Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Gluten Suppositories!


Here I am innocently cataloguing books at the old bookstore, when this eyepopper jumps out at me. Tucked at the rear of a seemingly upstanding book, "Dick Cheveley", by the staid historical novelist, W.H. D. Kingston, are several advertisements, a common enough practice with nineteenth century publishers looking for extra simoleons. There is an ad for Sohmer pianos, and one for Sapolio soap, but then my gluten-sensitive peepers lighted on an advertisement for the Health Food Company of New York City and their marvelous GLUTEN SUPPOSITORIES!

E.L. Ripley of Burlington, Vermont, no shy hemorrhoidal victim he, notes "As Sancho Panza said of sleep, so say I of your Gluten Suppositories: God bless the man who invented them!". And the Rev. John H. Paton of Michigan, a chronic, constipated dypeptic, heaps accolades on the mighty tablets, stating "I believe their food-remedies to be worthy of the high praise which they are receiving on all sides". These gluten suppositories are billed to relieve intestinal torpor and kindred evils, but pity the poor celiac or wheat-sensitive soul who popped them in seeking relief.

Giving thanks for modern medicine.....

2 comments:

ByTheBay said...

Tucked at the rear of a seemingly upstanding book, "Dick Cheveley",

No pun intended, right? *grin*

Anonymous said...

http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/bly/madhouse/madhouse.html

shows the adverticement in 1877

http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/bly/madhouse/121.gif

Dr. A. W. THOMPSON, Northampton. Mass., says: "I have tested the Gluten Suppositories, and consider them valuable, as indeed I expected from the excellence of their history."

Dr. WM. TODD HELMUTH declares the Gluten Suppositories to be "the best remedy for constipation which I have ever prescribed."

As Sancho Panza said of sleep, so say I of your Gluten Suppositories: "God bless the man who invented them!"–E. L. RIPLEY, Burlington, Vt.

"I prescribe the Gluten Suppositories almost daily in my practice, and am often astonished at the permanent results obtained."–j. MONTFORT SCHLEY, M. D., Professor Physical Diagnosis Woman's Medical College, New York City.

HEALTH FOOD CO., 76 4th Avenue, N. Y.