Boxes of patent medicine for women
Murray & Nickell Blue Cohosh Root
| Murray & Nickell Cotton Root Bark | Allaire Woodward & Co. Oak Bark-White |
Wampole's Vaginal Cones with Picric Acid | Humphreys "31" | Orange Blossom Suppositories |
Dr. Pierce's Vaginal Tablets | Micajah's Medicated Wafers | Santrex Formula 52T | Sedets |
Midol menstrual pain relief tins (containers), old ads, old booklet
More contraceptives & information
SarahAnne Hazlewood generously donated the medicine to this museum (except the Midol material), p
art of her gift of medical instruments, books and advertising material about women's health.
Harry Finley created the images.
What did women do about menstruation in the past?
CONTRIBUTE to Humor, Words and expressions about menstruation and Would you stop menstruating if you could?
Some MUM site links:
HOMEPAGE |
MUM address & What does MUM mean? |
Email the museum |
Privacy on this site |
Who runs this museum?? |
Amazing women! |
Art of menstruation (and awesome ancient art of menstruation) |
Artists (non-menstrual) |
Asbestos |
Belts |
Bidets |
Birth control and religion |
Birth control drugs, old |
Birth control douche & sponges |
Founder bio |
Bly, Nellie |
MUM board |
Books: menstruation & menopause (& reviews) |
Cats |
Company booklets for girls (mostly) directory |
Contraception and religion |
Contraceptive drugs, old |
Contraceptive douche & sponges |
Costumes |
Menstrual cups |
Cup usage |
Dispensers |
Douches, pain, sprays |
Essay directory |
Examination, gynecological (pelvic) (short history) |
Extraction |
Facts-of-life booklets for girls |
Famous women in menstrual hygiene ads |
FAQ |
Feminine napkin, towel, pad directory |
Founder/director biography |
Gynecological topics by Dr. Soucasaux |
Humor |
Huts |
Links |
Masturbation |
Media coverage of MUM |
Menarche booklets for girls and parents |
Miscellaneous |
Museum future |
Norwegian menstruation exhibit |
Odor |
Olor |
Pad, towel, napkin directory |
Patent medicine |
Poetry directory |
Products, some current |
Puberty booklets for girls and parents|
Religion |
Religión y menstruación |
Your remedies for menstrual discomfort |
Menstrual products safety |
Sanitary napkin, towel, pad directory |
Seguridad de productos para la menstruación |
Science |
Shame |
Slapping, menstrual |
Sponges |
Synchrony |
Tampon directory |
Early tampons |
Teen ads directory |
Tour of the former museum (video) |
Towel, pad, sanitary napkin directory |
Underpants & panties directory |
Videos, films directory |
Words and expressions about menstruation |
Would you stop menstruating if you could? |
What did women do about menstruation in the past? |
Washable pads |
Read 10 years (1996-2006) of articles and Letters to Your MUM on this site.
Leer la versión en español de los siguientes temas: Anticoncepción y religión, Breve reseña - Olor - Religión y menstruación - Seguridad de productos para la menstruación.


MUSEUM OF MENSTRUATION AND WOMEN'S HEALTH

Pro-Fo Lactic (U.S.A., 1930-1940s?)
Prophylactic and/or treatment for sexually transmitted diseases (syphilis & maybe other STDs), or a contraceptive,
or both, for men and possibly women, with sheath ("sanitary bag") & ointment (medicine)

Well, I pulled a fast one on you!

It seems that men used Pro-Fo Lactic, not women. But one word indicates to me that it was possible women used it also. But maybe not.

Anyway, it's bizarre enough to satisfy any indecent interest you might have so read on.

SarahAnne Hazlewood generously donated this packet to this museum.

Below: The glassine-like bag measures 3 7/8 x 1 5/8" (9.6 x 4 cm). I could not find
the trademark on the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office Web site so it's tough to date.
But it looks as if it's from the 1930s-1940s.
 
Below: Wikipedia has this say about Calomel in the ingredient list (my emphasis throughout):

"Mercurous chloride [calomel] is toxic, although due to its low solubility in water it is generally less dangerous than its mercuric chloride counterpart. It was used in medicine as a diuretic and purgative (laxative), e.g. from the early 1830s through the 1860s as a purgative in the U.S. These medicinal uses were discontinued.

"It has also found uses in cosmetics as soaps and skin lightening creams, but these preparations are now illegal to manufacture or import in many countries including U.S., Canada, Japan and Europe. A study of workers involved in the production of these preparations, showed that the sodium salt of 2,3-dimercapto-1-propanesulfonic acid (DMPS) was effective in lowering the body burden of mercury and in decreasing the urinary mercury concentration to normal levels.[5]

"It was used in the treatment of syphilis."

Wikipedia on oxyquinoline:

"The complexes as well as the heterocycle itself exhibit antiseptic, disinfectant, and pesticide properties.[5][6] Its solution in alcohol are used as liquid bandages. It once was of interest as an anti-cancer drug.[7]"

And on camphor:

"It is also used in medicine. Camphor is readily absorbed through the skin and produces a feeling of cooling similar to that of menthol and acts as slight local anesthetic and antimicrobial substance. There are anti-itch gel and cooling gels with camphor as the active ingredient. Camphor is an active ingredient (along with menthol) in vapor-steam products, such as Vicks VapoRub, and it is effective as a cough suppressant. It may also be administered orally in small quantities (50 mg) for minor heart symptoms and fatigue. . . .

"In 1980, the United States Food and Drug Administration set a limit of 11% allowable camphor in consumer products and totally banned products labeled as camphorated oil, camphor oil, camphor liniment, and camphorated liniment (except "white camphor essential oil" contains no significant amount of camphor)."

Below: The contents of the bag - another bag as it turns out.
 
Below: I fold open the bag.
 
 
 
Below: The tube of ointment that peeked out from the directions, above.
The tube is 3 1/16" (7.6 cm) long and bears no text.
 


NEXT: Directions & bag | Nice Smyle More contraceptives & information What did women do about menstruation in the past?
Boxes of patent medicine for women
Murray & Nickell Blue Cohosh Root
| Murray & Nickell Cotton Root Bark | Allaire Woodward & Co. Oak Bark-White |
Wampole's Vaginal Cones with Picric Acid | Humphreys "31" | Orange Blossom Suppositories |
Dr. Pierce's Vaginal Tablets | Micajah's Medicated Wafers | Santrex Formula 52T | Sedets |
Midol menstrual pain relief tins (containers), old ads, old booklet

© 2009 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\