Figure 1.--This illustration appeared on a card advertising Scott's Emulsion. We believe it appeared in the 1890s, but are still assessing the date. The boy wears a very military looking sailor suit.

Cod liver oil was considered a valuable dietary supplement for children at least as early as the late 19th century. It was not very popular with the children, but many mothers considered it essential. One popular brand in America was Scott's Emulsion pr in full Scott's Emulsion of Cod Liver Oil with the Hypophosphites of Lime and Soda. It was advertized as "the best remidy in existence" for a host of ailments. HBC has obtained a card with a helthy-looking boy in a sailor suit advertising the product. We are not certain of the date. It looks to be the 1890s, but we are still assessing that.

Trading Cards

Trading cards were popular in the late 19th century. The cigarette and cigar cards are probably the best known and most prized. There were cards on many different sublects (baseball players, animals, flowes, and much more). Other companies used them for advertising with cards showingh different products or testionials. Other Scott's Emulsion and Cod Liver Oil cards included: Girl with Lion (color front shows little girl with lion. Titled "Strength and Beauty"), The Little Turk (front shows picture of Turkish boy resting on 3 boxes of Scott's Emulsion - each box written in a different language, Copyright, 1889), Nice as Cream (front shows picture of girl in bonnet holding a chalkboard ("I like Scott's Emulsion, It is just as nice as cream".), Nice as Cream (front shows picture of girl in bonnet holding a chalkboard that reads "I like Scott's Emulsion, It is just as nice as cream".), the Little Doctor (front shows little boy pouring product from bottle into spoon held by little girl), the Smile Front (front shows eleven children's smiling faces around a large labeled aqua bottle of the product.), He Wants It (front shows baby boy at table reaching for bottle of product). Therewere other such medical trading cards for products like Ayer's Sarsaparilla and Ayer's Cathartic Pills, Dr. Issac Thompson's Celebrated Eye Water, Hood's Sarsaparilla, Sapanule (Glycerine Lotion), Warner's Safe Cure, and many more.

Ad Copy

The text on the back of a company selling a health emulsion read, "Our boy, whose picture appears on the other side of this card, is a perfect type of health and beauty. It is a delight to look upon such a beautiful picture; but how sad to behold the suffering of the mother when her darling is smitten with disease, and his rounded, dimpled cheeks become pale and wan, and the bright eyes lustreless, and she sees day by day her little one wasting away. Unfortunately in every household some of the little ones are the victims of a wasting disorder. For some reason their food fails to nourish them, and they finally fade and die. We are glad that we have a food and remedy of unequaled potency in all conditions of wasting, of whatever character, in children as well as in adults. SCOTT'S EMULSION OF COD LIVER OIL WITH THE HYPOPHOSPHITES OF LIME AND SODA is really a marvelous remedy in producing flesh and strength. It is surprising how quickly it checks the waste and decline in flesh. It is so prepared that the most sickly child can digest and assimilate it readily, even when the stomach will not tolerate ordinary food. In addition to its great flesh-producing and strengthening powers IT IS THE BEST REMEDY IN EXISTENCE for Consumption, Scrofula, Colds and Chronic Coughs, An~emia and General Debility. It heals the irritation of the lungs and throat, cures the cough, and gives strength in a manner surprising both to physician and patient. For ordinary Colds and Coughs no specific or cough remedy equals it. It not only cures the cold at once, but builds up and strengthens the system. IT IS ALMOST AS PALATABLE AS M I L K . Do not fail to try this invaluable remedy for any con???'. ~ ~ wasting, either in children or adults. ??? Druggists. SCOTT & BOWNE, N????" [HBC note: This card appears to have been pased in an albumn and the corners of te back text have been lost.]

Date

We are not certain of the date. The image itself, based on the sailor suit looks like a 1890s outfit to HBC, but we are still assessing that. One indication of the date is when high-quality photo lithography first became possible. We believe that such images were being printed in the 1890s, but we have not yet acquired detailed information on this. One card was dated 1889 so the 1890s seems reasonable. It could be earlier, however, as we have noted these medical trade cards as early as the 1870s.

Product

The Victorians were very concerned about their health. Most of the medical opinions of the day were not subjected to scientific scrutiny. To improve their health, Victorians in Europe and America took trains to the seaside, hiked in the countryside mountains, dieted, took pills and a variety of patent medicines. No Governnmnt agency required companies to demonstrate the efficay of the medicine or sustantiate their clanmes. Cod liver oil, which did have some value, was considered a valuable dietary supplement for children at least as early as the late 19th century. It was not very popular with the children, but many mothers considered it essential. One popular brand in America was Scott's Emulsion pr in full Scott's Emulsion of Cod Liver Oil with the Hypophosphites of Lime and Soda. It was advertized as "the best remidy in existence" for a host of ailments. Scot's Emulsion was made by the Scott & Bowne company. Scott's Emulsion hada destinctive body. It has a man with a fish on his back on the front and says Scott's Emulsion; Cod Liver Oil; and on the side of the man/fish it says "Trade Mark".

I had thought that this was a product that had disappeared, but the product is still available in many countries. The company has apparently been purchased by a larger company and is now owned by the drug giant, Glaxo Smith Kline--at least in Indonesia and Malaysia. A HBC reader in from Mexico reports that Scott's Emullsion is still marketed there as well. She writes, "Scott`s Emulsion has been sold in Mexico for as long as I can remember. I remember raking it as a kid--I hated it at the time. I`m 42 now. Now my 6 year old son is taking the same emulsion, and he hates just as I did! The company`s name is SmithKline-Beecham Mexico. And the bottle has the same sailor with a shark on his back."

Clothing

HBC has obtained a card with a helthy-looking boy in a sailor suit advertising the product. It is a blue sailor suit with an unusdual double "V" collar. The dicky is white with a blue neck band. The sarve is lught blue and tied in an unusual knot. A lanyard is pictured, but it seems to run behind the boy's back.

Booklet

A HBC reader reports, "We have a booklet from Scott's Emulsion (copyright 1924) 'The Story of Bill the Bold'. Lot's of cartoon figures including a little boy in blue sailor suit and Vikings, which told little Bill the story how Vikings got big and strong by eating fish oil like that contained in Scott's Emulsion."

Comments

A reader writes, "Great website! In my great-grandmother's diary of 1904, she mentions Scott's Emulsion. Gr-grandmother was dosing one of her children with it that night, they were feeling poorly. So it was fun to see your info on that!" -- Perry

Created: April 13, 2002
Last updated: August 3, 2003