Antique Lydia Pinkham Vegetable Compound Bottle w Label Lynn Massachusetts c1920 For Sale

Identification

Lydia E. Pinkham's Vegetable Compound

Prepared by the Lydia E. Pinkham Medicine Company, Lynn, Massachusetts.

Bottle appears to date to approximately 1920-25.

Why?

• The label prominently states "Contains 15 Per Cent Alcohol."

• After passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act, manufacturers increasingly disclosed alcohol content.

• The label's typography, claims language, and bottle form are consistent with the years immediately following the 1906 legislation.

• The slogan "In Use For Over 50 Years" also fits this period. Lydia Pinkham introduced the compound in the ~1870s.

About the Medicine

This was one of the most famous patent medicines ever sold in America.

It was marketed primarily to women for:

• "Female complaints"

• Menstrual discomfort

• Menopause symptoms

• General weakness

• Nervousness

• Fatigue

The formula contained:

• Alcohol (15%)

• Herbal ingredients such as black cohosh, pleurisy root, fenugreek, and unicorn root

Many historians believe some customers felt genuine relief due to:

• The alcohol content

• Mild herbal effects

• The fact that women could seek treatment privately without consulting a physician

At its peak, Lydia Pinkham became one of the most recognized female entrepreneurs in America.

Condition Notes

Positives:

• Original paper label present

• Excellent readability

• Original cork remains

• Clean glass

• Attractive display appearance

• Interior residue confirms original use

Condition notes:

• Cork top cleaned more recently (albeit being orignal)

• Interior evaporation speckling (tiny, faint, fine, white dots)

• Small label losses and edge wear

• No chips, no cracks

None of these are unusual for a bottle over 110 years old.

Approximate height: 8.25 inches.