OP: Mrs. Winslow's Domestic Receipt Book for 1871

Jeremiah Curtis & Sons, 1871. Paperback. Good.

“Are you disturbed at night?...If so, go at once and get a bottle of Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup.”

Indeed, nothing soothes like large doses of morphine and alcohol, which were the two main ingredients in this cure-all for fussy, sickly children.

Issued annually between 1860 and 1879, Mrs. Winslow’s Domestic Receipt Book used recipes and household tips as a vehicle to advertise Curtis & Brown pharmaceutical products. The Soothing Syrup—which purportedly relieved ailments like digestive distress, teething pain, and colic—unsurprisingly, is the most infamous, as its primary ingredients, high dosage, and marketing to children occasionally had fatal results.

Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup remained in production from 1845 to 1930 with approximately 1.5 million bottles sold annually.

Our copy of the slim pamphlet (6.25” x 3.75”) is from 1871 and shows some chipping and creasing about the edges. Some tears were previously repaired with tape or stitched together with thread. Flimsy stock requires delicate handling. Dozens of recipes to be found among the advertisements.

“The mother finds a faithful friend in Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup. Perfectly reliable and harmless.”