Scope and Contents
The almanacs in this collection were issued annually by American and a few Canadian companies to promote the sale of their proprietary remedies. The remedies were secret rather than actually patented, and exaggerated claims were made for what they could cure. Almanacs were distributed free to customers by drug stores. Typically the back cover of the almanac carried an advertisement for an individual pharmacy. Often the almanacs had a hole at the top left, through which a string was tied so that they could be hung on a nail on the wall. Two almanacs are in miniature format.
Dates
- 1843-1966
Creator
- Abell, Truman, 1779-1853
- Brown, O. Phelps (Oliver Phelps)
- Daboll, Nathan, 1782-1863
- Fitch, Samuel Sheldon, 1801-1876
- Moffat, William Brinckerhoff, 1818-1862
- White, A. J.
- A.L. Scovill & Co
- Dr. J.C. Ayer & Co
- Barker, Moore & Mein Medicine Co
- Calumet Herb Co
- Centaur Company
- Chattanooga Medicine Company
- W.H. Comstock Co
- Perry Davis & Son
- P.H. Drake & Co
- B.A. Fahnestock & Co
- Seth W. Fowle & Sons
- C.C. Green (Firm)
- Illinois Herb Co
- D. Jayne and Son
- R.H. McDonald & Co
- Dr. Miles Medical Co
- Miles Laboratories
- Merchant's Gargling Oil Company
- J. B. Ross & Co
- Peruna Drug Mfg. Co
- University Publishing Company
- J. H. Schenck & Son
- Jeremiah Curtis & Sons
- John I. Brown & Sons
- Lyman Brown (Firm)
- National Association of Retail Druggists (U.S.)
- J.H. Zeilin & Co
- Wells, Richardson & Co
- Graefenberg Company
- Foster, Milburn & Co
- Dr. Kilmer & Co
- H.H. Warner & Co
- Roback, C. W. (Charles W.)
- Dr. Radway & Co
- Herrick & Co
- Hostetter & Smith
- Indiana Botanic Gardens
- Louden & Co
- Rumford Chemical Works
- A.B. & D. Sands (Firm)
- W.T. Rawleigh Company
- John F. Henry, Curran & Co
- Victor Remedies Co
- Dr. A.W. Chase Medicine Co
- Saxton & Miles
- Piso Company
- World's Dispensary Medical Association
Language of Materials
Almanacs are mostly in English with examples of German, French, and Swedish.
Conditions Governing Access
The materials are open for research.
Arrangement
Almanacs in the first series have been arranged by short title. Titles of almanacs often vary from year to year. Depending on the consistency, titles may fall in more than one place with cross references. Sometimes variant titles have been grouped. Pamphlets in the second series have been retained in the order established by the collector.
Extent
5 Linear Feet (10 boxes and 3 albums)
Catalog Record
A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog
Persistent URL
Abstract
The collection contains almanacs issued annually by American and a few Canadian companies to promote the sale of their proprietary remedies. Of special note is a complete collection of Hostetter's Almanac from 1867 through 1910.
Custodial History
Some almanacs were transferred from Sterling Memorial Library in the 1940s. Many others were donated by William H. Helfand. The Supplement contains additional almanacs and a few other patent medicine pamphlets collected by Lloyd Moore and donated by his daughter Kathi Moore Sherman in 2018.
Separated Materials
Some patent medicine almanacs in the Medical Historical Library have been cataloged separately on Orbis. For titles in this collection, the existence of other issues has been noted. Other titles not represented include Hop Bitters Almanac for 1877, Brayley's Family Medical Almanac 1883, Kickapoo Almanac, 1893, and "Rough on Rats" 1884 Almanac.
Processing Information
The dates supplied are the years that the almanacs cover, not the year of publication, which might be the year before. Many almanacs do not have formal publication information.
- Advertisements -- Medicines, Patent, proprietary, etc.
- Agricultural and family almanac
- Almanac and guide to health
- Almanac and weather forecasts
- Almanach francais d'Ayer
- Almanacs
- Almanacs, American
- Almanacs, Canadian
- August flower and German syrup alamanac
- Ayer's American almanac
- Ayer's Amerikanischer Almanach
- Ayer's Deutscher Almanach
- Ayer's Svenska Almanacka
- Barker's illustrated almanac
- Benefactor : an almanac
- Brandreth annual calendar
- Brant's family almanac
- Bristol's free almanac
- Bucklen's almanac
- Burdock Blood Bitters almanac
- C.W. Roback's astrological almanac
- Centaur almanac
- Centennial calendar or Simmons Liver Regulator almanac
- Christie's family almanac
- Clark's Anti-Bilious Compound almanac
- Clark's Cleveland almanac
- Commercial catalogs
- Der Recept-Kalender
- Doan's Directory of the United States
- Dr. A.W. Chase's calendar-almanac
- Dr. Browder's family almanac
- Dr. C.W. Roback's family pictorial almanac
- Dr. Jayne's medical almanac and guide to health
- Dr. McLean's medical almanac
- Dr. Miles new weather almanac and hand book of valuable information
- Dr. Morse's Indian root pills almanac
- Dr. O. Phelps Brown's Shakespearian almanac
- Dr. Radway's almanac
- Dr. Roback's medical almanac
- Dr. S.S. Fitch's almanac
- Dr. Wistar's free almanac
- Epilepsy (fits) and St. Vitus dance (chorea)
- Everybody's almanac and family receipt book
- Excelsior almanac
- Fahnestock & Co.'s free almanac
- Family almanac, and Franklin calendar
- Family medical almanac
- Farmer's and mechanic's almanac
- Farmer's and mechanic's almanac
- Farmers and mechanics almanac and family recipe book
- Farmers' almanac an ephemerides of the motion of the sun and moon, the rising and the setting of the sun, and the rising, setting, and southing of the moon
- Frederick almanac
- Free almanac for the world and advertiser
- George Coster & Co's family almanac and medical repository
- Graefenberg Company's almanac
- Green's atlas and diary almanac
- Grier's almanac for the states of South Carolina, Georgia, Floirda, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Louisiana and Texas
- Hazeltine's pocket book almanac
- Health almanac, and guide to invalids
- Healthway products almanac
- Helfand, William H. (Collector)
- Hoofland's almanac
- Horsford almanac and cook book
- Hostetter's United States almanac
- Hostetter's illustrated United States almanac
- Hufeland's Kalender und Familien Recept Buch
- Illinois Herb Co. Almanac
- Illustrated family recipe and medical almanac
- Jayne's medical almanac and guide to health
- Jayne's medizinischer Calender und Gesundheits-Wegweiser
- Kodol almanac and 200 year calendar
- Ladies birthday almanac
- Medicine, Popular
- Merchant's Gargling Oil almanac
- Miles new weather almanac
- Miniature books
- Moffat's agricultural almanac
- Moore, Lloyd, 1916-2004 (Collector)
- Morning, noon, and night
- Mrs. Winsow's Domestic Receipt Book
- Munyon's almanac
- N.A.R.D. almanac
- National calendar or Herrick's almanac
- Northrup & Lyman Co's almanac and guide to health
- PIso's pocket book almanac
- Pain-Killer almanac and family receipt book
- Patent medicines -- Canada
- Patent medicines -- United States
- Peruna almanac
- Pierce's memorandum and account book
- Poor Richard Lactopeptine almanack
- Rawleigh's almanac
- Rawleigh's good health guide almanac cook book
- Rescue of Tula almanac
- Rosadalis almanac
- Rush's almanac and guide to health
- Scheetz's illustrated almanac
- Schenck's almanac for the million
- Schenk's Almanach
- Seven barks almanac
- Shaker almanac
- Swamp-root almanac
- The Diamond Dye almanac and household guide
- The Family health almanac
- The Health almanac
- The Herbalist almanac
- The Home almanac
- The Household almanac
- The Illustrated family medical almanac
- The Magnetic almanac...for the use of everybody
- The New York almanac
- The New-England almanac, and farmer's friend
- The New-England farmer's almanac
- The People's almanac
- The People's illustrated almanac
- The Story of the Shakers and some of their favorite cooking recipes
- The Treasure chest almanac
- The Vermont state almanac
- Trail blazer's almanac and pioneer guide book
- Tucker & Co's national almanac
- University almanac and business book
- Vennor's weather almanac
- Veterans of the war whom all should assist offer their almanac
- Vinegar bitters almanac
- Warner's safe cure almanac
- Watkin's almanac home doctor and cook book
- Wright's family almanac
- Wright's pictorial family almanac
- Title
- Patent medicine almanacs
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Toby A. Appel
- Date
- 2015
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Part of the Medical Historical Library, Cushing/Whitney Medical Library Repository
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