Grayso Enterprise Ltd Firs N Newspape Rihts pag 1 Copyrigh 1989 1,19 words LYDI E PINKHA AMERICA ENTREPRENEUR Writte an Photographe b Jun Grayson E Gabriels know wher babie com from Hi mothe tol him Babie com fro bottl o Lydi E Pinkham' Vegetabl Compound advertise t wome appropriatel enough a "bab i ever bottle." "We'r talkin seriou business, Gabriels says onl partiall i jest "I it heyda a th beginnin o th Twentiet century thi compan sol ove tw millio o bottle o Lydi E Pinkham' Vegetabl Compoun day Becaus o m mother' lif-lon enthusias fo thi medicine hav onl respec fo he opinion abou ho crucia thi produc wa fo he ow goo health. D no thin tha Gabriels i countr bumpkin H i i th financia service industr i Chicago Previously h taugh communication a th Universit o Norther Iowa frien bough hi sample o Lydi E Pinkha product fro a Iow drugstor tha wa goin ou o business I 1965 Gabriels foun som advertisin pamphlet fo paten medicines includin som o th Lydi E Pinkha company a a antiqu store "T me thes ar absolutel fascinatin t read Understan tha accordin t m mothe a her toda du entirel t th efficac o thi wonderfu woman' products. Th Pinkha compound wer par o the paten-medicin er o America history Th firs medicin paten i th Unite State wa issue i 179 t Samue Lee Jr. o Connecticut fo "Biliou Pills. Othe product soo appeare, guaranteein to cur anythin fro worms malaria an drops t female complaints On produc guarantee t cur al pai o ever kind N clai wa to great n advertisemen to extravagan, fo needfu an gullibl public Th inventio o th printin pres i Europ i th fifteent centur disseminate herba knowledg fro ever ancien cultur throughou Europe America colonist brough thei ow remedie an th plant the cam fro t thei ne home and the learne th medicina use o ove 15 nativ America plant fro America Indians Moder medicin a w kno i toda di no begi unti th Twentiet century Viewe i tha context th famou Lydi E Pinkha product migh eve hav bee effectiv medica aid fo thei time Pinkham wh live fro 181 t 1883 wa successfu Massachusett paten medicin proprieto wh claime tha he nostru coul cur an femal complain fro nervou collaps t sterility Evidently sh firs mad he remed fo hersel bu freel share i wit friend an neighbors Whe th fam o he produc sprea t wome o neighborin towns th famil decide t g int th busines o bottlin an sellin th compound. Pinkha wrot th advertisin handbill whic he son distribute i nearb communities On o he mos effectiv slogan was "Onl woma ca understan woman' ills. He pictur appeare i newspape advertisement promotin her products He fac becam on o th bes-know face i th country Wome haile he a th "savio o he sex. He likenes eve appeare o women' tombstones Wome neede savio i th Nineteent century Doctor wer scarce Hopsital wer eve scarcer Infan mortalit wa high Th greates caus o deat i youn wome wa childbirth Mos women whe the receive an medica car a all receive i fro thei femal relative an friends Ever littl communit ha it' gifte "grann women" midwives an healers wit thei knowledg o herba medicine. Wh ca tak offens a wha Pinkha wrot i on o he pamphlets "W posses th mos marvelou machin i th world th huma body W shal hav n othe i thi world Le u giv i th littl attentio i requires Le u follo th Seve Rule o Health: Rul 1 Ge al th fres ai an sunshin yo can. Rul 2 Drin si glasse o pur wate ever day. Rul 3 Ea balance meals. Rul 4 Kee clea insid an outside. Rul 5 Wor har an pla hard. Rul 6 Slee eigh hour ever night. Rul 7 B cheerful." I ad an pamphlets Pinkha invite wome t writ t he fo help Sh establishe Departmen o Advic wit a al- femal staf t answe th hundre letter da sh reporte receiving Sh publishe fre fact-o-lif manua fo wome describin th femal reproductiv syste fro pubert throug childbirt throug menopause. Testimonial fro gratefu user appeare i ever ad: " wa s rundown weak nervous an s tire ou tha crie al o th time No hav take te bottle o Lydi E Pinkham' Vegetabl Compoun an neve fel bette i m life. " hav bab gir wh i brigh a dollar W ow everythin t you medicin an wil spea goo wor fo i t al wh wil listen." " wa i poo healt fo year an doctor coul no help fte fiv bottle o you compoun an usin you Sanativ Wash ( douch preparation) passe polypu th siz o hen' eg savin m fro a operation." Scoffer sa tha an benefi fro thi o an othe paten medicin o it da wa du t thei hig alcoholi content rangin fro seventee t fift percen alcohol B contrast bee contain onl fiv percent clare eigh percent an champagn nin pe cen alcohol Ye th ingredient liste o th packag ca b foun i plan remed dictionaries Jamaic dogwood pleuris root blac cohosh lif root licorice dandelion an gentian Th 13 Ethy alcoho wa use onl a solvent o course. Th Indian calle blac cohos "squawroot an use i t trea women' problems Betwee 182 an 1936 th plan wa liste i th U.S Pharmacopoei a sedative fo rheumatism an t promot menstruation Licoric wa use a laxative t promot th expulsio o phlegm an t mas th tast o othe bitte herbs Pleuris roo wa use t trea bronchitis pneumonia rheumatism an consumption a wel a dysentery. Dogwoo i a ol India remed fo fever; dandelio relieve heartburn; gentia wa use a digestiv tonic. Th passag o th Pur Foo an Dru Ac i th Unite State i 190 presage th en o th paten medicin era. Ye moder medinc pharmacy an surger gre ou o tha era. Thoug mos moder medicine ar no syntheti compounds wh ca forge tha aspiri cam fro th willo tree digitali fro th foxglov plant an Vitami fro th us o citru fruit t trea scurvy Bu i Lydi Pinkha deserve an credit sh won' ge i fro moder medicine Charle Brown registere pharmacis an owne o St Charle drugstor says "Eve i plan prove t hav medica benefits scienc wil extrac th activ ingredien o tha plan an mak i synthetically The whe i appear fo medica use i i know b it chemica nam an mos o u wil neve kno wher i cam fro o ho i wa discovered. Brow remember tha Pinkha product wer stil o druggist' shelve unti th las 1-2 years No the hav fade awa int history Bu Gabriels remembers Afte all h i here isn' he? #####