Century National Chemical Co.

Hill’s Hair Dye No. 1

Hill’s Hair Dye, sometimes called Hill’s Hair and Whisker Dye, was on the market for roughly 80 years from the 1850’s up through the early 1930’s and possibly longer. Originally sold by a New York City barber named William Hill, the rights to the product were later obtained by C. N. Crittenton and later still by the Century National Chemical Company.

It was one of a class of products commonly marketed as instantaneous hair dyes. A summary of “Hair Dyes and Restorers” included in “The Popular Health Almanac for 1876” described them like this:

Instantaneous hair dyes come mostly in two small vials, the one containing a watery solution of gum arabic and soda, or an alcoholic solution of gallic acid (obtained from nut-galls), the other a solution of nitrate of silver, in dilute aqua ammonia. These dyes when carefully applied may be considered harmless. Batchelor’s, Briest’s, Cristidoro’s, Hill’s, Miller’s, Vessey’s dyes, and Hoyt’s Hiawatha Hair Restorative belong to this class. They can readily be compounded for less cost by every pharmacist.

Two years later, the 1878 -79 “Canadian Pharmaceutical Journal” documented the actual contents of the two Hill vials:

Hill’s Instantaneous Hair and Whisker Dye.

Bottle No.1 contained a light brown liquid, of acid reaction; no residue on evaporation of pyrogallic acid.

The contents of Bottle No. 2 consisted of an ammoniacal solution of argentic nitrate. One fluid ounce contained 17.5929 grains of silver.

The product’s namesake and initial proprietor, William Hill, was first listed in NYC’s 1837 Directory as a hair dresser at 86 Pearl Street. That same year this classified advertisement for his “Inimitable Style of Hair Cutting” began appearing in several springtime editions of the “New York Daily Herald.” This all suggests that he opened his first salon or barber shop sometime in 1836 or 1837.

Another advertisement, this one published in the March 28, 1838 edition of New York’s “Evening Post” mentioned that in addition to providing hair cuts and shaves, he also carried an assortment of perfumery and fancy articles.

Hill’s focus however was certainly on hair cutting and a September 19, 1838 advertisement in the “Evening Post” eloquently laid out his marketing pitch.

THE INIMITABLE STYLE OF HAIR CUTTING – Hill’s Hair dressing establishment, No. 86 Pearl Street, upstairs – The unexampled approbation which has hitherto attended the adoption of Hill’s Inimitable style of hair cutting, induces him to call public attention more fully towards it. Nothing contributes more effectually to give ease and dignity to the human form than the judicious and graceful arrangement of the hair, and yet nothing is more generally neglected. While every advantageous ornament is sought to decorate the person, and bestow on the wearer an elegant deportment, that graceful appendage which nature has so profusely provided is overlooked, or if attended to at all is arranged so unskillfully as rather to detract than to adorn. To secure the graceful arrangement of the hair everything must depend upon the manner in which it is cut. It is to this subject therefore that Hill has devoted his particular attention, and he flatters himself that, having given it the fullest consideration, he has succeeded in forming a style which unites elegance with utility, and which will secure, as his increasing patronage fully attests, the universal approbation of the public; also particular attention paid to the shaving part of the business.

N.B. Call and judge for yourself.

Over the next several years his business, while always located in lower Manhattan, moved around quite a bit, listing addresses of 91 Broad Street (1839) and 118 Water Street (1840 – 1842). Then, in 1843, March and April advertisements in the “New York Daily Herald” announced that he was back at his “Old Stand,” 86 Pearl Street, where you could get your hair cut or curled for 12-1/2 cents or a shave for 6 -1/4 cents.

Two years later he moved again, this time to 13 Nassau Street. Just prior to the move Hill began advertising the sale of a proprietary hair product called “Hill’s Infallible Onguent.” An announcement, sounding introductory in nature, suggested that he had been using it on his barber shop clientele since 1840. The announcement appeared in the May 27, 1844 edition of the “New York Daily Herald”

Hill’s Infallible Onguent, or never drying Pomade, has been satisfactorily tested during the last four years by thousands as being superior to all others afforded to the public for ameliorating the hair…Sold wholesale and retail by Hill, the original and inimitable Hair Cutter, No. 86 Pearl Street, adjoining the Pearl Street House.

Another advertisement in the November 4, 1845 edition of the “Brooklyn Evening Star” described it’s many purported benefits.

Alopecy, or falling off of the hair and pityriasis or dandruff scuff, etc., are positively cured by the use of Hill’s Infallible Onguent, which is an old and well tried specific for all diseases of the hair or scalp of the head. It is a certain preventative of grey or red hair, or if they do exist, a thorough use of the Onguent will change the color; it will make the hair flexible, inclined to curl, kept moist longer and give it a glossier appearance than any other preparation now in use…

In 1853 Hill began advertising his “Instantaneous Liquid Hair Dye.” Around the same time he was on the move again, this time to 45 Nassau Street where you could buy his dye and, if you preferred, have it applied there as well. The earliest newspaper advertisement I can find for his hair dye along with the announcement of his move to 45 Nassau Street both appeared in the May 2, 1853 edition of “New York Daily Herald.”

Two years later he added a second location at 1 Barclay Street that according to this July 3, 1855 “New York Daily Herald”announcement included “hair dyeing, cutting, curling and shampooing parlors.”

Just Opened, Hill Branch Hair Dyeing, cutting, curling and shampooing parlors, at No, 1 Barclay Street, fitted up in a neat, comfortable and practical style. Shaving at this or the old stand, No. 45 Nassau Street, six seats.

Hill dropped the Nassau Street address a year later, after which his hair parlors operated solely out of 1 Barclay Street for the next 10 years. The location also served as the depot for his brand name products as evidenced by this November 9, 1859 “New York Times” advertisement.

During this time he added two additional products; a hair tonic called “Floralia,” and “Arctic Ointment” for the treatment of burns, etc. Advertisements for both began appearing in the late 1850’s. The following ad which mentions both, along with Hill’s Hair Dye, appeared in the May 21, 1859 edition of the “New York Tribune.”

Sometime in 1865, Hill left his long-time Barclay Street location subsequently listing addresses of 66 John Street (1865 to 1867), 95 Duane Street (1867 – 1868) and 266 Broadway (1868 to 1869).

As late as 1868 Hill was still advertising his hair dye as evidenced by this June 9th advertisement published in the “New York Daily Herald.”

Then sometime in 1870 Hill apparently formed an association with C.N. Ctittenton. Crittenton operated what he called a “patent medicine warehouse” that at the time was located at 7 Sixth Avenue in Manhattan. As early as December 22, 1870, Critteton included Hill’s Instantaneous Hair Dye on a list of his preparations published in “The Sun” (Last one listed).

Below the listing a note read:

C. N. CRITTETON of 7 6th Ave., near Bleecker St., purchases Helmbold’s genuine preparations direct from Dr. H. I. Humbold, as also all other genuine family medicines now direct from the manufacturers and warrants all goods to be as represented. Give him a call.

This suggests that for a time in the early 1870’s Crittenton served as agent and distributor for the hair dye, while Hill was still involved with its manufacture. This period found Hill listing addresses of 127 Grand Street (1871), 39 Fulton Street (1872) and 41 Fulton (1873-74).

Several internet sources indicate that this arrangement changed in 1880 when Crittenton obtained the rights to the hair dye from Hill. That being said, I suspect this change may have happened as early as the mid-1970’s for two reasons. First, as early as 1876 Hill’s advertisements began naming Crittenton as the product’s “proprietor.” One of the first ads to this effect that I can find appeared in the “Erie County Independent” on June 16th of that year.

Secondly, as early as 1877, Hill, still a barber and now located at 10 Ann Street, began touting a different hair dye, this one called “Ching Foo Hair Stain.” This ad touting “Ching Foo Hair Stain,” appeared in the August 9th edition of “The Sun.”

INIMITABLE HAIR CUTTER. SHAVING 10 cents, 12 for a dollar, at 10 Ann St., Ching Foo Hair Stain, black or brown, one application.

Another ad featuring “Ching Foo Hair Stain” appeared in the August 2, 1880 edition of “The Sun.”

NYC directories continued to list Hill as a barber at 10 Ann Street until 1884 at which time he announced he was moving to Brooklyn in a May 3, 1884 special notice published in the “Brooklyn Daily Eagle”

Brooklyn directories listed him as a barber up through the mid-1890’s after which the listing disappears.

Meanwhile Crittenton continued to advertise Hill’s Hair Dye, much of the time in connection with other Crittenton products, primarily Glenn’s Sulphur Soap. This advertisement that included both was found in the September 13, 1885 edition of the “Kansas City Times.”

Renew Your Age. Ay, but how? that is the question. In the first place, ladies, discount twenty years from your actual age by giving a youthful transparency to your complexions with “Glenn’s Sulphur Soap.” You can do it; there is no mistake about it, and with absolute safety too, for the preparation contains no injurious matter. Beware of counterfeits. See that “C. N. Crittenton, proprietor,” is printed on each packet, without which none is genuine. Sold by druggists at 25 cents; three cakes, 60 cents. Then, if your hair be slightly tinged with gray, take off another ten years by converting it to a splendid brown with “Hills Instantaneous Hair Dye,” which has the double advantage of being the cheapest and best Dye in the world.

Both products were included on this list of Crittenton’s “Proprietary Articles,” included in their 1902/1903 Catalog.

Crittenton passed away in 1909 and seven years later his heirs, who controlled 60 percent of the business, opted to liquidate the company. According to the October, 1916 edition of the “American Druggist:”

The drug trade will learn with universal regret of the passing of the house of Crittenton, which is now in process of liquidation…On his death in 1909 it was found that Mr. Crittenton had made five grandchildren and the Florence Crittenton Mission of New York, a house of refuge for young girls, founded and supported by him, his principal heirs. These heirs, controlling 60 percent of the company stock, voted last January to convert the business into cash as quickly as possible. The corporation was dissolved in July, but it was assumed by the trade that the business would be carried on after a reorganization. It was only recently that it had become generally known that the business is to be liquidated, although it is in a very strong position financially, the outstanding obligations being less than $50,000, while the assets are estimated at four or five times that amount. The liquidation has been brought about purely for internal reasons and has no significance from a trade point of view…From the Crittenton ranks many men have risen to prominence in the wholesale drug trade, and the disappearance of the name of Crittenton from the annals of the drug trade will cause regret among a very wide circle, including all the wholesale trade and a great many of the leading retail druggists.

The Crittenton company continued to advertise both Glenn’s Sulphur Soap and Hill’s Hair and Whisker Dye right up to the very end, as evidenced by this August 2, 1916 ad found in the “Middletown (N.Y.) Times-Press.”

More on the Critteton company can be found in another post on this site.

C. N. Crittenton

Sometime in the late teens Dr. Franklin J. Keller of Paterson, N. J. acquired the rights to manufacture several Crittenton preparations including both Hill’s Hair Dye and Glenn’s Sulphur Soap. Around the same time he established a corporation to manufacture and distribute them called the Century National Chemical Company.

The incorporation notice was published in the October 12, 1918 edition of the (Paterson N. J.) Morning Call.

The Century National Chemical Company, to locate at 379 Totowa Avenue, this city, filed papers of incorporation with County Clerk Slater yesterday. Dr Franklin J Keller is named as the agent of the business. The articles state that the company proposes to carry on a general business as chemists, druggists, chemical manufacturers, importers, exporters and dealers in chemicals.

An authorized capital stock of $100,000 is provided, to consist of 1,000 shares at a par value of $100 a share. The company will commence business with its entire capital stock paid in. It is held by the following incorporators: Franklin J. Keller, 997 shares; Jane D. Keller, two shares, and William J. Lickel, of New York City, one share.

In addition to their Paterson New Jersey factory the company maintained an office in New York City at 86 Warren Street in lower Manhattan. In the company’s early advertisements and labeling they referred to themselves as “Successors to The C. N. Crittenton Co.”

Hill’s was still included in a list of Century National Products found in the February 21, 1925 edition of “The Pharmaceutical Era” (half-way down)…

…and it was still being advertised, along with Glenn’s Sulphur Soap, in newspapers as late as 1933, as evidenced by this July 7th ad in the “Bristol (Vt) Herald.”

I can’t confirm when the product was discontinued but I can’t find any newspaper advertising for it after 1933.

The bottle I found is blown in a mold and is 3-1/4 inches tall with one inch wide panels front and back. One panel is embossed “HILL’S,” the other “HAIR DYE No. 1.” The bottle is 3/4-inch wide with slightly rounded sides. It contains no more than one ounce. It almost certainly dates to the Crittenton years.

Hale’s Honey of Horehound and Tar, C. N. Crittenton, New York

As early as the Civil War era, Hale’s Honey of Horehound and Tar was advertised as a “cure” for any and all lung related diseases including coughs, colds and influenza.

Still on the market in the 1940’s, by then it was simply touted for the “relief” of cough and cold related symptoms.

Advertised as a botanical preparation, its ingredients changed several times over its 80+ year history but always included some form of dangerous, habit forming drug. According to an analysis/report by the Connecticut Experimental Station, the 1914 version contained 13.87 percent alcohol and 0.077 grams per fluid ounce of chloroform extract. The report went on to say that earlier versions of the medicine had included opium (5/13 gram per fluid ounce) and codeine (1/4 gram per fluid ounce). In the 1940’s, the alcohol was gone but the chloroform extract remained.

Initial newspaper advertisements in 1864/1865 named Charles Downer, 44 Cedar Street, as the products “General Agent.” Downer was a long time New York City druggist who was listed in lower Manhattan as early as the mid-1840’s. The story he’d like you to believe about the origin of Hale’s was included in the earliest newspaper advertisement I could find, published in the October 31, 1864 edition of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle

This sovereign remedy is compounded from the favorite recipe of an illustrious physician and chemist, who for many years used it with the most complete success in his extensive private practice.

He had long been profoundly impressed with the wonderful virtue of the honey of the plant Horehound, in union with the CLEANSING and HEALING properties of tar extracted from the LIFE PRINCIPLE of the forest tree Abies Balsamea or Balm of Gilead. For years he was baffled in his attempt to blend these great medicinal forces into such a union that the original power of each would be preserved, the disagreeable properties of common tar removed, and the price of the compound be within the means of all. At last, after a long course of difficult chemical experiments, he found that by adding to these five other ingredients, each one valuable by itself, he not only obtained the desired results but greatly increased the curative powers of the compound. This having been thoroughly tested by practice, is now offered to the general public as a safe, pleasant and infallible remedy.

PRICE, 50 CENTS PER BOTTLE

For sale by all druggists.

CHARLES DOWNER, General Agent., 44 Cedar St., New York

Advertisements continued to name Downer as the medicine’s agent throughout the mid-1860’s. Then sometime in 1867 or 1868 Charles N. Crittenton, not Downer, began advertising the product.

Crittenton was born in upstate New York and moved to New York City sometime in the mid-1850’s. Not long after his arrival city directories began listing him as a clerk in his brother William’s proprietary medicine business located at 476 Broadway (1858 to 1860) and later at 55 Prince Street (1860 to 1861). Then sometime in 1862 Charles started his own proprietary medicine business at 38 Sixth Avenue.

This December 19, 1862 newspaper advertisement that appeared in the New York Times confirmed that his new business was up and running by the end of the year.

Crittenton remained at 38 Sixth Avenue until 1868 when he established both a store and attached three-story factory at 7 Sixth Avenue. Devoted exclusively to the sale of druggists’ sundries and proprietary preparations he also manufactured several of his own.

The first ad I can find associating Crittenton with Hale’s was dated October 7, 1868.

Once firmly established in his new quarters Cittenton began referring to his business as a “patent medicine warehouse,” and this December 1, 1870 advertisement in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle made it clear that Hale’s was one of their marque preparations.

Great Run On A Well-Known Institution

The famous Patent Medicine Warehouse of CHARLES N. CRITTENTON, No. 7 Sixth Ave, New York, has recently been subjected to an extraordinary pressure – the pressure of crowds of sufferers from coughs and colds in search of Hale’s Honey of Horehound and Tar, of which he is the fortunate proprietor. The popularity of the article is boundless, and will last, for it is built on the solid foundation of innumerable cures. Crittenton’s establishment might properly be called a savings bank, from the number it has been instrumental in saving from consumption. Trochial affections of every type vanish under its balmy and balsamic influence with astonishing rapidity.

The growth of Hale’s through the decade of the 1870’s can be gauged by the scope of Crittenton’s newspaper advertising. In 1870 his advertisements were limited to New York State, most of which appeared in local New York City newspapers. By the end of the decade the company was advertising in New England, across the Midwest and as far west as California, with only the South being ignored.

Much of the advertising preyed on the nation’s fear of tuberculosis (consumption), as evidenced by this December 29, 1877 advertisement that appeared in (Elton, Maryland’s) The Cecil Whig.

Health is an estimable jewel. The cough that deprives you of it may take your life too. One bottle of Hale’s Honey of Horehound and Tar will avert the evil, and save you from consumption. Will you weigh life against a half dollar?

Throughout the 1870’s the business remained at 7 Sixth Avenue . Then in 1880 they moved again, this time to 115/117 Fulton Street and while their location had changed, the Hale’s advertising message remained consistent.

The business incorporated in June, 1892 as the C. N. Crittenton Company. A June 25, 1892 story in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle announced that under the terms of the reorganization Crittenton voluntarily surrendered considerable interest in the company to five of his old time employees, one of which was his brother-in-law, Thomas E. Delano. Another beneficiary of the reorganization, Edward G. Wells, was quoted in the story.

“Yes, said he, it is quite true that Mr. Crittenton has taken four of my associates and myself into partnership with him, or at least has turned over to us a block of stock in the recently organized corporation…

So far as the company is concerned there is not much to be said. It is capitalized at $800,000. Mr. Critterton having turned into it every dollar’s worth of assets of the house of Charles N. Crittenton of which he was the sole owner. The stock is all taken, being held by Mr. Crittenton, Messrs Alfred H. Kennedy, William A. Demarest, Franklin B. Waterman, Thomas E. Delano and myself. Mr. Crittendon is President of the company, Mr. Delano First Vice-President and Treasurer, Mr. Waterman Second Vice-President and Secretary and I hold the position of Third Vice-President.

All of us who have been taken into the company are old employees, the youngest of the five in point of service being myself, with a record of thirteen years in Mr. Crittenton’s employ.”

The story went on to describe the events that led up to Critteton’s generosity.

…About three years ago he went to London, leaving a sweeping power of attorney in Mr. Delano’s hands. When he left he expected to simply run over to London for a few weeks, but he passed on to the Continent, then crossed over to Asia and finally went to San Francisco, where he has since remained.

Long before his departure he founded the Florence Mission in Bleecker Street, as a memorial to his little daughter Florence, who had recently died. When he reached California he became convinced that his field of work was on the Pacific coast, and he has since founded missions in San Francisco, San Jose and Sacramento.

Meanwhile the business continued to hum right along. A feature published in the December 31, 1896 edition of the Pharmaceutical Record made it clear that by then the company had achieved a national reputation.

“Try Crittenton” is what every wholesale druggist in the country says when he has an order for some proprietary medicine that it is difficult to obtain. And “Crittenton,” or to be more explicit, the Charles N. Crittenton Company, is never tried in “vain.” Without a doubt the corporation is the largest dealer in proprietary medicines in this or any other country. Some idea of its immense resources and of the great volume of business it transacts yearly may be gathered from the fact that it never carries less than 12,000 different proprietary articles in stock, and that there is not a drug store, retail or wholesale, of any repute, from the Canadian line to New Mexico, from the Atlantic to the Pacific seaboard, the name of which cannot be found on its books. It is as difficult to imagine the patent medicine owner getting along without his Crittenton as it is to imagine the twentieth century broker getting along without his telephone.

The feature went on to offer a glimpse of their Fulton Street operation at the time.

The building in which the Crittenton Company transacts its immense business is as well known to every New York druggist as his own store. As for the country druggist, there is no address that he writes more frequently than “Charles N. Crittenton Co., 115 and 117 Fulton Street, New York City.” Both these numbers, 115 and 117 are really in one building, five stories high. The Crittenton Company occupies No. 115 from top to bottom, including the basement and sub-cellar, seven floors in all. Of No. 117 it occupies the top four floors, which are connected with those of No. 115. Each floor extends clear back from Fulton Street to Ann street, a distance of 125 feet.

The story included this view of the main floor as you entered from Fulton Street. Cashiers and bookkeepers were located on the right and salesman on the left. The shelves on the left contain light stock such as perfumery, toilet articles, etc.

Upstairs they stored an inventory of proprietary pharmaceutical specialties that according to the story was “unparalleled by that of any other house in America.” A sampling of the firms represented within their inventory can be seen from this page included in Crittenton’s 1902-1903 catalog.

It was also on the upper floors that they manufactured their own proprietary articles, including Hale’s Honey of Horehound and Tar.

The manufacturing department occupies the whole of the fourth floor, although the apparatus used for making the Crittenton’s preparations are confined to the eastern section…There are four large churns for mixing, besides an imposing array of percolators, screw presses, copper stills, evaporating pans and large macerating vats and tanks.

With the manufacturing process over, the preparations are transferred to the western section of the floor to be bottled and then stored there, along with the house’s large stock of bottles and glassware, until it is time for them to be hoisted to the floor above for the finishing touches, wrapping and labeling.

This work keeps a large corps of girls constantly busy, although they handle no preparations outside of those manufactured by the Crittenton Company. When wrapped and labeled the goods are sent down on the elevators to the shipping department or to the warehouse on the third floor, those packages intended for export being kept separate.

At the turn of the century Hale’s Honey of Horehound and Tar was one of over 40 proprietary medicines being manufactured by the company as evidenced by another page included in their 1902-1903 Catalogue

It’s likely that the popularity of Hale’s peaked early in the first decade of the twentieth century. After that, pressure from legislation, beginning with passage of the Food and Drug Act of 1906, began to take it’s toll. As a result, by 1908/1909 their advertising began to soften as evidenced by the following two ads that appeared in the Yonkers Statesman. The first, from January, 16, 1908, stated that Hale’s Honey of Horehound and Tar: “cures colds of all kinds.” A year later, this December 22, 1909 ad simply stated:”Take it for coughs and colds and get relief.”

That being said, the business was still on solid financial footing in 1916 when the Crittenton heirs, who controlled 60 percent of the business after Crittenton’s death in 1909, opted to liquidate the company. According to the October, 1916 edition of the American Druggist:

The drug trade will learn with universal regret of the passing of the house of Crittenton, which is now in process of liquidation…On his death in 1909 it was found that Mr. Crittenton had made five grandchildren and the Florence Crittenton Mission of New York, a house of refuge for young girls, founded and supported by him, his principal heirs. These heirs, controlling 60 percent of the company stock, voted last January to convert the business into cash as quickly as possible. The corporation was dissolved in July, but it was assumed by the trade that the business would be carried on after a reorganization. It was only recently that it had become generally known that the business is to be liquidated, although it is in a very strong position financially, the outstanding obligations being less than $50,000, while the assets are estimated at four or five times that amount. The liquidation has been brought about purely for internal reasons and has no significance from a trade point of view…From the Crittenton ranks many men have risen to prominence in the wholesale drug trade, and the disappearance of the name of Crittenton from the annals of the drug trade will cause regret among a very wide circle, including all the wholesale trade and a great many of the leading retail druggists.

Sometime in the late teens Dr. Franklin J. Keller of Paterson, N. J., acquired the rights to manufacture Hale’s Honey of Horehound and Tar as well as several other Crittenton preparations including Glenn’s Sulphur Soap and Pike’s Toothache Drops. Around the same time he established a corporation to manufacture and distribute them called the Century National Chemical Company.

The incorporation notice was published in the October 12, 1918 edition of the (Paterson N. J.) Morning Call.

The Century National Chemical Company, to locate at 379 Totowa Avenue, this city, filed papers of incorporation with County Clerk Slater yesterday. Dr Franklin J Keller is named as the agent of the business. The articles state that the company proposes to carry on a general business as chemists, druggists, chemical manufacturers, importers, exporters and dealers in chemicals.

An authorized capital stock of $100,000 is provided, to consist of 1,000 shares at a par value of $100 a share. The company will commence business with its entire capital stock paid in. It is held by the following incorporators: Franklin J. Keller, 997 shares; Jane D. Keller, two shares, and William J. Lickel, of New York City, one share.

In addition to their Paterson New Jersey factory the company maintained an office in New York City at 86 Warren Street in lower Manhattan.

In their early advertisements and labeling the company referred to themselves as “Successors to The C. N. Crittenton Co.” This labeled example of Hale’s Honey of Horehound and Tar manufactured by the Century National Chemical Company is provided courtesy of the National Museum of American History, Behring Center.

Newspapers advertisements for Hale’s continued up through the early 1930’s. The last advertisement I can find appeared in several Vermont newspapers during the Spring of 1933.

It was around this time that Century likely transitioned to a screw top version of their bottle, an example of which was recently offered for sale on e-bay.

As late as February, 1944 Hale’s was still being manufactured and distributed by the Century National Chemical Company as “effective for coughs, colds, hoarseness, whooping cough, sore throat, loss of voice or inflamed or irritable conditions of the respiratory mucous membranes.” This caught the attention of the authorities who took exception to their wording, declaring it misbranded.

On April 13, 1944, the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York filed a libel against 22 packages, containing two fluid ounces each, of Hale’s Honey of Horehound and Tar, and 190 boxes, each containing 3 cakes of Glenn’s Sulphur Soap at New York, N. Y., alleging that they had been shipped on or about February 8 and 23, 1944, by the Century National Chemical Co., from Paterson N. J.; and charging that they were misbranded.

Examination of the Hale’s Honey of Horehound and Tar showed that it contained tar, chloroform and syrup.

The article was alleged to be misbranded because of false and misleading statements in the labeling which represented and suggested that the article was effective for coughs, colds, hoarseness, whooping cough, sore throat, loss of voice or inflamed or irritable conditions of the respiratory mucous membranes.

It’s not clear when Hale’s completely disappeared from the druggists’ shelves but it was likely sometime in the mid to late 1940’s.

The bottle I found is a four ounce medicine. Mouth blown, it fits a late 1800’s to early 1900’s time frame and includes the C. N. Crittenton name on one side so it was likely filled and shipped from their Fulton Street location.

On a final note: Horehound Extract can be obtained today as an herbal supplement from a company called Mountain Rose Herbs.

According to their web site:

Horehound is a garden mint with green and white leaves and a distinctly bitter taste. It is native to Asia and Europe, but is naturalized in North America. Egyptian priests referred to it as the seed of Hours, which some speculate is the root for its modern name. In medieval Europe it was used to ward off spells by witches. Horehound was an accepted medicinal plant in the U. S. Pharmacopeia until 1989 and is still endorsed in Europe.

The ingredients listed on today’s web site include: organic grain alcohol, distilled water and organic horehound.