YOUR remedies for menstrual period pain and
problems. See more remedies here.
A discussion of the letter testimonials,
and their authenticity, of the Pinkham company (in a discussion of a Pursettes
ad with a letter testimonial)
See two letters to MUM about the ingredients
of her Compound, and one about the lyrics of an English
pop song, Lily the Pink, about her.
Other amazing women: Nelli Bly,
Dr. Marie Stopes, Dr. Grace Feder Thompson
 
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The Lydia E. Pinkham Medicine Co., maker of medicine for headaches,
stomach ills,
insomnia, depression, cancer, tumors, women's diseases, flatulence, fertility,
menstruation, etc:
British Pop Group "Scaffold" Sings "Lily
the Pink," 1960s, About Lydia Pinkham
Linda Semple, who works for a health board in Edinburgh, Scotland,
sent this e-mail about the woman who was maybe the most famous maker of
patent medicine in the U.S.A., Lydia Pinkham. By the way, Americans, especially
college students, also sang funny songs about Mrs. Pinkham, part of one
being at the bottom of this page:
This is a wonderful site!
I've added a link to it on our internal network, just to see what happens
when people stumble across it.
I'm sure that someone may already have told you about this, but there
was a "pop" group in the 1960's in Britain called "Scaffold" whose main claim to fame was that
one of them was Paul McCartney's brother and
one was the Liverpool poet Roger McGough. However, they had a long-running
number one hit with what most people took to be a children's song
called "Lily the Pink":
We'll drink a drink a drink
To Lily the Pink the Pink the Pink
The saviour of the human race
For she invented medicinal compound
Most efficacious in every case.
Mr. Frears
Had sticky-out ears
And it made him awful shy
And so they gave him medicinal compound
And now he's learning how to fly.
Brother Tony
Was notably bony
He would never eat his meals
And so they gave him medicinal compound
Now they move him round on wheels.
[Chorus]
Old Ebeneezer
Thought he was Julius Caesar
And so they put him in a Home
Where they gave him medicinal compound
And now he's Emperor of Rome.
Johnny Hammer
Had a terrible ss..ss..ss..ss..ss..ss..stammer
He could hardly s..s..say a word
And so they gave him medicinal compound
Now he's seen (but never 'eard)!
[Chorus]
Auntie Millie
Ran willy-nilly
When her legs, they did recede
And so they rubbed on medicinal compound
And now they call her Millipede.
Jennifer Eccles
Had terrible freckles
And the boys all called her names
But she changed with medicinal compound
And now he joins in all their games.
[Chorus]
Lily the Pink, she
Turned to drink, she
Filled up with paraffin inside
and despite her medicinal compound
Sadly Picca-Lily died.
Up to Heaven
Her soul ascended
All the church bells they did ring
She took with her medicinal compound
Hark the herald angels sing.
(Incidentally, Picallilli is an English mustard and vegetable relish
- hence the play on "pickled.")
It is attributed to tradition, and arranged by McGough/McGear/Gorman
which suggests that it may have had its origins in
folksong. I would hazard a guess that it could have been a music hall (vaudeville) song which possibly became
a children's rhyme - maybe it was a children's
rhyme originally.
I'll keep searching - possibly there's something in the Peter and Iona
Opie [famous English collectors of children's games and song] collection.
[An e-mailer wrote in January, 2008, that Shel Silverstein wrote the
lyrics.]
Keep up the incredible work.
Yours,
Linda Semple
Research Assistant
Public Health
Lothian Health
148 Pleasance
EDINBURGH
EH8 9RS
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See "her" handwritten letter to
a sick woman, Typed letter to a Canadian (1918),
Ad from the
Salt Lake Weekly Herald (1881) for Mrs. Pinkham,
trade cards (flowers,
girl with cat) - More Mrs.
Pinkham (her first page)
Radcliffe College, of Harvard University,
has probably the largest collection of material
about the Pinkham enterprise, the records of the Lydia E. Pinkham Medicine
Company.
Part of the donation of SarahAnne Hazelwood to this museum, much of
it patent medicine and old medical equipment, was a very interesting biography
and study of Mrs. Pinkham's business, Female Complaints:
Lydia Pinkham and the Business of Women's Medicine, by Sarah Stage.
See two letters to MUM about the ingredients
of her Compound, and one about the lyrics of an English
pop song, Lily the Pink, about her.
Other amazing women: Nelli Bly,
Dr. Marie Stopes, Dr. Grace Feder Thompson
See also the patent medicine Cardui,
Dr. Grace Feder Thompson's
letter appealing for patients, Dr. Pierce's medicines,
and Orange Blossom medicine.
© 1998, 2005 Harry Finley. It is illegal
to reproduce or distribute work on this Web site in any manner or medium
without written permission of the author. Please report suspected violations
to hfinley@mum.org
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