A lot of laxatives came in these little square tins, they are around 1 5/8” square. I get the idea behind all the names except the ALB-EX...any ideas?

Two different sized Owl Drug Co. tins. This company went out of business around 1928. I like the text on the back .  

Another Owl Drug company tin, I think this one is from around 1900 or so. It is 2 1/2” x 1 3/4”, the same as the larger “Orderlies” tin to the left.

This tin is from England , it is only 1” x 2” and from around 1925 I would estimate.

This tin is 2 1/2” x 1 3/8” and from around 1900. I like how they are “for someone who wants something better than just pills” I mean, isn’t that what they are?

  I like this one, a picture of a little girl happily munching away on a piece of bowel-blowing laxative chocolate made of a bunch of banned health endangering drugs.

Notice that I have both size of the tin; the smaller one is 2 1/4” x 1 1/4 “ x 3/8”. Probably from around 1910-1920. Note the change in the manufacturer’s names.

This tin is rich in colorful language and decoration, it is from around 1910 and still full. If you look up “physic” you may get a definition but it appears the word has dropped from common usage. I like the statement “Treat the bowels wisely, they’ll do the rest.” To the right is Mr. Blackburn “The man behind the pills” but no record of him on the internet, I guess his memory lives on only on this tin.

Top left is a rare free sample tin from around 1900 & an interesting warning on the back. Notice that this used to be a “liver stimulant, strengthen the bowels, & make pure blood” and a “cure” for chronic constipation around 1900 to a “Laxative for constipation” (below) somewhere around 1920.    

CASCARETS were also around for quite a while and made by one of the most notorious quack medicine companies of the time, Sterling Products. Sterling was warned, fined, and publicly “outed” numerous times but kept coming back with differing claims to avoid prosecution.

The smallest of these tins is only 1 1/2” tall...I can’t help wonder; why bother? Note the backwards swastika (Buddhist symbol of good fortune) on the earliest of these Dr. Edwards’ tins. Obviously long before the  rise of Nazism as this symbol is often confused with Hitler’s bastardization of it.  

What...do they buy you brunch?