Health & Medicine

The Museum's collections of medical science artifacts represent nearly all aspects of health and medical practice. Highlights include early X-ray apparatuses, such as one of Wilhelm Roentgen's tubes, penicillin mold from Alexander Fleming’s experiments, and Jonas Salk's original polio vaccine. More recent acquisitions include the first artificial heart implanted in a human, the earliest genetically engineered drugs, and materials related to David, the "Bubble Boy." Other artifacts range from artificial limbs and implant devices to bloodletting and dental instruments, beauty products, and veterinary equipment. The contents of a medieval apothecary shop and an 1890s drugstore form part of the collections, along with patent and alternative medicines. The collections also document the many differing perspectives on health and medical issues, from patients, family members, doctors, nurses, medical students, and out-of-the-mainstream health practitioners.

The popularity of “the Pill” created a new market for pharmaceutical companies. For the first time, healthy women would be taking medication for an extended period of time.
Description (Brief)
The popularity of “the Pill” created a new market for pharmaceutical companies. For the first time, healthy women would be taking medication for an extended period of time. Pill manufacturers developed unique packaging in order to distinguish their product from those of their competitors and build brand loyalty. Packaging design often incorporated a “memory aid” to assist women in tracking their daily pill regimen, as well as styled cases to allow pills to be discreetly carried in bags and purses. The National Museum of American History’s Division of Medicine and Science’s collection of oral contraceptives illustrates some of the changes that the packaging and marketing of the Pill underwent from its inception in 1960 to the present.
Parke-Davis and Company of Detroit, Michigan, manufactured this Norlutin brand oral contraceptive during the early 1960s. Norlutin was a very early progestin hormone that was synthesized from Mexican yams. The 30 white tablets are contained in a small amber glass bottle with tan label and red cap. This is a very early oral contraceptive, indicated by the high dosage (five milligrams) and lack of memory-aid packaging.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1960
maker
Parke, Davis and Company
ID Number
1985.0475.141
catalog number
1985.0475.141
accession number
1985.0475
The popularity of “the Pill” created a new market for pharmaceutical companies. For the first time, healthy women would be taking medication for an extended period of time.
Description (Brief)
The popularity of “the Pill” created a new market for pharmaceutical companies. For the first time, healthy women would be taking medication for an extended period of time. Pill manufacturers developed unique packaging in order to distinguish their product from those of their competitors and build brand loyalty. Packaging design often incorporated a “memory aid” to assist women in tracking their daily pill regimen, as well as styled cases to allow pills to be discreetly carried in bags and purses. The National Museum of American History’s Division of Medicine and Science’s collection of oral contraceptives illustrates some of the changes that the packaging and marketing of the Pill underwent from its inception in 1960 to the present.
Wyeth Laboratories of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, produced this Triphasil-21 brand oral contraceptive around 1984. The monthly dosage of 28 pills consists of 6 brown, 5 white, 10 yellow, and 7 green tablets in a blister pack housed in a grey compact case. Triphasil-21 is packaged in a purple box with the advertising slogan, “The First Oral Contraceptive Tuned to Her Timing,” and includes an instructional paper insert.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1984
maker
Wyeth Laboratories
ID Number
1988.0655.06
catalog number
1988.0655.06
accession number
1988.0655
The popularity of “the Pill” created a new market for pharmaceutical companies. For the first time, healthy women would be taking medication for an extended period of time.
Description (Brief)
The popularity of “the Pill” created a new market for pharmaceutical companies. For the first time, healthy women would be taking medication for an extended period of time. Pill manufacturers developed unique packaging in order to distinguish their product from those of their competitors and build brand loyalty. Packaging design often incorporated a “memory aid” to assist women in tracking their daily pill regimen, as well as styled cases to allow pills to be discreetly carried in bags and purses. The National Museum of American History’s Division of Medicine and Science’s collection of oral contraceptives illustrates some of the changes that the packaging and marketing of the Pill underwent from its inception in 1960 to the present.
This oral contraceptive was manufactured by the Beijing Pharmaceutical Factory in Beijing, China, in 1988. Contraceptives became important in China after the government instituted its family planning policy in 1978. The 21 pills are in a silver blister pack. Each pill contains .3 milligrams of norgestrel and .03 milligrams of ethinyl estradiol. The contraceptive pack includes an insert with instructions for use.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1988
ID Number
1989.0196.018
catalog number
1989.0196.018
accession number
1989.0196
The popularity of “the Pill” created a new market for pharmaceutical companies. For the first time, healthy women would be taking medication for an extended period of time.
Description (Brief)
The popularity of “the Pill” created a new market for pharmaceutical companies. For the first time, healthy women would be taking medication for an extended period of time. Pill manufacturers developed unique packaging in order to distinguish their product from those of their competitors and build brand loyalty. Packaging design often incorporated a “memory aid” to assist women in tracking their daily pill regimen, as well as styled cases to allow pills to be discreetly carried in bags and purses. The National Museum of American History’s Division of Medicine and Science’s collection of oral contraceptives illustrates some of the changes that the packaging and marketing of the Pill underwent from its inception in 1960 to the present.
Parke-Davis and Company of Detroit, Michigan, produced this Norlestrin Fe brand oral contraceptive around 1968. The white and olive green cardboard box contains five white and olive green paper envelopes. Each contains a blister pack refill with 28 tablets. The blister pack contained 21 yellow Norlestrin tablets and 7 iron supplements and could be inserted into the Petipac tablet dispenser.
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Parke Davis
ID Number
1985.0475.139
catalog number
1985.0475.139
accession number
1985.0475
The popularity of “the Pill” created a new market for pharmaceutical companies. For the first time, healthy women would be taking medication for an extended period of time.
Description (Brief)
The popularity of “the Pill” created a new market for pharmaceutical companies. For the first time, healthy women would be taking medication for an extended period of time. Pill manufacturers developed unique packaging in order to distinguish their product from those of their competitors and build brand loyalty. Packaging design often incorporated a “memory aid” to assist women in tracking their daily pill regimen, as well as styled cases to allow pills to be discreetly carried in bags and purses. The National Museum of American History’s Division of Medicine and Science’s collection of oral contraceptives illustrates some of the changes that the packaging and marketing of the Pill underwent from its inception in 1960 to the present.
The Ortho Pharmaceutical Corporation of Raritan, New Jersey, produced this Ortho-Novum 7/7/7 brand oral contraceptive around 1984. The monthly dosage is in a 28-pill DialPak dispenser. The 7/7/7 referred to the three weeks of 7 active pills. Each week consists of varying ratios of norethindrone and ethinyl estradiol, followed by 7 inert pills to finish the 28-day cycle. This contraceptive pack was distributed as a physician’s sample, not for sale.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1985-1988
product expiration date
1988-07
maker
Ortho Pharmaceutical Corporation
ID Number
1988.0655.04
catalog number
1988.0655.04
accession number
1988.0655
The popularity of “the Pill” created a new market for pharmaceutical companies. For the first time, healthy women would be taking medication for an extended period of time.
Description (Brief)
The popularity of “the Pill” created a new market for pharmaceutical companies. For the first time, healthy women would be taking medication for an extended period of time. Pill manufacturers developed unique packaging in order to distinguish their product from those of their competitors and build brand loyalty. Packaging design often incorporated a “memory aid” to assist women in tracking their daily pill regimen, as well as styled cases to allow pills to be discreetly carried in bags and purses. The National Museum of American History’s Division of Medicine and Science’s collection of oral contraceptives illustrates some of the changes that the packaging and marketing of the Pill underwent from its inception in 1960 to the present.
The Warner Chilcott Laboratories division of the Warner-Lambert Company from Morris Plains, New Jersey, produced this Nelova 1/35 brand oral contraceptive around 1989. The 28 pill monthly dosage is arranged in four rows of 7 pills. There are 21 yellow active pills consisting of 1 mg of norethindrone and 35 mcg of ethinyl estradiol, and 7 white pills that are inert.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1989
maker
Warner-Lambert Company. Warner Chilcott Laboratories Division
ID Number
1989.0224.024
catalog number
1989.0224.024
accession number
1989.0224
The popularity of “the Pill” created a new market for pharmaceutical companies. For the first time, healthy women would be taking medication for an extended period of time.
Description (Brief)
The popularity of “the Pill” created a new market for pharmaceutical companies. For the first time, healthy women would be taking medication for an extended period of time. Pill manufacturers developed unique packaging in order to distinguish their product from those of their competitors and build brand loyalty. Packaging design often incorporated a “memory aid” to assist women in tracking their daily pill regimen, as well as styled cases to allow pills to be discreetly carried in bags and purses. The National Museum of American History’s Division of Medicine and Science’s collection of oral contraceptives illustrates some of the changes that the packaging and marketing of the Pill underwent from its inception in 1960 to the present.
Mead Johnson & Company of Evansville, Indiana, produced this Oracon-28 brand oral contraceptive in 1974. Oracon was a 28-pill sequential oral contraceptive. The blister pack contains 16 white estrogen pills, 6 pink combination estrogen and progesterone pills, and 6 green inert pills. The monthly dosage is organized into four weekly rows of pills that are numbered 1–28.
In 1971 Mead Johnson introduced Oracon-28 as the "first 28-day sequential oral contraceptive." Advertising emphasized that the "uninterupted 28-day regimen simplifies dosage instruction, reduces risk of missed tablets."
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1974
maker
Mead Johnson and Company
ID Number
1985.0475.143
catalog number
1985.0475.143
accession number
1985.0475
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1938 - 1939
collection
Reid Drugstore
maker
American Sponge and Chamois Company
ID Number
1984.0351.318
accession number
1984.0351
catalog number
1984.0351.318
The popularity of “the Pill” created a new market for pharmaceutical companies. For the first time, healthy women would be taking medication for an extended period of time.
Description (Brief)
The popularity of “the Pill” created a new market for pharmaceutical companies. For the first time, healthy women would be taking medication for an extended period of time. Pill manufacturers developed unique packaging in order to distinguish their product from those of their competitors and build brand loyalty. Packaging design often incorporated a “memory aid” to assist women in tracking their daily pill regimen, as well as styled cases to allow pills to be discreetly carried in bags and purses. The National Museum of American History’s Division of Medicine and Science’s collection of oral contraceptives illustrates some of the changes that the packaging and marketing of the Pill underwent from its inception in 1960 to the present.
Parke-Davis and Company of Detroit, Michigan produced this Norlestrin Fe brand oral contraceptive around 1968. This olive-green plastic Petipac tablet dispenser contains a blister pack with 28 tablets. The blister pack organizes the monthly pill regimen into weekly rows, with three rows of 7 yellow Norlestrin tablets and one row of 7 brown pills (iron supplements). The inside top of the compact has a space for the prescription label, and a place to record the first day of the pill regimen.
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Parke-Davis and Company
ID Number
1985.0475.140
catalog number
1985.0475.140
accession number
1985.0475
The popularity of “the Pill” created a new market for pharmaceutical companies. For the first time, healthy women would be taking medication for an extended period of time.
Description (Brief)
The popularity of “the Pill” created a new market for pharmaceutical companies. For the first time, healthy women would be taking medication for an extended period of time. Pill manufacturers developed unique packaging in order to distinguish their product from those of their competitors and build brand loyalty. Packaging design often incorporated a “memory aid” to assist women in tracking their daily pill regimen, as well as styled cases to allow pills to be discreetly carried in bags and purses. The National Museum of American History’s Division of Medicine and Science’s collection of oral contraceptives illustrates some of the changes that the packaging and marketing of the Pill underwent from its inception in 1960 to the present.
The Warner Chilcott Laboratories division of the Warner-Lambert Company from Morris Plains, New Jersey, produced this Nelova .5/35 brand oral contraceptive around 1989. The 28-pill monthly dosage is arranged in four rows of 7 pills. There are 21 yellow active pills consisting of .5 mg of norethindrone and 35 mcg of ethinyl estradiol, and 7 white pills that are inert.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1989
maker
Warner-Lambert Company. Warner Chilcott Laboratories Division
ID Number
1989.0224.023
catalog number
1989.0224.023
accession number
1989.0224
The popularity of “the Pill” created a new market for pharmaceutical companies. For the first time, healthy women would be taking medication for an extended period of time.
Description (Brief)
The popularity of “the Pill” created a new market for pharmaceutical companies. For the first time, healthy women would be taking medication for an extended period of time. Pill manufacturers developed unique packaging in order to distinguish their product from those of their competitors and build brand loyalty. Packaging design often incorporated a “memory aid” to assist women in tracking their daily pill regimen, as well as styled cases to allow pills to be discreetly carried in bags and purses. The National Museum of American History’s Division of Medicine and Science’s collection of oral contraceptives illustrates some of the changes that the packaging and marketing of the Pill underwent from its inception in 1960 to the present.
Lexis Pharmaceuticals of Austin, Texas, produced this N.E.E. 1/35 brand oral contraceptive around 1988. The 21-pill monthly dosage is in a blister pack arranged in three weekly rows of seven pills. The columns are labeled with the days of the week. The blister pack slips into a grey plastic sleeve. N.E.E. was a generic prescription. This object is a promotional pack that was mailed to doctors. It includes a booklet that introduces the new pill with “added physician and patient value” and calls itself “The OC brand for today’s generation.”
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1988
maker
Lexis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Schering Canada, Inc.
ID Number
1988.0655.12
catalog number
1988.0655.12
accession number
1988.0655
The popularity of “the Pill” created a new market for pharmaceutical companies. For the first time, healthy women would be taking medication for an extended period of time.
Description (Brief)
The popularity of “the Pill” created a new market for pharmaceutical companies. For the first time, healthy women would be taking medication for an extended period of time. Pill manufacturers developed unique packaging in order to distinguish their product from those of their competitors and build brand loyalty. Packaging design often incorporated a “memory aid” to assist women in tracking their daily pill regimen, as well as styled cases to allow pills to be discreetly carried in bags and purses. The National Museum of American History’s Division of Medicine and Science’s collection of oral contraceptives illustrates some of the changes that the packaging and marketing of the Pill underwent from its inception in 1960 to the present.
The Beijing Pharmaceutical Factory in Beijing, China, produced these oral contraceptive pills around 1988. The 22 blue pills are in a silver blister pack. Manufacturers that used 22 pills did so because they thought that it was easier to remember to take the first pill next week on the same day as your last pill the week before. These pills include a comprehensive pamphlet detailing directions for use.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1988
ID Number
1989.0196.215
catalog number
1989.0196.215
accession number
1989.0196
The popularity of “the Pill” created a new market for pharmaceutical companies. For the first time, healthy women would be taking medication for an extended period of time.
Description (Brief)
The popularity of “the Pill” created a new market for pharmaceutical companies. For the first time, healthy women would be taking medication for an extended period of time. Pill manufacturers developed unique packaging in order to distinguish their product from those of their competitors and build brand loyalty. Packaging design often incorporated a “memory aid” to assist women in tracking their daily pill regimen, as well as styled cases to allow pills to be discreetly carried in bags and purses. The National Museum of American History’s Division of Medicine and Science’s collection of oral contraceptives illustrates some of the changes that the packaging and marketing of the Pill underwent from its inception in 1960 to the present.
Wyeth Laboratories of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, manufactured these oral contraceptives during the late 20th century. The logo of the “blue lady” taking her pill adorned all U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) oral contraceptive packages that were distributed to worldwide family planning programs. Compared to other oral contraceptives of the time, these USAID pills are packaged very simply, lacking any kind of discreet container or memory aid. The "blue lady" packaging was introduced in the late 1960s in order to standardize packaging, provide three months supply in one package, and to provide adequate protection for the pills in tropical conditions. This packet contains three cycles of 28 pills, with 21 white hormonal tablets and 7 tablets of iron supplements.
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Wyeth Laboratories
ID Number
1982.0531.040
accession number
1982.0531
catalog number
1982.0531.040
The popularity of “the Pill” created a new market for pharmaceutical companies. For the first time, healthy women would be taking medication for an extended period of time.
Description (Brief)
The popularity of “the Pill” created a new market for pharmaceutical companies. For the first time, healthy women would be taking medication for an extended period of time. Pill manufacturers developed unique packaging in order to distinguish their product from those of their competitors and build brand loyalty. Packaging design often incorporated a “memory aid” to assist women in tracking their daily pill regimen, as well as styled cases to allow pills to be discreetly carried in bags and purses. The National Museum of American History’s Division of Medicine and Science’s collection of oral contraceptives illustrates some of the changes that the packaging and marketing of the Pill underwent from its inception in 1960 to the present.
Eli Lilly and Company of Indianapolis, Indiana produced this C-Quens brand oral contraceptive around 1965. The paper package is folded matchbook-style with directions and blister pack inside. The pills are laid out to represent a calendar, with 15 white 80 mcg Mestranol tablets, and 5 peach colored tablets that are 80 mcg Mestranol with 2 mg of chlormadinone acetate.
The FDA approved C-Quens for marketing in May,1965. The pills were withdrawn from the market in October, 1970 after tests on dogs suggested that the synthetic progesterone used in the pills, chlormadinone acetate, may increase the risk of breast cancer.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1965
maker
Eli Lilly and Company
ID Number
1982.0531.011
catalog number
1982.0531.011
accession number
1982.0531
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are:Hy-Gen-Ol will be found effective as a deodorantCurrently not on view
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are:
Hy-Gen-Ol will be found effective as a deodorant
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1938
maker
Allan and Company
ID Number
1985.0475.611
accession number
1985.0475
catalog number
1985.0475.611
The popularity of “the Pill” created a new market for pharmaceutical companies. For the first time, healthy women would be taking medication for an extended period of time.
Description (Brief)
The popularity of “the Pill” created a new market for pharmaceutical companies. For the first time, healthy women would be taking medication for an extended period of time. Pill manufacturers developed unique packaging in order to distinguish their product from those of their competitors and build brand loyalty. Packaging design often incorporated a “memory aid” to assist women in tracking their daily pill regimen, as well as styled cases to allow pills to be discreetly carried in bags and purses. The National Museum of American History’s Division of Medicine and Science’s collection of oral contraceptives illustrates some of the changes that the packaging and marketing of the Pill underwent from its inception in 1960 to the present.
The G. D. Searle Company of Chicago, Illinois, produced these Enovid 5-milligram tablets for the drug's clinical trials in the late1950s. The oral contraceptive was originally tested in a 10-milligram dose, but when many women experienced unpleasant side effects the dosage was dropped to 5-milligrams. Before the introduction of "memory aid" packaging, Enovid was dispensed in 20 tablet vials. This sample was donated to the Smithsonian by the Margaret Sanger Center of New York City.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1955-1960
maker
G. D. Searle and Company
ID Number
1982.0531.032
catalog number
1982.0531.032
accession number
1982.0531
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Stillman Company
ID Number
1985.0481.440
accession number
1985.0481
catalog number
1985.0481.440
This condom was distributed by the Health Education Resource Organization (HERO) of Baltimore, Maryland during the late 20th century.
Description
This condom was distributed by the Health Education Resource Organization (HERO) of Baltimore, Maryland during the late 20th century. HERO was established in 1986 as a community-based organization to combat the spread of AIDS.
The single foil-wrapped condom is enclosed in a purple cardboard envelope with white text on the cover that reads “De ser macho es usar condones” (to be manly is to use condoms). The text on the inside upper of the envelope reads “Protégete y protége a tú pareja” (Protect yourself and your partner. The back of the envelope reads Hero/Health Education Resource Organization/945-AIDS/Baltimore Metro/251-1164/DC Metro/1-800-638-6252/Elsewhere in MD/HERO, 101 West Read Street, Suite 812, Baltimore, Maryland, 21201.
date made
ca 1987
ID Number
1988.0207.02
accession number
1988.0207
catalog number
1988.0207.02
The popularity of “the Pill” created a new market for pharmaceutical companies. For the first time, healthy women would be taking medication for an extended period of time.
Description (Brief)
The popularity of “the Pill” created a new market for pharmaceutical companies. For the first time, healthy women would be taking medication for an extended period of time. Pill manufacturers developed unique packaging in order to distinguish their product from those of their competitors and build brand loyalty. Packaging design often incorporated a “memory aid” to assist women in tracking their daily pill regimen, as well as styled cases to allow pills to be discreetly carried in bags and purses. The National Museum of American History’s Division of Medicine and Science’s collection of oral contraceptives illustrates some of the changes that the packaging and marketing of the Pill underwent from its inception in 1960 to the present.
The Ortho Pharmaceutical Corporation of Raritan, New Jersey, produced this Ortho-Novum 7/7/7 brand oral contraceptive around 1984. The monthly dosage is in a 21-pill DialPak dispenser. The 7/7/7 referred to the three weeks of 7 active pills. Each week consists of varying ratios of norethindrone and ethinyl estradiol. This monthly regimen consists of only 21 pills, omitting the 7 inert pills at the end of the month. The contraceptive pack was distributed as a physician’s sample, not for sale.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1984
product expiration date
1988-07
maker
Ortho Pharmaceutical Corporation
ID Number
1988.0655.05
catalog number
1988.0655.05
accession number
1988.0655
This box of twelve, individually wrapped Sheik brand condoms made by Julius Schmid Inc. It was sent to druggists for sale during the 1930s.Sheik condoms derived their name and imagery from the best-selling novel and wildly popular film, The Sheik (1921).
Description
This box of twelve, individually wrapped Sheik brand condoms made by Julius Schmid Inc. It was sent to druggists for sale during the 1930s.
Sheik condoms derived their name and imagery from the best-selling novel and wildly popular film, The Sheik (1921). Both the film and novel centered on the subjugation and rape of a Western woman by a stereotypical Arabic sheik. In sharp contrast to how viewers today see the film and its plot, The Sheik played to sold-out audiences across the country. Rudolph Valentino, who played the title role, became Hollywood's first sex symbol. There's no evidence that Valentino used or even directly promoted Sheik condoms but the simple suggestion of his association with the product underscored the idea that great lovers used Sheik condoms.
In 1872, the Comstock Act had prohibited interstate commerce in obscene literature and immoral material. Condoms and other forms of birth control fell under the category of “immoral material.” As forbidden material, condoms were rarely advertised openly. However, during the early twentieth century, rising concerns about gonorrhea and syphilis led a growing number of public health advocates to call for condoms to be sold to prevent disease. In 1918, a court case in New York, (The People of the State of New York v Margaret H. Sanger) clarified that existing penal codes allowed physicians to prescribe condoms to prevent disease. Named after Judge Frederick Crane who wrote the opinion in the case, the Crane decision opened the door for condom manufacturers to openly advertise and sell condoms, provided they were sold as a disease preventative.
Throughout most of the twentieth century, Julius Schmid, Inc. dominated the condom market. An immigrant from Germany, Schmid was one of the first American manufacturers to use a “cold-cure cement” technique to make condoms. Workers at his factory dipped a glass mold into liquified rubber to create a sheath. The sheath was then vulcanized or hardened at a high temperature, enabling it to retain its shape.
Schmid’s condoms were not only standardized, they were also tested to ensure that they had no tears or holes. While cheap untested condoms were often sold on the street, Schmid made a point to sell his more expensive condoms in drug stores, a tactic which underscored his claim that his condoms were sold “only for protection against disease.” Aggressive marketing, combined with Schmid’s ability to move quickly when laws regulating condom manufacturing and distribution changed, were central to the company’s success.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
c. 1930 - 1950
1930 - 1950
date made
ca 1930s - 1950s
collection
Reid Drugstore
maker
Julius Schmid, Inc.
ID Number
1984.0351.266
accession number
1984.0351
catalog number
1984.0351.266
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Stillman Company
ID Number
1985.0481.439
accession number
1985.0481
catalog number
1985.0481.439
The popularity of “the Pill” created a new market for pharmaceutical companies. For the first time, healthy women would be taking medication for an extended period of time.
Description (Brief)
The popularity of “the Pill” created a new market for pharmaceutical companies. For the first time, healthy women would be taking medication for an extended period of time. Pill manufacturers developed unique packaging in order to distinguish their product from those of their competitors and build brand loyalty. Packaging design often incorporated a “memory aid” to assist women in tracking their daily pill regimen, as well as styled cases to allow pills to be discreetly carried in bags and purses. The National Museum of American History’s Division of Medicine and Science’s collection of oral contraceptives illustrates some of the changes that the packaging and marketing of the Pill underwent from its inception in 1960 to the present.
Berlex Laboratories, Inc. of Wayne, New Jersey, produced this Tri-Leven 28 brand oral contraceptive around 1985. The monthly dosage of 28 pills consists of 6 brown, 5 white, 10 yellow, and 7 green tablets in a blister pack. The blister pack is contained in a grey compact case. Included in the physician’s sample was a booklet entitled “What you should know about your new oral contraceptive” that has a profile image of a woman with flowers in her hair on the cover.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1985
maker
Berlex Laboratories, Inc.
ID Number
1988.0655.07
catalog number
1988.0655.07
accession number
1988.0655
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are:For feminine cleanliness; as a doucheCurrently not on view
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are:
For feminine cleanliness; as a douche
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1936
maker
Chattanooga Medicine Company
ID Number
1985.0475.603
accession number
1985.0475
catalog number
1985.0475.603
The popularity of “the Pill” created a new market for pharmaceutical companies. For the first time, healthy women would be taking medication for an extended period of time.
Description (Brief)
The popularity of “the Pill” created a new market for pharmaceutical companies. For the first time, healthy women would be taking medication for an extended period of time. Pill manufacturers developed unique packaging in order to distinguish their product from those of their competitors and build brand loyalty. Packaging design often incorporated a “memory aid” to assist women in tracking their daily pill regimen, as well as styled cases to allow pills to be discreetly carried in bags and purses. The National Museum of American History’s Division of Medicine and Science’s collection of oral contraceptives illustrates some of the changes that the packaging and marketing of the Pill underwent from its inception in 1960 to the present.
The Warner-Lambert Pharmaceutical Company of Morris Plains, New Jersey, produced this oral contraceptive around 1972. The dispenser contains 35 pills of .3-milligrams of Quingestanol Acetate, a progestogen. The front of the dispenser is unlabeled. A slit displays the day of the week and a tab can be lifted to extract the daily pill. The back bears directions and information for the user.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1972
maker
Warner-Lambert Pharmaceutical Company
ID Number
1982.0531.038
accession number
1982.0531
catalog number
1982.0531.038

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