10/31/1918: Druggists!! Please Note Vick's Vaporub Oversold Due to Present Epidemic
Item
Title
10/31/1918: Druggists!! Please Note Vick's Vaporub Oversold Due to Present Epidemic
Creator
The Eau Claire Leader
Source
Newspaper Archive
Date
October 31, 1918
Coverage
Eau Claire, Wi
Description
Advertisement in newspaper warning retailers of oversold stock of Vick's VapoRub due to influenza epidemic.
Format
Newspaper
Rights
Public domain. For more information contact Special Collections and Archives, McIntyre Library, UW-Eau Claire.
Publisher
The Eau Claire Leader
transcription
"Tremendous Demand Last Few Days Has Wiped Out Excess Stocks That We Had Estimated Would Last Until next January. last Week's Orders Called For One and Three Quarter Million Jars - Today's Orders Alone Amount to 932, 458 Jars.
Big Shipments Are En Route to Jobbers. until These Arrive There may Be a Temporary Shortage. All Deals Postponed - Buy in Small Lots Only.
RETAILERS CAN GET IMMEDITE[sic] SHIPMENTS DIRECT BY PARCEL POST.
This advertisement is written on Monday, October 21st. it is directed to the attention of all distributors of Vick's VapoRub, both whole sale and retail. In an emergency such as the present epidemic - our duty - and your duty - is to distribute VapoRub in the quickest possible manner to those sections stricken by Influenza. We, therefore, call your careful attention to the following:
DANGER OF SHORTAGE IF SUPPLY IS NOT CONSERVED.
On October 1st we had on hand, at our factory and in twenty warehouses scattered over the country, sufficient VapoRub to last us, we thought, until January 1st, allowing for a 50 per cent increase over last year's sales, and not counting our daily output. This big excess stock had been accumulated during the summer months. Then this epidemic of Spanish Influenza hit us - and in the last 10 days this stock has vanished. At first we thought this tremendous demand would last only a few days but the order have run:
Wed. Oct. 16 - 18, 504 Doz. Thur. Oct. 17 - 25, 323 Doz. Fri. Oct. 18 - 39, 256 Doz. Sat. Oct. 19 - 45, 833 Doz. Mon. Oct. 21 - 77,705 Doz.
Up to Saturday, October 19th, we have actually shipped for this month $400,284.10, or over two million jars of VapoRub.
THE PROBLEM NOW IS TO DISTRIBUTE VAPORUB QUICKLY.
Most of this tremendous quantity is still en route to the jobbers, but freight and express are both congested nowadays, and it may be some time before this supply reaches the jobbers. In the meantime, therefore, it is necessary that we distribute as widely as possible the stock that we are manufacturing daily together with that now on the jobbers and retailers shelves, in order that it may get to the influenza districts quickly. Our normal output is about 4,000 dozen per day. We are putting on a night shift but it will be a little while before that is producing.
WHAT WE ASK THE WHOLESALE DRUGGIST TO DO.
Last Saturday we notified all of our jobbers by Special Delivery, as follows:
1st - Deals and quantity shipments of all kinds are cancelled. Fill no quantity orders of any kind, whether taken by our salesmen or by your own. Sell in small lots only.
2nd - Order from us in as small quantities as possible. If you are out we will try to ship a limited amount by Parcel Post or express, and pay the charges ourselves.
3rd - In order to make distribution still quicker, we will ship direct to your retail customers quantities not more than three (3) dozen 30cent size at any one shipment.
4th - We are now out of the 60 cent size and will be for the next 10 days.
WHAT WE ASK THE RETAIL DRUGGIST TO DO.
Buy in as small quantities as possible. If you have any quantity orders, given the jobber's salesman or given to our salesmen, don't bother about them - no need to write us - it is absolutely impossible to fill these orders at this time. If the jobbers in your territory are out of Vick's VapoRub we will ship you by Parcel Post, prepaid, quantities not more than three (3) dozen 30cent size in any one order. naturally, we can't open accounts at this time; so your check or money order for this amount must accompany order. Don't write us stating to ship thru your jobber, as we then have to wait until we write this jobber and get his O.K. If you wish the goods to come thru your jobber, have him order them for you.
SNOWED UNDER WITH CORRESPONDENCE.
Our force has already been "shot to pieces" - twenty-four of our men are wearing Uncle Sam's khaki - and this recent rush has simply buried us. All our sales force has been called in to help in the office and factory. We just mention this so you won't hold it against us if your wires and letters aren't answered promptly.
SPECIAL BOOKLETS ON SPANISH INFLUENZA.
We will send, on request, to any retail druggist, 100 or more little booklets, just issued, on Spanish Influenza, giving the latest information about this disease - its history - the symptoms - the treatment, and particularly the use of Vick's VapoRub as an external application to supplement the physician's treatment.
NEW WAYS TO USE VAPORUB.
In addition to the usual method of using VapoRub - that is applied over the throat and chest and covered with hot flannel cloths - our customers are writing us daily telling of their success in using VapoRub in other ways, particularly as a preventive. They melt a little in a spoon and inhale the vapors arising or melt it in a benzoin steam kettle. Where the steam kettle is not available VapoRub can be used in an ordinary tea-kettle. Fill the tea-kettle half full of boiling water, put in half a teaspoon of VapoRub from time to time - keep the kettle just slowly boiling and inhale the steam arising. According to a Bulletin just issued by the Public Health Service, Dr. Stiles of this Service, recommends that the nose be kept greased as a preventive measure against the influenza germs. For this purpose VapoRub is excellent."
Big Shipments Are En Route to Jobbers. until These Arrive There may Be a Temporary Shortage. All Deals Postponed - Buy in Small Lots Only.
RETAILERS CAN GET IMMEDITE[sic] SHIPMENTS DIRECT BY PARCEL POST.
This advertisement is written on Monday, October 21st. it is directed to the attention of all distributors of Vick's VapoRub, both whole sale and retail. In an emergency such as the present epidemic - our duty - and your duty - is to distribute VapoRub in the quickest possible manner to those sections stricken by Influenza. We, therefore, call your careful attention to the following:
DANGER OF SHORTAGE IF SUPPLY IS NOT CONSERVED.
On October 1st we had on hand, at our factory and in twenty warehouses scattered over the country, sufficient VapoRub to last us, we thought, until January 1st, allowing for a 50 per cent increase over last year's sales, and not counting our daily output. This big excess stock had been accumulated during the summer months. Then this epidemic of Spanish Influenza hit us - and in the last 10 days this stock has vanished. At first we thought this tremendous demand would last only a few days but the order have run:
Wed. Oct. 16 - 18, 504 Doz. Thur. Oct. 17 - 25, 323 Doz. Fri. Oct. 18 - 39, 256 Doz. Sat. Oct. 19 - 45, 833 Doz. Mon. Oct. 21 - 77,705 Doz.
Up to Saturday, October 19th, we have actually shipped for this month $400,284.10, or over two million jars of VapoRub.
THE PROBLEM NOW IS TO DISTRIBUTE VAPORUB QUICKLY.
Most of this tremendous quantity is still en route to the jobbers, but freight and express are both congested nowadays, and it may be some time before this supply reaches the jobbers. In the meantime, therefore, it is necessary that we distribute as widely as possible the stock that we are manufacturing daily together with that now on the jobbers and retailers shelves, in order that it may get to the influenza districts quickly. Our normal output is about 4,000 dozen per day. We are putting on a night shift but it will be a little while before that is producing.
WHAT WE ASK THE WHOLESALE DRUGGIST TO DO.
Last Saturday we notified all of our jobbers by Special Delivery, as follows:
1st - Deals and quantity shipments of all kinds are cancelled. Fill no quantity orders of any kind, whether taken by our salesmen or by your own. Sell in small lots only.
2nd - Order from us in as small quantities as possible. If you are out we will try to ship a limited amount by Parcel Post or express, and pay the charges ourselves.
3rd - In order to make distribution still quicker, we will ship direct to your retail customers quantities not more than three (3) dozen 30cent size at any one shipment.
4th - We are now out of the 60 cent size and will be for the next 10 days.
WHAT WE ASK THE RETAIL DRUGGIST TO DO.
Buy in as small quantities as possible. If you have any quantity orders, given the jobber's salesman or given to our salesmen, don't bother about them - no need to write us - it is absolutely impossible to fill these orders at this time. If the jobbers in your territory are out of Vick's VapoRub we will ship you by Parcel Post, prepaid, quantities not more than three (3) dozen 30cent size in any one order. naturally, we can't open accounts at this time; so your check or money order for this amount must accompany order. Don't write us stating to ship thru your jobber, as we then have to wait until we write this jobber and get his O.K. If you wish the goods to come thru your jobber, have him order them for you.
SNOWED UNDER WITH CORRESPONDENCE.
Our force has already been "shot to pieces" - twenty-four of our men are wearing Uncle Sam's khaki - and this recent rush has simply buried us. All our sales force has been called in to help in the office and factory. We just mention this so you won't hold it against us if your wires and letters aren't answered promptly.
SPECIAL BOOKLETS ON SPANISH INFLUENZA.
We will send, on request, to any retail druggist, 100 or more little booklets, just issued, on Spanish Influenza, giving the latest information about this disease - its history - the symptoms - the treatment, and particularly the use of Vick's VapoRub as an external application to supplement the physician's treatment.
NEW WAYS TO USE VAPORUB.
In addition to the usual method of using VapoRub - that is applied over the throat and chest and covered with hot flannel cloths - our customers are writing us daily telling of their success in using VapoRub in other ways, particularly as a preventive. They melt a little in a spoon and inhale the vapors arising or melt it in a benzoin steam kettle. Where the steam kettle is not available VapoRub can be used in an ordinary tea-kettle. Fill the tea-kettle half full of boiling water, put in half a teaspoon of VapoRub from time to time - keep the kettle just slowly boiling and inhale the steam arising. According to a Bulletin just issued by the Public Health Service, Dr. Stiles of this Service, recommends that the nose be kept greased as a preventive measure against the influenza germs. For this purpose VapoRub is excellent."