Tapeworms For Weight Loss And Other Bygone Health Ads

Emma Gray
Updated

"I apologize for letting you misinterpret what I was saying," reads one of the advertisements in the most recent Got Milk? health campaign. The campaign, which stirred up quite a bit of controversy, addressed the power of milk in treating symptoms of pre-menstrual sydrome (PMS).

Sexism aside, the campaign is clearly a product of the times, reflecting back to its audience current conceptions and research surrounding a specific health issue. The same can be said for any health advertisement or public service announcement. This got us thinking about health ads from days (and decades) gone by.

A Depression-era advertisement for Lysol illustrates the widespread myth that the disinfectant could be used for "feminine hygiene" -- a dated euphemism for birth control. An ad urging readers to "Eat! Eat! Eat! & Always Stay Thin," indicates that body issues existed long before Photoshop did.

From tapeworms for weight loss to a supposed cancer miracle cure, what can we learn from this blast from our health past?

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The Tapeworm Diet

Prophylaxis for VD

Cancer Cure?

Published 1912.
Published 1912.

Opium Antidote

Published 1874.
Published 1874.

Kidney & Liver Medicine

Published 1880.
Published 1880.

Ear Oil for Deafness

Photo Credit: Flickr: velvettangerine
Photo Credit: Flickr: velvettangerine

Schenk's Pulmonic Syrup and Mandrake Pills

Published 1875.
Published 1875.

Lysol for Feminine Hygiene

Photo Credit: Flickr: orionpozo
Photo Credit: Flickr: orionpozo

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.