Southborough Historical Society
Southborough, MA
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Southborough Historical Society Southborough, MA
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JOSEPH BURNETT COMPANY PERSONAL & MEDICAL Supplement (Revision Date December 31, 2007) The file contains ads and articles which are lengthy and are provided to readers who wish to have a bit more background of many of Burnett’s personal & medical products.
Burnett’s Cocoaine Supplemental Information Text from the Burnett’s Cocoaine advertising flyer c.1857 JOSEPH BURNETT & COMPANY 27 CENTRAL STREET, BOSTON
BURNETT'S
The Inventors of the Cocoaine--knowing
that when the loss of hair occurs, it is generally from that part of the head
where the greatest heat is necessarily generated, and that animal fats, as
Bear's grease, lard, &c., &c., by their nature induce heat rather than alleviate
it--turned their attention and pharmaceutical science toward Vegetable Oils, as
the basis of a medicament, to promote the growth, and preserve the beauty of the
hair. The Oleum Cocos, or In the form here presented, this Oil is permanently deodorized, and held in a combination which peculiarly adapts it for the Toilet; it is unrivalled in delicacy and agreeableness,--cooling in its nature,--and possesses such a penetrating affinity for the secretions of the skin, that it is rapidly absorbed. Its greatest efficacy is best secured by a perfect cleansing, before its application, of the hair and scalp, (for which purpose the Kalliston is recommended, because its ingredients are coöperative with those in the Cocoaine,) under which circumstances this Oil allays irritation, removes all tendency to dandruff, and invigorates the action of the capillaries in the highest degree. Its effect upon the glossiness and richness of appearance of the hair is such as cannot be surpassed, and it is now offered to the public, in the firm belief that it only requires to be known to supersede all other preparations. We are confident that no one who may make a trial of its efficacy, will be willing to return to the use of any other preparation. The proprietors would also call attention to the fact that it is the cheapest Hair Dressing yet offered to the public; and they refer to the accompanying recommendatory remarks, some of which are selected from the writings of men of science, and others from many communications which they have already received from reliable sources. Price Fifty Cents for half-pint Bottle. FOR SALE BY DRUGGISTS GENERALLY.
JOSEPH BURNETT & CO., BOSTON,
The above-named articles are manufactured solely by the proprietors. The names and titles thereof are adopted as trade marks, to secure the public and the proprietors against imposition, by the introduction of spurious articles. All unauthorized use of these trade marks will be promptly prosecuted. JOSEPH BURNETT & CO. RECOMMENDATORY. Extracts from authentic writings upon the virtues, origin, &c., of Cocoa-Nut Oil; and from Papers of the day, Letters, &c. The Cocoa Palm is a native of the South-east of Asia, but is found in almost all tropical countries. "In the countries of its growth, the uses to which the Cocoa nut Tree is applicable, are almost innumerable. Among the most important of these is the manufacture of the Fragrant Oil, employed by the inhabitants of all tropical countries, in a great variety of pharmaceutical preparations. The sweet fixed oil of the Cocoa-nut is deposited in very great quantity, in the formation of albumen, that takes place upon the inside of the shell, after the nut is gathered, and is expressed from the kernel by pressure merely, and without the mixture of any foreign or adventitious substance. In the warmest countries it is only necessary to cut the pulp into thin slices and expose it in shallow wooden vats to the direct action of the sun. With a slight lowering of the temperature, it solidifies into a white and fragrant mass, easily dissolving again upon application of external heat. The use of this oil as a cosmetic has been universal among all the people of India, for centuries. No other preparation of art could give that elegant suppleness of limb, that glowing smoothness of skin, and luxuriance and abundance of hair, which have so often been the admiration of travelers in those remote and interesting regions. The constant use of it, in fact, is enjoined as a part of their religion, in many of the islands of the Eastern Archipelago, and the abundance in which it is to be found, seems to be one of those wise provisions of nature, intended to point out its salutary and desirable properties, for the use of man."--Selected. [Extract from a letter, from a gentleman of this City widely known in a high official position. Boston, July 23d, 1857. Messrs. Joseph Burnett & Co. Gents:--I have until now been unable to find a Hair Oil which is well adapted to my own personal use. Indeed, for some years I have discontinued the use of such preparations, because of the failure of those I had tried. My hair is very fine in texture, and had a tendency to become dry, then to contract itself into a sort of angular spiral, and finally to fall off, especially from the top of the head. Your Cocoaine came recently under my observation, and from the knowledge I had of the Cocoa-nut Oil, as employed by the natives of the countries where it grows, and of its peculiar purity as an Oil, I was led to resort to it for one more trial. I have not yet used it long enough to prove that it will do all you represent or claim for it, but its first effects are such as to lead me to place much confidence in it. Its use is peculiarly agreeable; it is very little liable to soil linen or cotton, with which it necessarily at night comes in contact; and it imparts thereto no unpleasant odor; it has already straightened out and softened the hair that was contracted, and restored a glossy and smooth appearance which my hair had lost. Yours Respectfully. Marsden, speaking of the people of Sumatra, says:--"Their hair is strong and of a shining black, the improvement of both which qualities it probably owes in a great measure to the constant use of Cocoa-nut Oil."--Marsden, p. 49. "It is a known fact that vegetable fats are much less apt to become rancid than animal fats, and in consequence of that fact the Oleum Cocos, or Cocoa-nut Oil, was, several years ago, in Munich, proposed as a substitute for lard. Since that time it has been used in many preparations, and found to answer various purposes. By the animal heat of the skin it perfectly liquefies, and is then most readily absorbed by the human skin. Lard, on the contrary, disappears more slowly, and is therefore to a large extent taken up by the bedding and garments, to which, even with the most scrupulous cleanliness, it soon imparts a rancid smell."--Am. Journal of Pharmacy for July, 1857. Boston, July 19th, 1857. Messrs. J. Burnett & Co.:--I cannot refuse to state the salutary effect in my own aggravated case, of your excellent Hair Oil--(Cocoaine). For many months my hair had been falling off, until I was fearful of losing it entirely. The skin upon my head became gradually more and more inflamed, so that I could not touch it without pain. This irritated condition I attributed to the use of various advertised hair washes, which I have since been told contained camphene spirit. By the advice of my physician, to whom you had shown your process of purifying the Cocoa-nut Oil, I commenced its use the last week in June. The first application allayed the itching and irritation; in three or four days the redness and tenderness disappeared; the hair ceased to fall, and I have now a thick growth of new hair. I trust that others similarly afflicted will be induced to try the same remedy. Yours, very truly,..........Susan R. Pope. Burnett's Cocoaine. This is the name of a new and elegant preparation for dressing the hair, just introduced into the market by Messrs. Joseph Burnett & Co. It combines all the properties which have long been desired in an article of the kind, and is the result of a careful research, and reiterated experiment. It contains a very large proportion of the famous Cocoa-nut Oil, the use of which is so universal among the inhabitants of the Eastern Archipelago. The luxuriance and abundance of hair which adorn the natives of those remote regions, are attested by all travelers, and are mainly to be attributed to the use of this Oil. The aim of Messrs. Burnett & Co. has been to free it from the peculiar odor which it has in This condition, and to unite with it some approved tonics which stimulate the hair to a healthy and vigorous growth. It will be found on trial to be the blandest, cleanest, and most desirable preparation ever offered to the public.--Boston Transcript. A Reliable Hair Preparation. In another column our readers are referred to Joseph Burnett & Co.'s advertisement of Cocoaine, for preserving and beautifying the hair. It is claimed for this preparation that it contains, in a liquid form, a large proportion of deodorized Cocoa-nut Oil, which possesses peculiar properties that suit the various conditions of the human hair. From the well-known reputation of Joseph Burnett & Co., as chemists and apothecaries, we welcome any new toilet preparation from their hands, and unhesitatingly recommend them to the public in our columns.--Boston Ledger.
The extreme susceptibility of Cocoa-nut Oil, renders the Cocoaine liable to congeal when exposed to any considerable degree of cold but not enough to occasion inconvenience in use, or to impair its effect. A slight degree of warmth will restore the original brilliancy.
THE NEW YORK TIMES, 1859 An ad for Phalon & Sons Cocoine which had to change its name after losing a trademark infringement case brought by The Joseph Burnett Company. This makes the last phrase, “Beware of Counterfeits” ironic.
Important note regarding all images on this page: Most pictures are thumbnails which are links to larger versions of the small picture. There are many images which may be slow when downloading to your computer. Please be patient as the images & text, particularly from an expanding thumbnail image, is more clearly viewed and read. Copy of this ad thanks to Don Fadely from his book “Hair Raising Stories”. (see http://www.hairraisingstories.com) and The National Cyclopedia of American Biography.
phalon & son’s cocoine or cocin bottle According to Don Fadely; “The bottle is rectangular, 5 1/8", square top, no panels, O.P., aqua, side: "PHALON & SON" front: "PERFUMER'S" side: "NEW YORK".
“This bottle
is the only one that I know contained Cocin. It originally had a label on it. It
is very likely that some of the larger bottles embossed Phalon & Son -
Perfumer's were also for this product.” (see
http://www.hairraisingstories.com).
New York Times article from October 24, 1860 involving the trademark name, cocoaine
Burnett’s Kalliston or oriental water (from the new york times)
Burnett’s oriental tooth wash (from the new york times)
TESTIMONIAL ABOUT THE USE OF BURNETT’S KALLISTON FROM “HIS FIRST SHAVE” Minnesota Pioneer Sketches; from the personal recollections and observations of a pioneer resident from the Library of Congress, from pages 169 thru 172. This is interesting for the recollections of a young man from pre-Civil War (Anti-Bellum) days. ”I never pass the home of our respected townsman, Ralph Grey, that I do not recall my first experience in trying to get a shave. In the early history of our city--the East Side--Mr. Grey, its pioneer barber, was the proprietor of the Tremont House barber shop, located not far from the Hennepin Island bridge. At the time I was serving a four-year's apprenticeship with Charles Crawford, learning the drug business. His place was at the end of the East Side bridge on Central avenue, and it was while making putty, charging soda-fountains, filling narrow-necked bottles with cold castor oil, according to instructions given by my employer, that, without such instructions, I was informing myself surreptitiously, as it were, not only as to what was the most effective compound in the pharmacopoeia for the removal of freckles, but also what would produce wonders in the way of growing whiskers on the face of a 17-year-old hopeful. My meager salary of $2 a week would not justify an extravagant use of money, so I was anxious to gain all possible knowledge of the comparative merits of the "remedies" advertised. After satisfying myself that Burnett's Kalliston was just the thing to remove the freckles, I purchased a bottle for one dollar--less 33 per cent.--while for a luxuriant, glossy beard I decided in favor of Lyon's Katharion, influenced thereto by the printed matter on the wrapper, which stated that it would perform miracles, and it was "miracles" I was in quest of. This bottle cost me 35 cents, the regular discount to the trade having been allowed.” I followed directions to the letter, not stinting myself for time. theft for appropriating that which belonged legally to Mr. Crawford, and should have been spent pounding roots and herbs for spring bitters, in the old iron mortar. A little shelf in a hidden recess of the cellar way was the repository of my two precious bottles, that were to be taken when shaken. Not a soul was to be let into the secret, and I felt confident that the whole town would, in a short time be in a state of wonderment over my complexion, fair to behold, free from the iron stained blotches that now detracted from my otherwise good looks, and to which the expected chin and lip decorations would give a pleasing addition. These two preparations, vigorously applied daily, gave to my face the appearance of having been agitated by a nutmeg grater; I do not mean by this the whole of my face, but only that portion where the prospective crop of whiskers was expected to present itself. I had put considerable stress upon an imperial and mustache, as I thought these would give me a look "quite foreign"--"Frenchy," in fact. The first bottle of Kalliston was getting in its work in good shape, the yellow spots were dropping off like the scales from a convalescent small-pox patient; but the faintest glimmer of hope was the only support to which I could cling in the way of hirsute growth; in fact, by close inspection in a hand mirror borrowed from the showcase for that purpose, I found that "hope" was several times more prominent than "hirsute;" but I had made up my mind to "never say die," especially when there was nothing to "dye." After a month had passed slowly and anxiously by, I became conscious of an itching to visit Grey's barber shop, thinking that perhaps a good comfortable shave would be just the thing, and convincing myself that conditions were fully ripe for the barber to get in his work. The question arose in my mind, "How am I to manage to get into that barber shop unbeknown to the boys, and at the same time escape the jeers of the older ones of the community?" I revolved the matter over and over and concluded to take the noon hour, going without my dinner. In this way I hoped to escape all annoyances, as those inclined to torment me would be seated at dinner, and a safe distance away. Noontime of the eventful day came, and I donned my jacket and started for home, as my employer supposed. When within a short distance of the barber's I gathered up a few pebbles and shied them at a turtle which was having a free ride on a slab in the east side channel, at the same time keeping my weather eye focused on a certain door to make sure that I would be the only one to occupy the two chairs that graced this, to me, palace of Aladdin. When I had satisfied myself that no interlopers were present, I popped through the door, but once inside became as important as you please, hung up my hat, pulled off my jacket and hung it up. While I was doing so, Mr. Grey called out "Next!" I climbed into the big arm chair, and when the head-rest had been adjusted, slid gracefully into position and whispered, for fear some one might be within hearing distance, "Shave, please." Mr. Grey knew his business, and even if he did not crack a smile outside, there certainly must have been a wide chasm yawning within. He had no more than got the bristly whiskers toned down with soap, so they would yield to the keen blade that he had been stropping for nearly five minutes, during which time beads of perspiration were oozing from every pore of my anatomy, when open came the door, and who should enter but, "Al" Stone, the greatest wag that ever set foot on territorial soil. The situation furnished "nuts" for him. The first break he made was, "Ha, ha, ha! Well, Ralph, what's the boy got underneath all that lather? Take the back of your razor and let's find out." This was too much for me, so I said: "Mr. Grey, you misunderstood me; I only wanted my hair oiled and combed." So I slid up in the chair as easily and nonchalantly as I had slidden down shortly before, while he administered a liberal dose of "bear's oil," composed of alcohol and castor oil, colored with anchusa root and scented with bergamot. After administering a good rubbing for which he was famous, he gave me a thorough combing and clothes brushing, thus making me look like a daisy freshly plucked from the field. A five-cent "Dorman's Bank" scrip paid the bill, and I went back to the store, disappointed, of course, to work on an empty stomach and count the hours that must elapse before I could go to supper. In not more than a month from that time I was a regular customer of Mr. Grey's, with a cup and sponge in the pigeonhole. I shall never cease to be grateful to Mr. Grey for his ready grasp of the situation at a time when it was of such importance to me--the critical launching of my puny-bearded craft on the great ocean of barber-ous life. Mr. Grey still lives in Minneapolis and carries on the business begun here in pioneer days.”
FRANK G. O'BRIEN, 1860.
Jonas whitcomb’s remedy for asthma (the new york times) The article contains many testimonials.
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