Digital Collections Duke University Libraries
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Cigarettes

Includes one advertisement promoting a specific brand of cigarettes.

Cough and Cold

Includes products marketed to provide relief from coughs, nasal congestion, sore throat and other symptoms associated with upper respiratory infections and cigarette smoking.

First Aid and Wound Care

Includes products designed to clean and disinfect minor burns, cuts and scrapes.

Food

Includes food products, including baby foods, marketed with emphasis on their healthful qualities.

Household Cleansers and Disinfectants

Includes products marketed as aides to general cleanliness in the home, including all purpose germicides for the kitchen, bath, laundry, and nursery.

Insecticides and Poisons

Includes products designed to kill disease-bearing insects and other vermin.

Institutional and Pharmaceutical

This category contains general advertising for pharmaceutical companies and other manufacturers of health-related products. Includes advertisements designed to promote good will toward science, physicians, pharmaceutical companies, and/or a general group of products such as antibiotics.

Laxatives and Indigestion Relief

Includes products designed to promote bowel regularity, alleviate constipation, and soothe an upset stomach.

Nutrition and Diet Aids

Includes products promoted as aides to improving digestion and losing weight.

Ointments and Acne Preparations

Includes preparations applied to the skin to soothe skin irritations or to kill acne-causing bacteria.

Pain Relievers

Includes products taken by mouth or rubbed into the skin to relieve pain caused by arthritis, rheumatism, headache, muscle strain, and other ailments.

Soaps

Includes body soaps marketed as aids to personal cleanliness and odor control.

Supplementary Documents

This category contains a variety of historical documents relating to the creation and influence of health-related advertisements. They are classified by the originator of the documents, and they include internal reports and house publications of the J. Walter Thompson Co. Archives, editorials and articles from medical journals and other publications, and case files from the Federal Trade Commission.

Toiletries

Includes miscellaneous products promoted as aides to personal cleanliness and attractiveness, including deodorants, toilet paper, and paper towels.

Toothpaste and Mouthwash

Includes oral hygiene products promoted as the means to preserve teeth and gums, to prevent infectious diseases, and to have pleasant breath. Includes oral hygiene products promoted as the means to preserve teeth and gums, to prevent infectious diseases, and to have pleasant breath.

Vitamins and Tonics

Includes products designed to be taken by mouth in order to get extra vitamins and to improve overall vitality.