Collection is open for research; access requires at least 48 hours advance notice. Because of the nature of certain archival formats, including digital and audio-visual materials, access will require additional advanced notice. Copies of digital files may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
This collection contains an almanac published by the Merchant's Gargling Oil Company in 1876, and a reprint of an 1894 advertisement poster for Merchant's Gargling Oil with the slogan: "A Liniment for Man or Beast". The almanac has a note from John Hodge, then Secretary and later President of the Merchant's Gargling Oil Company, as well as an ad for Merchant's Worm Tablets. Also included in the almanac are directions for taking Gargling Oil for different ailments, notes on the moon phases, recipes and household tips, customer testimonials, and humorous short stories of two or three lines.
George Washington Merchant, the town druggist for Lockport, NY, first produced Merchant's Gargling Oil in 1833. The first Gargling Oil was marketed as a catch-all salve that could cure all possible illness of domestic animals. Despite its name, Merchant's Gargling Oil was intended for external use and used to treat skin ailments and surface wounds on horses, cattle, sheep, and poultry. A version for human use was introduced in 1875. Humans could use the Gargling Oil externally or interally to treat a variety of conditions including burns, rheumatism, lame back, chapped hands, sore throat, and stomach cramps, among others. To take the Gargling Oil internally, the advised dose was to combine fifteen to twenty drops of the oil with sugar, or mixed with syrup, and to take a dose every three to six hours. The product for animals was packaged in a yellow wrapper, and the one for humans had a white wrapper. The company said that, in an emergency, humans could use the version for animals though it would temporarily stain their skin.
George Washington Merchant, the town druggist for Lockport, NY, first produced Merchant's Gargling Oil in 1833. The first Gargling Oil was marketed as a catch-all salve that could cure all possible illness of domestic animals. Despite its name, Merchant's Gargling Oil was intended for external use and used to treat skin ailments and surface wounds on horses, cattle, sheep, and poultry. A version for human use was introduced in 1875. Humans could use the Gargling Oil externally or interally to treat a variety of conditions including burns, rheumatism, lame back, chapped hands, sore throat, and stomach cramps, among others. To take the Gargling Oil internally, the advised dose was to combine fifteen to twenty drops of the oil with sugar, or mixed with syrup, and to take a dose every three to six hours. The product for animals was packaged in a yellow wrapper, and the one for humans had a white wrapper. The company said that, in an emergency, humans could use the version for animals though it would temporarily stain their skin.
Dr. Merchant initially sold the oil to horse and mule drivers working along the Erie Canal. As demand grew, Merchant took on a partner, Morris H. Tucker, and together they expanded the business. Merchant's health later worsened and he sold the company to a corporation composed of Tucker, B. L. Delano, and Henry Walbridge. The company thrived under Tucker's marketing expertise, releasing a promotional line of almanacs, songbooks or "songsters", and stamps to promote the company and their products. Tucker also developed the company's official slogan: "Good for Man and Beast!"
John Hodge joined the company in 1861. Hodge advanced first to Secretary and then in 1886, after Tucker's death, to President of Merchant's Gargling Oil Company. By the end of the nineteenth century, Merchant's Gargling Oil was sold worldwide and was one of Lockport's principal industries. The company closed in 1928 after its factory in Lockport burned down.
This collection contains an almanac published by the Merchant's Gargling Oil Company in 1876, and a reprint of an 1894 advertisement poster for Merchant's Gargling Oil with the slogan: "A Liniment for Man or Beast". The almanac has a note from John Hodge, then Secretary and later President of the Merchant's Gargling Oil Company, as well as an ad for Merchant's Worm Tablets. Also included in the almanac are directions for taking Gargling Oil for different ailments, notes on the moon phases, recipes and household tips, customer testimonials, and humorous short stories of two or three lines.
This collection is arranged in the order received.
The nature of the NC State University Libraries' Special Collections means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The NC State University Libraries claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials.
The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.
This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which North Carolina State University assumes no responsibility.
[Identification of item], Merchant's Gargling Oil Almanac and Poster, MSS 00429, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
Almanac purchased in 2019 by NC State University Libraries. Poster transferred from NC State University, William Rand Kenan, Jr. Library of Veterinary Medicine.(Accession 2019.0246)
Processed by Clara Wilson, 2019 September; machine-readable finding aid by Clara Wilson, 2019 October
Collection is open for research; access requires at least 48 hours advance notice. Because of the nature of certain archival formats, including digital and audio-visual materials, access will require additional advanced notice. Copies of digital files may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
For more information contact us via mail, phone, or our web form.
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[Identification of item], Merchant's Gargling Oil Almanac and Poster, MSS 00429, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
The nature of the NC State University Libraries' Special Collections means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The NC State University Libraries claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials.
The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.
This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which North Carolina State University assumes no responsibility.