Book by Alex Taylor

A fascinating look at the first half century of the

Mentholatum Company.

Read about early theories of the causes of colds and the amazing treatments concocted by doctors 100 years ago.

AMAZING MENTHOLATUM

Compare your jar of Mentholatum

and see what era it came from.

The story of how one of the first menthol-based brands became a market leader by employing a uniquely honest and ethical approach to manufacturing, salesmanship, and marketing.

“By focusing on the intersection between the pharmaceutical industry and popular culture, Alex Taylor Succeeds in telling one of the great tales of American civilization - the heroic effort to conquer the common cold. Both scholarly and entertaining, crammed full with colorful and exotic detail, AMAZING MENTHOLATUM is an amazing achievement.”

Jonathan Kirsch

Los Angeles - based author, attorney,

and book review columnist

"The graphic design is outstanding, but so is the research and writing. It's a fine contribution to local history and beyond."

Craig Miner

Willard W. Garvey Distinguished

Professor of Business History,

Wichita State University

Mentholatum

Worldwide recognition

that grew into a beloved brand name.

“I loved this book.

Played out in the prairie factories of Wichita and the mint fields of Japan-and luxuriously illustrated-this is a tale of an early - twentieth - century battle royal between patent medicines, of Horatio Alger-style entrepreneurship, hucksterism and good works, vividly portrayed against a backdrop of the formative years of today’s multi - billion dollar industry devoted to the common cold as it coevolved with government regulation to curb its colorful and sometimes lethal excesses.”

George H. Caughey, MD

Chief, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine,

San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center;

Professor of Medicine, UCSF;

Investigator, Cardiovascular Research Institute