Scott & Bowne was a HUGE drug corporation whose biggest hit was Scott's Emulsion. Due to the ubiquitous nature of those bottles and their related ephemera and the fact that I've never seen anything marked "Bloomfield", I don't collect those bottles.
But I did pick up an example of one of their lesser products, "Ki-Moids". This product was for dyspepsia and indigestion, and a few other ailments. Mine comes sealed with full contents in the original box and with mint labels on both sides, AND a folded up pamphlet with directions and information about the product. In spite of all this material, I can't find a date for the product, though I think 1920's-1930's is a safe guess. The bottle is ABM with a smooth lip, but it looks like an "older" type of cap.
In 1920 the government analyzed the product. They found, as you'll read, that it wasn't quite up to par with its bold claims of efficacy.
"Ki-moids. Scott and Browne, Bloomfield, N.J. For indigestion. Thirty tablets cost 25 cents.
Examination and analysis showed the following composition:
Oval, black tablets with wintergreen odor. Average weight per tablet 4.94 grains. Loss at 100° C. 29.96 per cent.; ash 53.16 per cent; ash insoluble in acid 0.24 per cent.; total sodium (Na20) 30.38 per cent.; sodium bicarbonate 80.64 per cent.; methyl salicylate and rhubarb present.
Protein-digesting power was tested for, using egg albumin in 1 per cent. salt solution as substrate. Ten cc. of this solution were found to contain 0.1044, 0.1024, average 0.1034 gm. protein.
A. Ten cc. egg white solution digested at 80° C. for 15 min. Total nitrogen in coagulum equivalent to 0.1038 gm. protein.
B. Ten cc. egg white solution + 0.3202 gm. tablet powder (equivalent to average weight of one tablet) digested as in A, the enzyme being previously killed by heat. Total nitrogen in coagulum equivalent to 0.1044 gm. protein.
C. Same as B except that enzyme was not destroyed. Total nitrogen in coagulum equivalent to 0.1063 gm. protein.
D. Same as C except that 0.6404 gm. of tablet powder (equivalent to two tablets) was used. Total nitrogen in coagulum equivalent to 0.1088 gm.
protein.
We find no evidence that the tablets possess any protein digesting capacity."
Despite this, I found the product advertised as late as 1935. There is a large size listed for sale then too. I'll be on the lookout for those, and any other variations of this product...
