This is the back cover of the 1944 edition of Dodd's Almanac, printed by the Dodd's Medicine Company of Toronto. The company had been in business in 1944 "for over half a century" which means they had been around since about 1890. The earliest Dodd's almanac I saw listed on the internet was one published in 1901, so that is probably about right.It is full of testimonials and ads for the various Dodd's products that could fix what ailed you. The Dodd's Kidney Pills were the main attraction, but you could also avail yourself of Dodd's Dyspepsia Tablets, Dodd's Ointment (antiseptic salve for skin irritations), Scoot (for athlete's foot) and Diamond Dinner Pills (both a laxative and "remedy for derangement of the liver and bowels").
Dodd's Kidney Pills were good not just for the kidneys, but for leg pain, back pain, headache, rheumatism and "bladder troubles." And also, as you can see in the comic above - the jitters. Poor Jane is having a really stressful day, the kid's driving her crazy. Husband Bob, the Arrow-collar-ad guy with the paper, is no help - all he can say is "What's got into you lately, Jane?"
Well, you might want to put the paper down and help Jane with your son, there, for a start, thinks the reader. But Jane thinks it has to do more with the pain in her back - as opposed to the pain in the neck sitting in an invisible chair, who can't put down the Herald Tribune.
Then Grandma appears out of nowhere like the ectoplasm Victorian mediums used to produce out of their black cabinets. She'd rather not deal with the kid either. She just tells Jane to take Dodd's Kidney Pills, and the dad agrees, looking mighty pleased. (Maybe Bob junior really is a handful, because Dad and Grandma seem to have a lot invested in Jane's ability to deal with him, they want to get back to the paper and the cabinet).
Well, this turns out in the usual way. Dodd's solves everything, Jane's jitters are gone. All is "swell." One things they don't mention is that they seem to have an entirely different child at the end of it all. I don't know if it shows up in the image - I made it as large as I could - but that is not the same kid.
Maybe he's been taking the Dodd's pills, too. That might explain a few things.
4 comments:
Deleted previous comment since I can neither spell nor write coherently on a LATE Saturday morn sans coffee!
Amazing. I love these types of adverts and I am always bowled over by how bizarre they seem. I wonder if our ancestors felt the same way? Did they make fun of adverts the way I do today? (as in McDonald's - I'm Loathin' It!)
I am sure you already know James Lilek's website (http://www.lileks.com) where he shreds everything from cookbooks to adverts.
PS - I loved your snarky writing style!!
My grandma used to pull my ears all the time just like is happening to the poor kid in the first panel. Yowthch!
People these days are so prejudice against the American culture. I guess they are jealous. It was a great time back then. Very innocent and simple. No they didn't make fun of advertisements like the brats panthese days, do.
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