VapoRub is intended for use on the chest, back and throat for cough suppression or on muscles and joints for minor aches and pains. Here is another message from a visitor to this website: I went to this site 2 months ago in a desperate attempt to cure my toenail fungus that I acquired at least 5 years ago. Richardsons salve a strong-smelling ointment combining menthol, camphor, oil of eucalyptus, and several other oils, blended in a base of petroleum jelly was a chest-soothing, cough-suppressing, head-clearing sensation. Daniel Olivas made sure that when he left for college back in the 1970s, he took his VapoRub with him. Some of the essential oils in this venerable product have antifungal properties and their synergistic action may account for its benefit. Boxley, Paul. I rubbed the bottom of my feet and put on some clean white cotton athletic socks. Another version of the story suggests that all three of the Richardson children caught bad colds at the same time, and Richardson, dissatisfied with the traditional treatment of the day, which included poultices and a vapor lamp, spent hours at his pharmacy developing his own treatment. His new policy required that customers pay their bills in full every month. Richardson saw the need for affordable treatments that worked. Rachel Herz, a cognitive neuroscientist at Brown University, thinks its strong scent might play a role. The widespread popularity of Vicks Salve brought many changes to Richardsons life. Bearnaiserestaurant.com 2022. Some of the medicines had serious side effects that made people sicker than the original illness! GreensboroHistory.Org http://www.greensborohistory.org/archives/mss/html/MssColl-055--Richards NCMarkers: https://www.ncdcr.gov/about/history/division-historical-resources/nc-hig North Carolina History Project: http://www.northcarolinahistory.org/encyclopedia/444/entry, Vicks Company Timeline: http://www.vicks.com/about/timeline/. Vicks VapoStick | Vicks Others have dressed up as the iconic Vicks container for Halloween or celebrated moms birthday with a cake in its image. Later named VapoRub, it was created by Lunsford Richardson out of love and concern for his sick son. Scavenger hunt starts at San Diego libraries, Man wanted in fatal City Heights shooting arrested in Arizona, Pedestrian, 50, killed by two hit-and-run drivers in Spring Valley identified. He used his knowledge of Latin to understand the names on the bottles of medicine and researched the drugs to find out which ones would best treat his customers symptoms. And by all accounts, necessity was the key to its success. In 1918, the Spanish flu sent sales soaring, from $900,000 to $2.9 million in a single year. When Longoria asked scholars about the fascination with VapoRub, one suggested the subject might make a good doctoral dissertation. We don't know how Barraza pulled this off. While visiting his sister near Selma in 1880, Richardson bought a small drugstore for $450. Why didnt Richardson by all accounts a creative inventor and smart businessman ever become as famous as those vapors packed into the familiar squat blue jar? His writing has won numerous state, regional, and national awards. If I say to someone, Hey, bring me El Vah-po-ru! theyll know exactly what I'm talking about.. Several people who commented on the social media posts seemed surprised to discover that a black man may have created folk medicine. Daniel Olivas, 59, doesn't recall protesting as a kid. After reading our column, he started treating his toes around the nails with a generous application of Vicks twice a day. Just as he had reached his familys porch, a sharp icicle broke off the gutter and landed straight on his head. This old-fashioned salve has been used for more than a century to ease chest congestion. He began selling it in 1876 and it quickly became popular for its ability to relieve cold and flu symptoms. One man reported that severe nail fungus had plagued him for years. Blasphemy! declared Latina magazine. After graduating from Davidson College with a degree in Latin in 1875, Richardson began to work with his brother-in-law, Dr. Joshua Vick, at Vick's drug-manufacturing company in Selma. Vicks salve has been around for over 100 years. As a child, Lane worked in the home of his slave, Sherwood Haywood, in Raleigh. Selma native invented Vicks Vapo Rub. Mary Lynn grew up in Greensboro, the daughter of First Presbyterian Church pastor Jacob Henry Smith and his wife, Mary. ), Old advertising spoke of the Romance of the Little Blue Jar with ingredients from strange, far-distant lands: menthol from Japan, camphor from the jungles of Formosa, still the haunt of untamed, savage head-hunters.. While running the pharmacy, Richardson began developing new cold remedies for the Vicks Family Remedies Company, owned by his brother-in-law, Joshua Vick. They use it for tennis elbow or seborrheic dermatitis around the nose and eyebrows as well as severe dandruff on the scalp. Warts: Dab Vicks on the wart, cover with duct tape, and it may fall off in a few days. What is known, though, is that Lunsford Richardson created a medicinal marvel for the ages, the likes of which may never be equaled. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times), A historic oil platform off Santa Barbara turns into a rusty ghost ship, Would you risk your life for a truffle? 'Vivaporu': For many Latinos, memories of Vicks VapoRub are as strong Meanwhile, Richardson intensified his marketing efforts by providing free goods to druggists who placed large orders and publishing coupons for free samples in newspapers. The bottom of my nail is coming in, a beautiful whitish pink and the ugly yellow/blue/black thick nail is only at the very tip of the nail now (when it was all the way to the cuticle before). The Davidson connection to Vicks is more than just historical. Vicks VapoStick Solid Balm is formulated with the same aroma and sensation you know and trust, to give you the soothing Vicks vapors you've come to expect. Vicks has always been a family of brands for your entire family. The Story of Vicks VapoRub | Our State And many think of the sticky, stinky menthol goop as their own, even though its used around the world. So why is Vicks Vaporub banned in these countries? In the summer when sales would dip for the cold remedy, Vicks placed ads in newspapers promoting alternative uses: boils, bee stings, frostbite, headaches, poison oak, even distemper in horses. This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. With the blue jar, they help a blind man see, a paralyzed boy walk, a man heal from a gunshot wound. The product has been around for over 100 years and is used by millions of people every year. More than twenty years passed from the time Lunsford sold the first jars of VapoRub to the salves appearance on drugstore shelves across the country. They are surprised at how fast it works and that it doesnt hurt when you apply it.. Many have stories of Vicks VapoRub from childhood, but among many Latinos the gooey salve is close to legendary. The Vicks plant in Greensboro operated around the clock, and salesmen were pulled off the road to help at the manufacturing facility in an effort to keep up with demand. (February 2017) Vicks is an American brand of over-the-counter medications owned by the American companies Procter & Gamble and Helen of Troy Limited. History of Vick's VapoRub. Some people still hold that Vicks VapoRub helps in those cases. Located at https://www.flickr.com/photos/lobstar/2681349433/. Since the ointment was invented as a croup and pneumonia cure by a North Carolina pharmacist more than a century ago, many have relied on the little blue jar to solve all sorts of problems: athletes foot, stretch marks, stomach aches, earaches. I keep a jar on my desk that everyone uses. I had this cold, waxy Vivaporu sandwich on top of my little fro, he said. Vicks Vapor Rub is a popular over-the-counter product that is often used to relieve congestion and cold symptoms. In 1905 he sold the wholesale drug company and founded Vicks Family Remedies Company, which became Richardson-Merrell Inc, and later Richardson Vicks Inc. In 1880, he moved to Selma to work with his physician brother-in-law, Dr. Vick. Shes included the product in several studies about the powerful memories that smells evoke. In 1911, Richardsons son Smith, by now a successful salesman for his fathers company, recommended discontinuing all of the companys products except for Vicks Magic Croup Salve. Please submit permission requests for other Bake for 25-35 minutes, until puffed and golden. The man pictured in the viral meme is actually named Lunsford Lane, a. A divided Supreme Court has struck down affirmative action in college admissions, declaring race cannot be a factor and forcing institutions of higher education to look for new ways to achieve diverse student bodies, To me and to a lot of folks, obviously we feel that they probably already had a decision in mind, said one district employee and union leader. Home; . In 1898, he sold his drugstore and formed Lunsford Richardson Wholesale Drug company, one of only 4 wholesale drug companies in North Carolina. Lunsford bought a drugstore in Selma where he concocted and sold a menthol-laced ointment for "croupy" babies that he labeled "Vick's" in honor of Dr. Joshua W. Vick, his brother-in-law who helped him get established in business. What Is Vicks VapoRub Good For? - Verywell Health The company continued its national growth, and the flu epidemic of 1918-19 made VapoRub a household name. The founder of Vicks: Lunsford Richardson (1854-1919) - PubMed Dexcom, a San Diego maker of glucose monitors, says its latest wearable device is designed for people with Type 2 diabetes who dont use insulin, which is about 70 percent of Americans living with diabetes. Some telenovela actors even rub it on their eyes to bring about tears. According to company and family lore, Richardson initially dubbed his promising new product Richardsons Croup and Pneumonia Cure Salve. In 2017, a man who was accused of attempting to sell 2,000 containers of fake Vicks VapoRub across Illinois and Wisconsin did not escape attention. The man pictured in the viral meme is actually named Lunsford Lane, a. At age ten, he watched as the Union Armyled by General William Tecumseh Sherman raided his home during the Civil War. Richardson invented a lot of remedies in the 1890s, but the one that clicked was Vicks Magic Croup Salve, created to help people breathe better when they had colds. He sold the 21 Vicks products as well as other drugs. Greensboro Historical Museum Many people have memories of Vicks VapoRub from childhood. Daniel Olivas, 59, doesn't recall protesting as a kid. Users of VapoRub often apply it immediately before sleep. He said from his experience the best results came from VicksVaporub. It was during his time working as a pharmacist that Richardson came up with the idea for Vicks Vaporub. Tomlin has been a features writer and columnist for the High Point Enterprise since 1990. For three days, Diaz went to school smeared with menthol and eucalyptus. The dermatologist advised him to live with it. The herbs and essential oils in Vicks VapoRub make it as popular today as it was a century ago. Richardson named his new creation for his brother-in-law Dr. Joshua Vick. She said VapoRub often brought up flashbacks that were positive, not of feeling sick, but of being cared for and being soothed.. He combined menthol with the ingredients found in most cough and cold medications. With a flexible spatula, remove strata to, Pharmacist Lunsford Richardson made Vicks a household name throughout the nation, but his popular product did not do the same for him. Roots Our History: The Story of VapoRub - Greensboro News and Record But when he rubbed the cream on his chest just as his mother always had done, it didnt feel the same. He returned to Johnston County and taught school, but it wasnt long before the young mans love of chemistry got the best of him. With only $600 in savings, he wanted a fresh start and a career that combined his interests in chemistry and Latin. Although the bottle warns against applying Vicks to wounds, one reader reports that it is great for paper cuts: It works better than aloe or anything else I have used. Maybe it was simply a tradition passed from one generation to the next. Others scoop it into their coffee or their tea. The company that makes Vicks, Procter & Gamble, began marketing it as a cough suppressant in the 1950s. ), Old advertising spoke of the Romance of the Little Blue Jar with ingredients from strange, far-distant lands: menthol from Japan, camphor from the jungles of Formosa, still the haunt of untamed, savage head-hunters.. In 2017, the WNYC radio reporter and producer decided to dig into the topic a little. In 1905 he sold the wholesale drug company and founded Vicks Family Remedies Company, which became Richardson-Merrell Inc, and later Richardson Vicks Inc. Unable to afford a full four years of college, he studied hard and completed his degree in only three years. combined into an ointment at levels in which they can deliver soothing, medicated vapors that last for up to 8 hours. Here are a few of their stories. He first called it Richardsons Magic Croup and Pneumonia Cure Salve, then Vicks Magic Salve, and finally Vicks VapoRub, after his doctor brother-in-law. We thought it was ludicrous. Vicks has since become one of the most popular over-the-counter medications in the world. Although Vicks VapoRub has many benefits, it may not be safe for . It was first introduced in the late 1800s by Lunsford Richardson, who developed it from a similar product called Mentholatum. Richardsons version of the product contained menthol, camphor, eucalyptus oil, and other ingredients. She interviewed dozens of people, but in the end found the best tale right at home: with her Cuban grandmother. The menthol-y, eucalyptus-y scent was embedded into my grandparents' bedroom; if the door was propped open even a few inches, the smell would waft into the hallway. Years later, Diaz, whos now a freelance producer in New York, was amused to find that so many other Latinos he knew Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, Colombians had VapoRub stories. There are poems, essays, video spoofs, rap songs, scenes in Latino-themed TV shows . These were typically the same forms of mustard and mint products that had been used for over 5000 years. Put on the Suit: A KENS 5 Special (June 24, 2023), SA Anchor: SAPD Chief McManus discusses a number of high-profile violent crimes, causes and response, Dallas Police are looking for drivers who may have been in the area of the fatal hit and run, Missing Hitchcock teenager has been found safe in Missouri, police say, VA Secretary Visits San Antonio To Promote PACT Act To Help Veterans Exposed To Toxic Waste, exas AG Ken Paxtons impeachment could heavily impact 2024 election. Our State Magazine 2023, All rights reserved. Accessed March 6, 2012. Procter & Gamble, now its parent company, did not return requests for comment, but the company website and Vicks hotline emphasize that users stick to the recommended uses listed on the label. experiment with other ingredients. Originally named "Vicks Family Remedies" our most sought after product was Croup & Pneumonia Salve. This Black inventor didn't create Vicks VapoRub like viral meme claims By Ashley Kaufman. Growing up in Connecticut, Michael Diaz remembers his Dominican parents put VapoRub on acne, scrapes, cuts, bruises. Online, there are countless tributes to its mighty powers. The Wonders of Vicks VapoRub: Perhaps the most versatile of all is Vicks VapoRub. February 28, 2023 | Joseph Hebert In 1853, Lunsford Richardson invented a product called "Vicks Croup and Pneumonia Salve". When Olivas caught a cold as a child, he recalls, his mother pulled the blue jar from the medicine cabinet, slathered the ointment on his chest and put him to bed in a haze of eucalyptus. According to family legend, he had traveled in France where he observed the use of menthol, an exotic ingredient from Japan. You can cancel at any time. So, there is no conflict of interest, just interesting uses for an old product. And whatever success those products attained, they got there standing on the broad shoulders of Richardson. Reluctantly, Richardson accepted a teaching position at a local school. His company went on to market the ointment in England, Mexico and Central and South America, then dozens of other countries. Daniel Olivas made sure that when he left for college back in the 1970s, he took his VapoRub with him. To make enough medicine, he made his factory larger and mechanized the manufacturing and packaging process. Others have dressed up as the iconic Vicks container for Halloween or celebrated moms birthday with a cake in its image. He had no family in the U.S., where he had spent half his life, and his only visitors were other day laborers. Online, there are countless tributes to its mighty powers. VERNON, CA, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2019 - Curious pigs look out on dozens of people as they approach with water and comforting words on approach to the gates of the Farmer John processing plant. Ashley Kaufman is a freelance writer based in Charlotte. Remove from oven, and let stand for 5 minutes. Home This Black inventor didn't create Vicks VapoRub like viral meme claims, but he was a successful businessman who purchased his own freedom. On December 30, 1854, Lunsford Richardson, inventor of Vicks VapoRub, was born in Johnston County. This article is from Tar Heel Junior Historian, published In the 1920s, Vicks salesmen went door to door handing out coupons in small towns in Bolivia. According to legend, Lunsford Richardson, the man who created Vicks VapoRub, was once asked by a friend how he knew that the product worked. Because of these risks, the FDA has issued a warning against using Vicks Vapor Rub on children under 2 years old. lol. If I say to someone, Hey, bring me El Vah-po-ru! theyll know exactly what I'm talking about, said Luciano Roldan, 78, of El Sereno, who has been rubbing VapoRub all over, including up his nose, since he was a kid in the countryside of El Salvador. His dad, Jose, raced to grab the Vivaporu. Para leer esta nota en espaol, haga clic aqu. He created Hvacbuster to share his knowledge and decade of experiences with people who dont have any prior knowledge about these devices. Read more:https://www.verifythis.com/article/news/verify/memes/meme-falsely-claims-black-man-invented-vicks-vaporub-lunsford-richardson-lunsford-lane/536-2b008eda-46a7-4a36-8916-d8b8f2dcfcdf------------------------------At VERIFY, we're answering your questions about what's true and false. For many, a trip to the beach isnt the same without a detour through Wayne County to one of North Carolinas iconic barbecue restaurants. He also suggested renaming the salve Vicks VapoRub, according to the companys history timeline, to help dramatize the products performance. Richardson agreed, and a century later, the names still the same. She also worked as a freelance researcher for the Greensboro Historical Museum. The L. Richardson Drug Company was a wholesale drug business that sold medicines to drugstores throughout the state. He was a man of great intellect and talent, says Linda Evans, community historian for the Greensboro Historical Museum, which has an exhibit devoted to Richardson and Vicks. In Greensboro, N.C., there are several homages to Lunsford Richardson, the pharmacist whose salve caught on and spread. After the embargo cut off the conduit to American products, Longorias grandma couldnt get her Vickisito for years. Although Vicks Salve began as a simple home remedy, it soon became a household name. Richardsons traveling salesmen would post ads on barns, trees and automobiles. I do agree with the reports I have read though. Longoria always thought her abuelas use of VapoRub was an American thing. In 2012, he and a few friends decided to make a Vivaporu rap video and upload it on YouTube. His dream of Vicks becoming a worldwide company came true, but the little blue jars home will always be in Greensboro. Eldest son Smith joined Vicks to help his father in 1907, bringing sales and marketing expertise honed in New York City. Yes, its true! Richardson was inspired by a similar product that had been created by medical student John Sevier in the 1860s. How many hours of gameplay is Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc? | Website by Web Publisher PRO, A Year-Round Guide to Franklin and Nantahala, Starstruck: 5 Historic Sightings of Rock Stars in North Carolina, The Chatham Rabbits Find the Harmony of Home. Richardson's salve, Vicks VapoRub, helped the world breathe easier during the devastating influenza pandemic of 1918 and during the countless colds and flus of our childhoods, yet most of us couldn't pick Lunsford Richardson out of a one-man police lineup, much less a who's who of medical pioneers. Today, Vicks is one of the most popular over-the-counter remedies for colds and flu. by Lindsey Hinds-Brown Julia Longoria only started pondering the Vicks phenomena after she grew up and began thinking back on her childhood. He also advertised on billboards and sent promotional mailings to post office boxes, addressed to Boxholder rather than the individuals name, thus earning him the distinction of being the father of junk mail. According to the BBC, Richardson created lozenges for coughs, flu, liver and constipation. He was obviously a man of such creativity.. A week before he died, the director of the labor center was able to contact his estranged wife and sons, who he hadn?t seen in 10 years since the last time he crossed illegally into California. We viewed Vicks VapoRub as a quaint relic of bygone times until a few years ago when we heard from foot care nurse Jane Kelley of Richmond, Massachusetts. Vicks VapoRub was not invented by a black man named Lunsford Richardson in the 1880s. So, I thought, why not! Moms had to come up with ways to heal the family, he said. Carlos Barraza, 23, was charged with violating the Trademark Counterfeiting Act after he got busted at a store called Dos Hermanos in a little town south of Chicago. Today, Vicks is still widely used for relieving symptoms of colds and flu. It also manufactured Vicks products. Hes been working as an HVAC technician for almost 13 years, and he started blogging just a couple of years ago.