The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1906-08-03
WHO SHE WAS
SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF LYDIA E. PINKHAM
And a True Story of How the Vegetable Compound
Had It's Birth and How the "Panic of '73" Caused
it 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
ONE of the whole world.
The Pinkhams had nc money, and
little 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
it, 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, and these were
distributed by the Pinkham sons in
Boston, New York, and Brooklyn.
The wonderful curative properties Of
the medicine were, TO a 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 to-
day Lydia E. Pinkham and her Vege'
table Compound have become house.
hold words everywhere, and many
tons of roots and herbs are used annu-
ally in its manufacture.
Lydia E. 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 "
herself.
During her long and eventful expe-
rience she was ever methodical IN her
work and she was always careful topre'
serve a 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-receiVea
careful study. and the details, incIuo'
ing symptoms, treatment and results
were recorded for future reference, ana
to-day these records, together with
hundreds Of thousands made since, are
available to sick women the world
over, and represent a vast collabors-
ton of information regarding. the
treatment of woman's ills, which Tor
authenticity and accuracy can hardy
be equaled in any library in the
world.
With Lydia r. Pinkham worked her
daughter in law, the present Mrs;
Pinkham. She was arefullyinstructed
in all her hard-won knowledge, ana
for years she assisted her in her vast
correspondence.
To her hands naturally fell the
direction of the work when its origi1a-
tor passed away. For nearly twenty,
five years she has continued it, n
nothing in the work shows when the
first Lydia E. Pinkham dropped her
pen, and the present Mrs. Pinkhann,
now the mother Of a large family, took
it up. With women assistants, some -
capable as herself, the present Mrs;
Pinkham continues this great work, n
probably from the Office of no other
person have SO many women been 40.
vised how to regain health. Sick wo,
men, this advice is "Yours for Health
freely given If 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 women's ailments,
and the fitting monument to the nebis
woman whose name it bears.