Parents have always been concerned about the health of their young ones. In the days before pediatricians and physicians specially trained to deal with the ailments of babies and very young children, the proprietary medicine manufacturers sought to fill this vacuum. The ethics of some of their advertising were obviously open to question. Here are some of the products that were specifically marketed to the parents of young children at the turn of the 20th century:

Alteris Cordial (prevent miscarriage)

Anheuser-Busch’s Malt-Nutrine (“she who nurses one must nourish two”)

Babyease

Babyhood Cough & Croup Cure

Baker’s Cod-Liver Oil (“recognized as the best”)

Black’s Automatic Breast Pump

Bower’s Infant Cordial

Codliver Glycerine (“a preparation as pleasant as honey”)

Cooper’s Measles Cure

Dalby’s Carbinative

DeWitt’s Cholera and Colic Cure

Dr. Bull’s Vegetable Baby Syrup

Dr. Grove’s Anodyne for Infants

Dr. Harter’s Soothing Drops

Dr. Hooker’s Cough and Croup Syrup

Dr. Pierce’s Family Medicines

Dr. Winchell’s Teething Syrup

Egg Emulsion of Cod-Liver Oil (“thoroughly and permanently emulsified with fresh eggs and good brandy”)

Eskay’s Food (“brings a sickly baby boy to the picture of health”)

Grandmother’s Purified Talcum

Hahnemann’s Crying of Infants Cure

Harvard Baby Food

Himrod Cure (for croup)

Hollis Balm of America

Holt’s Balm

Hooper’s Anodyne

Kirk’s Juvenile Soap

Kopp’s Baby’s Friend

Labaree’s Colic Cure

Linden Bloom Baby Powder

Lloyd Cocaine Toothache Drops

Maltropon (“increases the quantity of the milk secretion, but ought to improve the quality as well”)

Monell’s Teething Syrup

Mother Kroh’s Soothing Syrup

Mother’s Remedies (book by Dr. T. F. Ritter)

Mrs. Wheeler’s Nursing Syrup for Babies and Children

Mrs. Winslow’s Nursing Syrup (morphine)

Nestle’s Food (“a perfect food for infants”)

Newton’s Cough & Distemper Cure

Opossum Treatment (for croup)

Pabst Extract (“no ‘cheaper’ malt extract can equal Pabst in purity, strength and quality; strengthens the nervous system, produces a natural appetite for food and has proven a boon to nursing mothers”)

Pansy Baby Salve

Pepsin Cordial (“invaluable in the treatment of diarrhea”)

Regis Soothing Syrup

(for children during nursing and teething period)

Sana (a succedaneum for cod-liver oil which has the taste of pure, fresh butter)

Seng (will produce the physiological action necessary

to restart the process of digestion; give babies ten to fifteen drops)

Twenty Minute Croup Cure

Victor Baby Food

Wampler’s Milk Food (“there is nothing in mother’s milk that is not found in Wampole’s Milk Food”)