r
l She haS the ChilS for three yer and he tride eve
n thang he cood her wan nothing never dun her
eny good one box of you pills brok them on her
tha ar the beSt pillS i ever Saw in
my life tha ar the beSt medeSon for the ChillS
i ever Saw an rumiteS i am giting
up a good trad i Want you to Send me Sum of
you pampletS i want you to Stop theSe oth
er agentS that iS botheran me an oblige you
rite Son.

enfield
White Co.
illS

thomaS Cathey

Sadly, we do not know how the company handled Mr. Cathey's request for
sole representation in three Illinois townships.

After the pills achieved wide recognition and other methods of
publicity, chiefly the almanacs, were well established, newspaper
advertising was terminated. An invitation to agents (about 1885)
declared that

For some years past they have not been advertised in newspapers,
they being filled with sensational advertisements of quack nostrums
got up for no other purpose than catch-penny articles ...

The Indian Root Pills obviously claimed a more lofty stature than other,
common proprietary remedies. The exclusive representation scheme was
also a partial substitution for newspaper advertising; the company was
aggressive in soliciting additional agents--aiming at one in every town
and village--and then in encouraging them to push the pills by offering
prizes such as watches, jewelry, and table utensils.[10]

[Footnote 10: In connection with this offer the pills were priced to
agents at $2 per dozen boxes--$24 per gross--and were to be retailed at
$3 per dozen--25c per box. Other agreements, however, probably intended
for more substantial dealers, specified a price of $16 per gross for the
Indian Root Pills.]

[Illustration: FIGURE 21.--Cover for booklet used as a circular
describing the Indian Root Pills.]

What were the ingredients of the Indian Root Pills and the other
Comstock preparations? Originally, the formulas for the various remedies
were regarded as closely held secrets, divulged only to proprietors and
partners--and not even to all of them--and certainly never revealed to
the purchasers. But despite this secrecy, charges of counterfeiting and
imitating popular preparations were widespread. In many cases, the
alleged counterfeits were probably genuin