Read Dr. Lillian Gilbreth's - two of her kids wrote about her in "Cheaper by the Dozen" - critique of pads in 1927 for Johnson & Johnson, maker of Modess. And read the influential pad put-down "Tampons as Menstrual Guards" from 1945. Criticism of the Rely tampon, later associated with toxic shock syndrome, from a tiny Rochester, New York, newspaper (1975-76). Safety page. Tampax's defense: "Are Vaginal Tampons Prejudicial to Health?" (Proof for a British Tampax ad, 1952)
CONTRIBUTE to Humor, Words and expressions about menstruation and Would you stop menstruating if you could?
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Leer la versión en español de los siguientes temas: Anticoncepción y religión, Breve reseña - Olor - Religión y menstruación - Seguridad de productos para la menstruación.

Facts and Frauds in Woman's Hygiene: A Fearless Exposé of  Misleading Claims and Dangers of Widely Advertised Products Used by Women, 1936,
by Rachel Lynn Palmer and Sarah K. Greenberg, M.D., The Sun Dial Press, New York.

Excerpts about pads and tampons, their cost, advertising and quality

A site visitor writes,

I am currently reading the above book, copyrighted 1936, subtitled "A Medical Guide Against Misleading Claims And Dangerous Products" from The Sun Dial Press, New York, and it is filled with interesting information, including the following, taken directly from its first chapter entitled "The Feminine Hygiene Field."

Thought you might find the above interesting and your readers might also! This is a very interesting book. I would love to find more on the subject of available brands of hygiene items from the past.

Read excerpts from this book criticizing douching with Lysol - yes - and Zonite.

Read Dr. Lillian Gilbreth's - two of her kids wrote about her in "Cheaper by the Dozen" - critique of pads in 1927 for Johnson & Johnson, maker of Modess. And read the influential pad put-down "Tampons as Menstrual Guards" from 1945. Criticism of the Rely tampon, later associated with toxic shock syndrome, from a tiny Rochester, New York, newspaper (1975-76). Safety page. Tampax's defense: "Are Vaginal Tampons Prejudicial to Health?" (Proof for a British Tampax ad, 1952)


From the book:

[Advertising for sanitary napkins]

The sanitary napkin people are far from laggards. During the first two months of 1936, Kotex spent $50,000 in an attempt to convince women that theirs was the best sanitary napkin on the market. [See a Kotex ad from 1933.]

The feminine hygiene advertising utilizes to the full the fear motive that is such a favorite with all advertising copy writers. "Panicky?" reads a Modess ad. "Like a shadow, fear haunts you. Every minute you wonder----'Am I safe?'" This Modess ad probably would be without effect on a mature woman. It might do a great deal of harm to a young girl to whom the new function of menstruation constitutes enough of a problem without the idea of "accident-panic" thrust into her mind.

Today, with the women's magazines full of ads depicting women fearful to go on the dance floor because they aren't wearing the right kind of sanitary napkin, with news papers and subways sprinkled with ads for nostrums which are supposed to relieve "periodic pain," the subject is no longer shrouded with its old-time secrecy.

There are any number of sanitary napkins on the market as well as other devices for taking care of the menstrual flow. Most women want a sanitary napkin that is absorbent, comfortable, and which has a moisture-proof backing, so that the menstrual fluid does not penetrate immediately. Consumers Union, a non-profit membership organization, (located at 22 East 17th St., New York City), which tests consumers' goods and reports on quality for its subscribers, has tested more than twenty brands of sanitary napkins for the above three qualifications. The three which rated best and most economical were Veldown, Modess [here] and Belfair.

Of the three, Veldown had the most effective moisture-proofing, due to the fact that the moisture-proof material extended over the sides as well as the back. The napkin became thoroughly saturated before the fluid penetrated either the sides or back. Modess napkins tested almost as well, except that the sides were not moisture-proofed, therefore the edges might become wet and irritating. Modess napkins are better than many others in this respect, however, since the crepe paper pad is wrapped in cotton which would help to keep the sides from becoming soggy. Other napkins which rated fairly well were Lotus, Venida Nap and Dove, but Lotus is the only one of these which had a moisture-proof backing.

Despite the extensive advertising of the Kotex Company [see a dispenser pad here], their sanitary napkin received a poor rating in the Consumers union tests. It was found that moisture penetrated the napkins almost immediately. Although the absorptive power of Kotex is good, a Kotex napkin absorbs no more moisture than Sanovals, distributed by the Kress stores, which are much cheaper. The "equalizer" of which the Kotex Company makes so much, is nothing but a piece of corrugated crepe paper inserted in the middle of the pad. Sanovals, representative of a group of unadvertised sanitary napkins made of crepe paper wrapped in gauze, showed as good, if not better, distribution of liquid than did Kotex, with its much-touted equalizer, in a test designed to estimate penetration qualities.

The International Cellucotton Products Company, makers of Kotex, recently entered into an agreement with its wholesalers whereby the company is enabled to fix the price of Kotex and eliminate "price cutting." Quite probably other sanitary napkin manufacturers will follow suit, thus keeping the selling price of the articles entirely disproportionate to their cost of manufacture.

There are some napkins on the market for women with an excessive menstrual flow. Among these are the Venus [here] brand and Super-Kotex. The Super-Kotex proved, in the Consumers Union test, to be highly absorptive, but, as with the regular Kotex, was easily penetrated. The Venus napkins were much more absorptive than Super-Kotex and the liquid did not penetrate nearly so quickly. Although very bulky, the Venus napkins were especially soft and comfortable. They may meet very well the needs of women with an exceptionally heavy flow, though it should be pointed out that women with limited funds who have need of extra protection can make up their own napkins of a good grade cotton and gauze for less than a third of the price charged for the Venus brand.

[Tampons]

There are now on the market various cotton tampons, cone or plug-shaped, to be placed in the vagina to care for the menstrual flow, as a substitute for the usual pad. Among the brands now being sold are Tampads, Wix [here], Tampax [here] and Fibs [here]. In answer to an inquiry regarding tampons, the Journal of the American Medical Association stated that though the possibility of any harm from their use was very slight, if not placed properly, irritation might result. The Journal pointed out that although their use might be a convenience during the latter days of menstruation or for women who have a scant flow, they would not be satisfactory for women with a moderate or profuse flow. [Read a later - 1945 - report vigorously defending tampons and, um, poo-pooing pads.]

There is also the possibility that a woman who inserts a tampon in the last stage of flow may forget its presence in the vagina. That such a thing may occur will not be readily believed by many women [!]. Yet doctors rather frequently report removing from the vagina foreign objects whose presence was quite unsuspected by the patient.

NEXT: Read excerpts from this book criticizing douching with Lysol - yes - and Zonite.

NEXT: See the cover and read excerpts from this book criticizing douching with Lysol - yes - and Zonite.
Read Dr. Lillian Gilbreth's - two of her kids wrote about her in "Cheaper by the Dozen" - critique of pads in 1927 for Johnson & Johnson, maker of Modess. And read the influential pad put-down "Tampons as Menstrual Guards" from 1945. Criticism of the Rely tampon, later associated with toxic shock syndrome, from a tiny Rochester, New York, newspaper (1975-76). Safety page. Tampax's defense: "Are Vaginal Tampons Prejudicial to Health?" (Proof for a British Tampax ad, 1952)

© 2001 Harry Finley. It is illegal to reproduce or distribute any of the work on this Web site in any manner or medium without written permission of the author. Please report suspected violations to hfinley@mum.org