Victorian advertising card Dr. Thomas’ Eclectic Oil c. 1886

$12.00 CAD

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Advertising for quack medicine Dr. Thomas’ Eclectic Oil.

Nice image of Mary Anderson, below signed ‘Foster Milburn & Co’ Buffalo NY

Mary Anderson was a well known stage actress. Forster Milburn were the manufacturer and owner of the Eclectic Oil formula

The World”s Greatest Healer
Dr. Thomas’ Eclectic Oil
What it has Done & What it will Do Again

Stamped at bottom by retailer ‘Presented By J Summers & Son Quincy Pennsylvania

Tears and crease top edge. Bottom corners cut. Nick in image. Some other light creases. Glue remnants top of back side.

7 ½” x 4 ⅜”

 

Foster, Milburn & Co. was a patent medicine manufacturer and distributor, organised circa 1860 by Orrin E. Foster and Thomas Milburn at Toronto, Ontario, with a branch for handling American sales established at Buffalo, New York in the 1870s. Their most well-known product was Dr. Thomas' Eclectric Oil, the formula for which they purchased from S. N. Thomas in 1876.

A formula "similiar to Thomas" is given by "Fenner's complete formulary" (1889) as: "Camphor, ½ oz.; Oil Gaultheria, ½ oz.; Oil Origanum, ½ oz.; Chloroform, 1 oz.; Laudanum, 1 oz.; Oil Sassafras, 1 oz.; Oil Hemlock, 1 oz.; Oil Turpentine, 1 oz.; Balsam fir, 1 oz.; Tincture Guaiacum, 1 oz.; Tincture Catechu, 1 oz.; Alcohol, 4 pt.; Alkanet, sufficient to color."

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