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?
 
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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.
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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.
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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)."
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Below: The contents of the bag - another bag as it turns out.
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Below: I fold open the bag.
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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.
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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\
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