Grandma Plucker's Early Diaries and Note Books

 

Pierce’s Memorandum and Account Book designed for Farmers, Mechanics AND ALL PEOPLE who appreciate the value of keeping a memorandum of business transactions, daily events, and items of interest or importance, for future reference. – A present from the World’s Dispensary Medical Association, Buffalo, N.Y., and London, Eng.

 

There were six of these booklets my Grandmother used as diaries.  The books themselves are filled with amazing information. Dr. Pierce may have been a peddler who came to farms in the area by horse and wagon. Peddlers in those days were beginning to be questioned as to the authenticity of their wares.

A look at one of the booklets dated 1908 (also included 1909) begins with a notarized statement from R. V. Pierce, M.D. about the ingredients in “Dr. Pierce’s Favorite Prescription” and “Dr. Pierce’s Golden Medical Discovery.” He swears that neither of them contains any alcohol or and poisonous, injurious or habit-forming drugs in the compounds. He also affirms that all the ingredients printed on all wrappers is full, correct and complete.

 

Following that introduction, there is a treatise on “Making Good” which details Dr. Pierce’s Golden Medical Discovery, Dr. Pierce’s Favorite Prescription and Dr. Pierce’s Pleasant Pellets. He lists every possible ill that a woman could have and guarantees that one or the other of these “prescriptions” will cure it. For instance, he says his “favorite prescription” is not a “cure-all;” it is only advised for woman’s special ailments. “It makes weak women strong and sick women well.” “It won’t satisfy those who want “booze,” for there is not a drop of alcohol in it.”

In the 1808/9 book, a list of the headlines to each informative page is fascinating to me:

                A Bold Step

                A Square Deal

                A Woman’s Health

                What Ails You?

                Doctors Mistakes

                The Farmer’s Wife

                People Who Think

                Woman’s Watchword is Modesty

                From Our Patients

                        includes photos and testimonials from nine different women.

                Whose Say-So is Best?

The rest of the book is taken up describing individual diseases or “problems” and suggesting which of Dr. Pierce’s medications will cure it.

 

 

 

 

 Our Field of Success  lists: Nasal, throat & Lung Diseases, Ovarian Tumors, Kidney Diseases, Bladder Diseases, Strictures, Nervous Diseases, Diseases of Digestion, Pile Tumors, Radical Cure of Rupture, Delicate Diseases, Startling Weakness, Hidden Loss [this one sounds like low testosterone in its description].

 

 

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It is my humble opinion, our Grandmother may have became a “hypochondriac” from reading these little booklets too much! Each new book she got had more and better descriptions of the wonders of Dr. Pierce's medications.

 

I'd be happy to share any or all of these booklets with anyone interested.