Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1906-03-15
WHO SHE WAS
SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF LYDIA E. PENKIIAM
Had Its Birth and How the "Panic of '73" Caused
1t to be Offered for Public Sale in Drug Stores.

restore the family fortune. They,
argued that the medicine which was
SO good for their woman friends and
neighbors was equally good for the
women of the whole world.
The Pinkhams had no money, and
littSo credit Their first laboratory
was the kitchen, where roots and
herbs were stepped on the stove,
gradually filling a gross of bottles,
Then came the question of selling
IL, for always before they had given
1t away freely. They hired q job
printer to run Off some pamphlets
setting forth the merits of the medi-
cine, now called Lydia Il. Pinkham's
Vegetable Compound, and 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 10
recommended II TO others, and the do~
mand gradually increased.
In 1877, by combined efforts the fam.
lily had saved enough money 10 COM
mence newspaper advertising and from
that time the growth and success OF
the enterprise were assured, until to-
day Lydia u Pinkham and her Vegos
table Compound have become house.
hold words everywhere, and many
tons Of roots and herbs are used annu-
ally In its manufacture.
Lydia Il. Pinkham herself did NOT
live 20 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 NJ
effectively us she could have done 10
herself.
During her long and eventful expo
rience she was ever mcthodical in her
work and she was always careful To pre-
serve n record OF every case that came 70
her attention. The case of every sick
woman who applied TO her for advice.
and there were thousands-received
careful study, and the details, includ.
ing symptoms, treatment and results
were recorded for future reference, and
to-day these records, together with
hundreds OF thousands made since. arc
available to sick women the world
over, and represent vast collabora-
tion Of information regarding tho
treatment of woman's ills, which for
authenticity and accuracy can hardly
be equaled in any library In tho
world.
With Lydia Il. Pinkham worked her
daughter in law, the present Mrs,
PinlSham. She was carefully instructed
In all her haid-won knowledge, and
for years she assisted her In her vast
correspondence.
To her hands naturally fell the
direction OF the work when It's originaS
tor passed away. For nearly twenty.
FIVE years she has continued II, and
nothing in the work shows when tho
first Lydia Il. Pinsham dropped her
pen, and the present Mrs. Pinkham,
now the mother Of large family, took
IL up. With woman assistants, some as
capable as herself, the present Mrs,
PinlSham continues this greatwork. and
probably from the Office of no other
person have so many women been adj
vised how TO regain health. Sick wo~.
men, this advice Is "Yours for Health"
freely given IL you only write TO ask
for it.
Such Is the history of Lydia E. Pink
hams Vegetable Compound; made
| from simple roots and herbs the one
great medicine for womens ailments,
and the fitting monument to the noble
woman whose name it bears.