Read a discussion of the letter testimonials, and their authenticity, of the Pinkham company (in a discussion of a Pursettes ad with a letter testimonial)
Historical remedies for menstrual period pain and problems. See more remedies here.
See modern home remedies here.
Typed letter to a Canadian (1918), Ad from the Salt Lake Weekly Herald (1881) for Mrs. Pinkham, trade cards (flowers, girl with cat), post card of Stanford University, a bottle for Lydia Pinkham's Vegetable Compound, mending kit, booklet Stretching Your Dollar, bottles for her Blood Medicine and (just plain) Medicine, Home Talks, Private Text-Book Upon Ailments Peculiar to Women, Fruits and Candies booklet, and a modern bottle, box and instructions for her Tablets.
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
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? | e-mail the museum | privacy on this site | who runs this museum?? |
Amazing women! | the art of menstruation | artists (non-menstrual) | asbestos | belts | bidets | founder bio | Bly, Nellie | MUM board | books: menstruation and menopause (and reviews) | cats | company booklets for girls (mostly) directory | contraception and religion | costumes | menstrual cups | cup usage | dispensers | douches, pain, sprays | essay directory | extraction | facts-of-life booklets for girls | famous women in menstrual hygiene ads | FAQ | 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 directory | patent medicine | poetry directory | products, current | puberty booklets for girls and parents | religion | Religión y menstruación | your remedies for menstrual discomfort | menstrual products safety | science | Seguridad de productos para la menstruación | shame | slapping, menstrual | sponges | synchrony | tampon directory | early tampons | teen ads directory | tour of the former museum (video) | 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
Leer la versión en español de los siguientes temas: Anticoncepción y religión, Breve reseña - Olor - Religión y menstruación - Seguridad de productos para la menstruación.

The Lydia E. Pinkham Medicine Co., maker of medicine for headaches,
stomach illness, insomnia, depression, cancer, tumors, women's diseases,
flatulence, menstruation, fertility, etc.:
A "Mrs. Pinkham" writes to a woman with menstruation and odor problems
and advises against removal of her ovaries: a handwritten letter

Mrs. Lydia Pinkham died in the late 19th century, but her company, which made the famous Vegetable Compound, kept on into the 20th century advising women by mail and booklet - and by letter to women who wrote in with "female complaints." The 20th-century Mrs. Pinkham who "wrote" the letters was one of a staff of women authorized to do so by another Mrs. Pinkham in the family. When exposed by an American magazine, the company confessed to using the founder's name, although she was indeed a Mrs. Pinkham. Read more about the letter testimonials, and their authenticity.

A MUM site visitor kindly sent scans of the letter sent to the grandmother of her former husband by "Mrs. Pinkham" in 1910 - below you see the first and last pages, the middle page being omitted. In an often clear handwriting - typewriters existed then but I suspect handwritten letters were more personal - the writer urges the use of her company's products - what did you expect? You can read similar letters and advice in her books and pamphlets in the links at left.

I've transcribed the text as best I could (read it below the pictures). Unfortunately two pages overlapped at the bottom, covering part of the text. But you will get the gist of the text. Although I omitted showing the middle page, I transcribed as much of it as I could decipher.

 

 

Transcription of letter:

Dec 12 - 1910

Mrs Rogers

Dear Friend

I never advise an operation for removal of the ovaries except as a last resort after all known remedies have failed.

Painful menstruation is usually caused by congestion of the mouth [of the womb] and leucorrhea is due to inflammation of the neck of the womb, vagina or both. These conditions and ovarian trouble prevent conception.

My Vegetable Compound is excellent for womb and ovarian trouble[,] relieves painful menstruation[,] strengthens the nerves and whole system and in connection with my Santative Wash [a douche powder] cures leucorrhea. My Blood Purifier will cleanse and build up the blood.

[unreadable]

for womb and ovarian troubles

[unreadable]

making five [?] doses of each a day. Bowels must move daily, if sluggish take my Liver Pills. If they are hard to move it may require with the Pills injections of warm soapy water. Keep skin active by frequent baths. Do not over work.

Take sitz baths two or three times a week. To help relieve trouble use Andersons Vaginal Capsules size two.

Prepare one as per enclosed slip.

Medicate it with with glycerine and Dr Andersons Prescription (which is a powder) and insert it into the vagina. Let it remain twenty four hours with an injection of one teaspoon Paxtine [?] to each quart of hot water first before using my Sanative Wash as directed on [the?] package.

After injection insert another Capsule as before. Use hot foot baths and hot applications to abdomen at time of menses.

Spray throat night and morning [with?] warm water and a little Paxtine [?]

Bathe hands and feet with equal parts alcohol and warm water and rinse with a [? ] to restore the circulation.

Your trouble destroys sexual [fervor?] and desire.

The leucorrheal discharge and disease condition of mouth causes offensive odor of menses.

Yours for health

Mrs. Pinkham

[?]

NEXT: SEE a typed Pinkham letter to a Canadian (1918) - See more Mrs. Pinkham, below (and see her first page)

The Schlesinger Library, of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, part 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 modern home remedies here. post card of Stanford University, a bottle for Lydia Pinkham's Vegetable Compound, mending kit, booklet Stretching Your Dollar, bottles for her Blood Medicine and (just plain) Medicine, Home Talks, Private Text-Book Upon Ailments Peculiar to Women, Fruits and Candies booklet, and a modern bottle, box and instructions for her Tablets. 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
See also the patent medicine Cardui, Dr. Grace Feder Thompson's letter appealing for patients, Dr. Pierce's medicines, and Orange Blossom medicine.
© 2003 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