular woolen “scarf” or cloak draped over the left shoulder of Scottish Highlanders and worn as a cloak. 

(A little more about Plaid: the word is derived from the Scottish Gaelic language and originally means blanket. Today, of course, plaid refers to any cloth with the tartan pattern.) The Scottish kilt dates back to the early 16th century. But these garments weren’t the colorful tartan that we’ve come to expect today. Being self-dyed, the material was dull white, brown, green, or black. It wasn’t until weaving technology improved in the late 18th century that they grew closer to the garments that we imagine when someone says kilt. 

How to Wear a Kilt 
From Celtic Dress of the 16th C. by Meistr Gwylym ab Owain, OL OP DWS: “The tartan cloth was about 5 feet wide (made of two strips 30 inches wide and sewn down the length) and some 12 to 18 feet long. The cloth would then be laid out on the ground and would be pleated long-wise to a length of 4 or 5 feet. A couple of feet would be left unpleated at either end. The wearer would then lie down on the tartan with the middle of the knees equal with the lower edge of the tartan. The unpleated ends would be wrapped across the front of the wearer's body and then would be belted on at the waist. Pleating the tartan over your belt makes the process easier. After standing up the wearer would put on their jacket and then would arrange the top portion of the tartan on the shoulders (either over one shoulder or both).” http://www2.nau.edu/~wew/celt-clothing/> 

What would Ian wear? 
During my research, I found that in the early 19th century (the time frame for my story) Ian would indeed wear a kilt for a formal/special occasion. After searching for his last name in a Scottish registry, I discovered that he would be from the clan Fraser. I ran a search for his clan’s plaid, but found several choices of tartan design belonging to the Frasers. The colors are mostly the same though the specific weave is different. 

A few moments in the history of kilts 
 The knee-length kilt didn’t develop until the late 17th-early 18th century. 
 King George II levied the Dress Act of 1746, which made it illegal for the Highland regiments to wear garments of Highland dress, including the tartan kilt. 
 The walking kilt (one that reached the knees) became a form of protest against the oppressiveness of the English government. 
 The ban was lifted in 1782, but by then the kilt became the enduring representation of Scotland itself. 

A couple more things about kilts 
 There are over 3500 tartan patterns today. 
 Because the tartan pattern cannot be broken in the weave, almost all are made by hand even today. 
 Modern-day kilts have twenty-nine pleats and use eight yards of tartan fabric. 

Mystery solved 
The biggest question concerning kilts has been what does a Scotsman wear underneath his? Oh, there have been countless jokes, most which don’t bear repeating. But the truth of the matter is most Scots (at least through history) did indeed wear nothing underneath. Why? Because kilts were often used in battle. It was purely for the convenience of taking care of their personal business quickly in the field. Not nearly as romantic as some would think, but the truth all the same. Isn’t that the way of it?

Amy Lillard is a 2013 Carol award-winning author. She attributes her writing to her love reading romance novels from contemporary to Amish.

A transplanted Southern belle, Amy was born and raised in Mississippi. She now lives in Oklahoma with her husband of twenty-five years and their teenage son. The family is rounded out with two cats (one of which is a Hemingway) and a lazy beagle.

Amy can be reached at amylillard@hotmail.com and found on the web at www.amywritesromance.com

Check out Amy’s latest release, Take Me Back To Texas, Book 1 in the Loveless Texas Series. Take Me Back To Texas is an inspirational contemporary romance about second chances and coming home.

California School for the Deaf: The Founding and Early Years

I think most writers of historical fiction find themselves researching a variety of interesting topics from time to time. Recently, I needed to find a setting for a possible new story, and the setting was contingent on whether there was a school for the deaf in the Old West. Having done some cursory research on deaf education for a different story, I knew there were schools back East, but the West was a different story. That’s when I discovered the California School for the Deaf.


The school came about because of a group of twenty-three ladies who met together on March 17, 1860, to form the Society for the Instruction and Maintenance of the Deaf and Dumb, and of the Blind. Mrs. Pomeroy B. Clark is credited with leading the movement, and the Society set in motion the creation of the California School for the Deaf.



The Tehama Street School--second
house from the left

The Society members, also known as the Board of Managers, immediately contacted the California Legislature to request financial assistance, and were granted $10,000 to build a suitable building for a school. Rather than wait for a school building to be constructed, they rented a home on Tehama Street in San Francisco and opened the doors to deaf students as of May 1, 1860.


Mrs. Clark, mentioned above, was named principal of the school in 1860. The first teacher was a deaf man, Mr. H. B. Crandall, who had graduated from the New York Institution. On the day they opened, they had three students—a boy and two girls. Within six months, their student body had swelled to sixteen students, leaving their current quarters cramped. The Board of Managers did extensive fundraising and received generous support by private donors. Through these fundraising efforts, they were able to secure land on which a permanent school building was built, allowing for larger student numbers. In 1862, the number of enrolled students was twenty, and it grew to thirty the year after. However, there were somewhere around 150-180 deaf children of school age in the early 1860s, and space for only thirty or so in the California School for the Deaf.

The original Berkeley location

When ill health required Mrs. Clark to resign her position as principal, she was eventually replaced by Professor Warring Wilkinson, formerly of the New York Institution. Under his leadership, the school grew and changed many times over. With the mindset that every student of the school should become good, useful citizens, they began teaching trades to the children so they could go on to productive lives and jobs after leaving the school. He also aimed to attain more land and space in order to educate more students. By 1867, he had secured 130 acres in Berkeley, California, and began construction of a magnificent new facility for the school, shown below. Unfortunately, fire burned the building to the ground in 1875, though no lives were lost. Men in the community came together to help rebuild the prominent school, donating both money and manpower.



The view looking down on the back side of the Berkeley
location

Since this time, the school has undergone many more changes. Eventually, the campus was relocated to Freemont, California, where it still operates today as part of California’s public school system. It celebrated 150 years of service to deaf students in 2010, and all because 23 women decided in 1860 that they would make a difference in the lives of deaf student-aged children.



It’s your turn. What cause are you passionate about? Have you thought of ways you can make a difference in this area, just as the twenty-three women did for deaf children in California?

Jennifer Uhlarik discovered the western genre as a pre-teen, when she swiped the only “horse” book on her older brother’s bookshelf. A new love was born. Across the next decade, she devoured Louis L’Amour westerns and fell in love with the genre. In college at the University of Tampa, she began penning her own story of the Old West. Armed with a B.A. in writing, she has won five writing competitions and finaled in two others. In addition to writing, she has held jobs as a private business owner, a schoolteacher, a marketing director, and her favorite—a full-time homemaker. Jennifer is active in American Christian Fiction Writers and lifetime member of the Florida Writers Association. She lives near Tampa, Florida, with her husband, teenaged son, and five fur children.

Every Age is the Age of Advertising

And now a word from our sponsor…

Those particular words didn’t come into play until the radio, but advertising has been around since the beginning of mankind.  Cavemen painted billboards on rock walls and the ancient Romans printed advertisements for gladiatorial games on papyrus.

After the invention of the printing press advertisements began appearing in newspapers and periodicals. Circulars were posted on chimneys, lamp posts, walls, wagons, fences—you name it.  Since painting the town with ads was considered a public nuisance men with buckets of paste worked mostly at night. 

Ads were designed not only to sell products, but also to solve personal and social problems. In many cases, people were oblivious to body odor or halitosis until some enterprising marketer brought it to their attention.

Sense and Sensibilities
 Looking back, we can’t help but laugh at some of the strange wording used to

avoid offending customers.   During the 1800s the word limb was used for leg and white meat for chicken breast.  No one dared to mention pants or trousers in polite company.  This posed a challenge for marketers. 

The Scott Company was so embarrassed at the prospect of advertising toilet paper during the 1880s that they customized the paper for their clients. The Waldorf Hotel became a big name in toilet paper and when a customer walked into a general store and requested a roll of Waldorf, no questions were asked. 

Speaking of toilet paper, Northern Tissue advertised “splinter-free” toilet paper in 1935.  If that doesn’t want to make you go “ouch” consider this: the “cure” for a certain male condition currently blasted nightly from the TV was, in the early 1900s, thought to be electric belts.

The westward migration spurred advertisements for real estate, investments, tourism and brides.  In 1860 the Pony Express advertisement in California read: "Wanted. Young, skinny, wiry fellows not over 18. Must be expert riders, willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred.”

The Civil War created a great need for clothes, shoes and ready made food and advertisements during the era reflected the new consumerism. 

Writers hear a lot about “branding” today, and we can thank the patent medicine companies of yesteryear for that.  By touting exotic ingredients, producers could distinguish themselves from competitors.  Other companies followed suit and slogans like the “soap that floats” became increasingly popular. 

It’s Wonderful, Amazing, Spectacular…

Exaggeration was the order of the day and no one was better at reeling off adjectives than Richard Sears.  Eventually, Sears toned down the ads and was quoted as saying, "Honesty is the best policy. I know because I've tried it both ways."

Honesty didn’t come easy for some advertisers and reform was needed. In 1892, the Ladies' Home Journal announced it would no longer accept patent medicine ads. The bogus potions were costing Americans millions of dollars per year, and were coming under heavy attack by critics and consumers.

In our factory, we make lipstick.  In our advertising, we sell hope." -Peter Nivio Zarlenga

Women purchased most of the household goods and so it made sense to have women create the ads.  As early as the 1900s advertisers welcomed female employees.  The first advertisement to use sex as a selling point was created by a woman for Woodbury soap. Tame by today’s standards, the advertisement featured a couple and the message “The skin you love to touch.”  Not only did this raise eyebrows, but it promised anyone savvy enough to buy the product more than just clean skin.  It worked:  Sales skyrocketed.

Studying advertisements is a great way to learn the customs, concerns, prejudices and history of earlier times.  I shudder to think what future generations might gather from ours.

What is your favorite or least favorite ad?

Now a word from my sponsor...


When Texas Ranger Chad Prescott, wakes up from a gunshot injury in Kansas, he finds himself surrounded by German nutcrackers and nursed by the feisty Lucy Langdon. Could this be the start of a lovely friendship or just a bad dream?

The "12 Brides of Christmas" stories are available for only 99 cents each.
                          

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