One of the stranger finds I made in remodeling our old house was a box of Chi-ches-ter's Diamond Brand Pills, formerly Chi-ches-ter's Pennyroyal Pills, from the early 20th century. The marketing and instructions on the product were incredibly vague, other than being for 'womanly' concerns.

After a little research, it turns out they were sold partially to relieve menstrual cramps, and also as an under-the-counter abortifacient. Pennyroyal is poisonous, but it is possible (if incredibly dangerous) to take enough to kill a fetus but not enough to kill the mother.

Some more research turns out that, thankfully, this would never happen from those pills. The name was changed following the creation of the FDA, which required truth in drug labeling. And the pills never contained any Pennyroyal at all -- simply some sugar and a little bit of Acetaminophen.

I'll second your cheer for safe, legal contraception methods.

http://www.mum.org/chiches.htm

Reminds me of the heinous vagina-bleaching commercial from India. Not only is your vagina too hairy, it's also not bright enough! Like it's been working in the sun all day or something! How low class.

Why do people get "it's" and "its" wrong all the time? I'd hope for better from a lecturer.

I don't understand your tone in this post. Your italics seems to suggest a kind of snark, like you're not really buying the author's argument. But then in the end, it seems like you are into this idea. Which one is it?

Why would anyone put Lysol on their genitals O_O

I cringe just thinking about it.

Actually, I question some of this information. Lysol wasn't used for contraception, it was indeed used as a cleansing douche.

I know this because my husband's great aunt and uncle were for many years the editors of the Ladies' Home Journal, which was rather an exalted position at the time, and when they were quite old, they told us the story of a Lysol ad they received.

Interestingly back then, Beatrice and Bruce Gould wanted to the magazine to be one that respected women and their intelligence. They would publish poetry - good poetry - and other thoughtful pieces on the day, as well as the articles one might expect. And they carefully went through every ad that was submitted.

When one of this Lysol ads came in, they hesitated. They contacted several Manhattan gynecologists who said, yes, it was safe and could be used in this way. Maybe the women who were injured used it incorrectly? I don't know.

But in the end, the Goulds decided not to run the ad. Perhaps they thought it was a little over-the-top for the magazine, although they themselves were very cosmopolitan and sophisticated people.

All I know is that a legion of gynecologists could tell me this was safe to do, and I'd still never dream of it!

yes girls need a lysol douche and their ass whipped - which is why so many gilrs are so confused - they need a hard ass fuck and the living shit knocked out of them about once a month.

My grandmother was a nurse in the 20's and after. She told me that Lysol was often used before chlorinated city water to purify the water for a douche - a teaspoon per quart or something like that. She also told me that some women used it full strength - for various reasons.

Birth control was NOT illegal in the U.S. until 1965. The federal ban was lifted in 1938, but many states and municipalities continued to outlaw it. The Supreme Court decisions cited in this article struck down laws prohibiting birth control in Connecticut and Massachusetts, respectively, establishing a legal right to birth control.

Nice shit

To comment #1, acetaminophen (or paracetamol as it is known as in certain other countries) is an incredibly dangerous drug. (for being sold OTC)

Doses as low as starting at about 8000mg have caused irreversible liver damage and/or death.

An Extra Strength Tylenol (one brand of acetaminophen) contains 500 mg. People typically take two of those. It is not uncommon that a patient is given 3000 to 4000 mg/24 hrs.

So, as one dose doubling is potentially fatal---just a little acetaminophen--could be reason for concern. Also, acetaminophen is frequently compounded with other drugs (often abbreviated just APAP) so one's cough syrup, sleep aid, or other painkiller may be a source that needs to be considered.

Also, I wonder, how old was the 'medicine' in question? Pre-FDA? Acetaminophen is a relatively new drug ( a modification based on phenacetin which was even more liver-toxic.)

I realize that this comment is a little off topic--yet, I hope to share some awareness about acetaminophen.

Finally, acetaminophen is an excellent fever reliever and perfectly safe when 24h max dose (from all sources) is not exceeded. Yet, unlike with most drugs the amount needed to cause harm with acetaminophen is very low relative to a 'normal' dose, and death from it is a protracted and excruciating one.

After further investigation, it was discovered that they were sold both to ease menstrual cramps and as an over-the-counter abortifacient. Although pennyroyal is deadly, it is conceivable (though extremely risky) to consume enough to kill a fetus but not the mother 2 player games. More investigation reveals that, luckily, this would never occur as a result of those drugs. Following the establishment of the FDA, which mandated truth in medication labeling, the name was altered. The tablets also didn't contain any Pennyroyal at all, only sugar and a trace of acetaminophen.