Vigo County Historical Society

The following is a commercial message brought to you--circa early 1900s.

Imagine it’s 3 a.m. You can’t sleep. Your presentation for the boss is due tomorrow and you only have "Good morning" written in sweat. You head aches, your nerves are shot and your blood curdles as you picture yourself fired before you have morning coffee.

You get up.

On the way to the outhouse, you stub your toe against the wrought iron bed. You try to bite your lip, but you miss and bite your tongue instead.

The family dog, curled up at the foot of the bed, perks up his ears at your cries of pain and joins in the sing-a-long with a wailing howl that wakes the baby. Your exhausted wife sleeps on without missing a beat.

Time for the Robinson’s

Yes, Robinson’s 3-R Rheumide--guaranteed to subdue what ails you.

There has to be a bottle of it somewhere, you decide, ready to tackle the task of searching through the medicine chest near the unfinished water closet.

Taking the lamp, you venture through the dimly lit hall. You debate about what’s most important--the Rheumide or the outhouse. You opt for the pharmaceutical remedy. Finally, you reach the medicine chest. You now have a headache this big and--well, you know. . .

There it is! You’ve spotted it. Right behind. . . Yes, right behind Dr. Turnbull’s Tape Worm remedy. With anticipation you take out the box. Your eyes widen in horror. The box is empty!

Aarrghhh!

Then you wake up.

It really is time for another dose of the Robinson’s.

You bolt up in bed, sweat covering your brow. "You wouldn’t believe the nightmare I just had! I . . ."

Your wife reaches over to the bedside table. "Never you mind," she says. "The Robinson’s will put you back to sleep. It says it gets directly to your liver and your kidneys. And it’s guaranteed not to contain more than 22 percent alcohol."

She pauses, puzzling over the unknown writing on the sides of the box, and asks, "Can you read German?

"Anyway, it also claims it’ll clean your stomach and purify your blood and give you back your appetite and your nerves. Believe me, dear, it is the best remedy for your back pain and headaches. Plus, you won’t need to go to the bathroom so often. Now, there you go. Open wide . . ."

Robinson’s 3-R Rheumide. One dollar for 12 fluid ounces. Prepared and guaranteed by the Robinson Royal Remedy Company, Incorporated, Carmi, Illinois. At a druggist near you. Get some before your ills give you nightmares.

(Established 1865).

This message was brought to you by the Vigo County Historical Society, courtesy of F. Bindley, E.H. Bindley and Co. 3-R Rheumide and other pharmaceuticals on display indefinitely in the lower level of the museum.