Medical trade ephemera

How Thorazine Shows That Medical and Social Histories Shape Each Other

Staff #MedievalMedicineMonday, Out of the stacks, Staff research February 22, 2021May 19, 2021Digital image library, Medical trade ephemera, Mental health, Thorazine

– by Patrick Magee, Visitor Services/Gallery Associate

Welcome back to another issue of #MedievalMedicineMonday! On Mondays, Visitor Services/Gallery Associate Patrick Magee will be exploring the depths of medieval botanical medicine as depicted by woodcuts found in our early printed books. This week is a little different – although there is a theme of medical treatment changing over time present across all #MedievalMedicineMonday posts, for now the focus will be on a more recent time in history that perhaps just feels medieval to certain readers – the 1950s.

Antikamnia Calendars: 19th Century Medical Advertising

Staff Out of the stacks, Staff research January 20, 2021May 19, 2021Antikamnia Chemical Company, Digital image library, Medical trade ephemera, Nineteenth century medicine, Patent medicines, Pharmaceutical companies

– by Josh Bicker, Visitor Services Floor Supervisor

Among the College of Physicians Medical Library’s collection, we have a number of advertisements for the Antikamnia Chemical Company. Within these, a curious image can be found in an advertising pamphlet of the time, portraying a stout man, dressed in a suit, with an enormous skull atop his neck. With spectacles perched at the bridge of his nose, he closely inspects a round tablet with the letters “AK” monogrammed on it. Rays of light shower over him, and at the bottom of the page we see the phrase “Tis The Genuine”. It is as if he has received some divine inspiration.

Florida

Staff #TravelTuesday July 3, 2018July 16, 2018Beaches, Florida, Health resorts, Medical trade ephemera, Vacation

This month we are visiting Florida! Florida has had a large tourist industry and has been a popular place for resorts because of its year-long warmth and coastal views of the ocean since the early 20th century. In both summer and winter Florida, became an escape for the sickness and bustle of the city for those afflicted with chronic conditions like rheumatism and nervousness or those with tuberculosis.

Dr. E.M. Hale of Chicago promised Florida as a “Favored region for neurasthenics…broken down in mind and body from the intense strain of business and social demands of the Northern States.” A favored spot was the southwest gulf coast, which tended to get more breezes, making for a more comfortable climate. The pleasant climate leads to a greater number of fruits and vegetables at lower costs than you may see in colder states.

Avon-by-the-Sea

Staff #TravelTuesday June 5, 2018June 4, 2018Beaches, Health resorts, Medical trade ephemera, New Jersey, Shore, Vacation

Are you still unsure of where to go for summer vacation? The Medical Trade Ephemera Collection at The Historical Medical Library may have some suggestions for you! Enjoy our suggestions over the next few months!

This month we are going to look at the New Jersey shore destination, Avon-by-the-Sea, often called simply “Avon” by locals. The Jersey Shore became a popular Victorian vacation spot for visitors from both Philadelphia and New York City. By 1878, Long Branch, Asbury Park, and Ocean Grove drew people to the beach every summer.

Battle Creek Sanitarium

Staff #TravelTuesday May 1, 2018April 17, 2018Battle Creek Sanitarium, Diets, Health food, Medical trade ephemera, Vegetarian diets

Looking for your beach bod? Some new found Battle Creek Sanitarium ephemera may be able to help you out! To read more about the company check out our digital exhibit here.

Battle Creek specialized in health foods, their most famous being cornflakes. The Sanitarium promoted a grain-heavy diet without stimulants and added sugars. Battle Creek sent out colorful ephemera to doctors and wealthy patients in hopes they would visit or buy their food through the catalogs.

Follow us on #TravelTuesday!

Staff #TravelTuesday April 30, 2018April 17, 2018Cataloguing, History of medicine, Medical trade ephemera

Welcome to #TravelTuesday! Every first Tuesday until September, Caitlin Angelone, Reference Librarian, will be showing off some intriguing, ephemera-based destinations to visit, beginning with health resorts!

The Battle Creek Sanitarium: Constructing History Through Ephemera

Tristan Dahn Out of the stacks, Staff projects November 22, 2016September 27, 2019Battle Creek Sanitarium, History of medicine, Medical trade ephemera, Primary sources

The Battle Creek Sanitarium of Battle Creek, Michigan was a health resort which employed holistic methods based on principles promoted by the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. Treatments included hydrotherapy, electrotherapy, phototherapy, physical training, exposure to fresh air, enemas, and dietetic plans crafted to lower patient’s libidos in order to live a chaste lifestyle free of sin. It became a destination for both prominent and middle-class American citizens, including celebrities such as J.C. Penney, Henry Ford, Amelia Earhart, Warren Harding, Mary Todd Lincoln, and Sojourner Truth. In order to draw so many prominent figures and a wealthy base of clients to its somewhat remote location in Michigan – and to promote the ideas of its founders, the Kellogg brothers – the Sanitarium needed to produce a wide swath of promotional materials, many of which survive today in The Historical Medical Library’s Medical Trade Ephemera collection.

← Previous