Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1906-01-04
WHO SHE WAS.
SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF LYDIA E. PINKHAM
And Story How the Vegetable Compound Had Its Birth
of '73" Caused to be Offered for Pub
lie Sale In Drug Stores

The three sons and the daughter,
with their mother, conf ined forces tc
restore the family fortune. They ar
gued that the medicine which was SC
good for their woman friends and neigh,
bors was equally good for the women oil
the whole world.
The Pinkhams had no money, and
little credit. Their first laboratory was
the kitchen, where roots and herbs were
stepped on the stove, gradually filing a
gross of bottles. Then came the ques-
ton of sellldg il, for always before they
had given it away freely. They hired
a job printer to run off some pamphlets
setting forth the merits of the medi.
cine, now called Lydia E. Pinkham S
Vegetable Compound, aud these were
distributed by the Pinkham sons In
Boston, New York, and Brooklyn.
The wonderful curative properties Of
the medicine were, to great extent,
self-advertising, for whoever used it
recommended it to others, and the de-
mand gradually increased.
In 1877, by combined efforts the fam
lily had saved enough money to COM
mence newspaper advertising and from
that time the growth and success Of
the enterprise were assured, until today
Lydia E. Pinkham and her Vegetable
Compound have become household
words everywhere, and many tons Of
roots and herbs are used annually in its
manufacture.
Lydia +. Pinkham herself did not
live TO see the great success of this
work. She passed to her reward years
ago, but not till she had provided means
for continuing her work as effectively
as she could have done it herself.
During her long and eventful expe
rience she was ever methodical in her
work and she was always careful to
preserve record of every case that
came to her attention. The case of ev-
cry sick woman who applied to her for
advice and there were thousands-re-
ceived careful study. and the details,
including symptoms, treatment and re-
suits were recorded for future refer
ence, and today these records, together
with hundreds Of thousands made since,
are available TO sick women the world
over, and represent vast collaboration
OF information regarding the treatment
OF woman's ills, which for authenticity
and accuracy can hardly be equalled in
any library in the world.
With Lydia E. Pinkham worked her
daughter-in-law, the present Mrs. Pink
ham. She was carefully instructed in
all her hard-won knowledge, and for
years she assisted her in her vast cor
respondepce.
To her hands naturally fell the di-
rection Of the work when its originator
passed away. For nearly twenty-five
years she has continued it, and nothing
in the work shows when Lydia E. Pink
ham dropped her pen, and the present
Mrs. Pinkham, now the mother of
large family, took it up. With woman
assistants, some as capable as herself,
the present Mrs. Pinkhsm continues
this great work, and probably from the
office Of no other person have so many
women been advised how to regain
health. Sick women, this advice is
Yours for Health freely given if you
only write to ask for it.
Such is the history of Lydia z. Pink
hams Vegetable Compound; made
from simple roots and herbs; the one
great medicine for women's ailments,
and the fitting monument to the noble
woman whose name it bears.