Carter's Little Liver Pills
Encyclopedia
Carter's Little Liver Pills, and Carter's Little Pills after 1959, were formulated as a patent medicine
by Samuel J. Carter of Erie, Pennsylvania
in 1868. The active ingredient is bisacodyl
.
was a black crow
. By 1880 the business was incorporated as Carter Products. In 1951 the Federal Trade Commission
demanded that company change the name to Carter's Little Pills, since "liver" in the name was deceptive.
Carter's Little Liver Pills predated the other available forms of bisacodyl and was a very popular and heavily advertised patent medicine
up until the 1960s, spawning a common saying (with variants) in the first half of the 20th Century: "He/She has more _________ than Carter has Little Liver Pills".
The senator Robert Byrd
, after winning re-election in 2000, is quoted as saying, "West Virginia has always had four friends, God Almighty, Sears Roebuck, Carter's Liver Pills and Robert C. Byrd."
Patent medicine
Patent medicine refers to medical compounds of questionable effectiveness sold under a variety of names and labels. The term "patent medicine" is somewhat of a misnomer because, in most cases, although many of the products were trademarked, they were never patented...
by Samuel J. Carter of Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
in 1868. The active ingredient is bisacodyl
Bisacodyl
Bisacodyl is a stimulant laxative drug that works directly on the large colon to produce a bowel movement. It is typically prescribed for relief of constipation and for the management of neurogenic bowel dysfunction as well as part of bowel preparation before medical examinations, such as for a...
.
History
Carter's trademarkTrademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
was a black crow
Cape Crow
The Cape Crow or Black Crow is slightly larger than the Carrion Crow and is completely black with a slight gloss of purple in the feathers. It has proportionately longer legs, wings and tail too and has a much longer, slimmer bill that seems to be designed for probing into the ground for...
. By 1880 the business was incorporated as Carter Products. In 1951 the Federal Trade Commission
Federal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1914 by the Federal Trade Commission Act...
demanded that company change the name to Carter's Little Pills, since "liver" in the name was deceptive.
Carter's Little Liver Pills predated the other available forms of bisacodyl and was a very popular and heavily advertised patent medicine
Patent medicine
Patent medicine refers to medical compounds of questionable effectiveness sold under a variety of names and labels. The term "patent medicine" is somewhat of a misnomer because, in most cases, although many of the products were trademarked, they were never patented...
up until the 1960s, spawning a common saying (with variants) in the first half of the 20th Century: "He/She has more _________ than Carter has Little Liver Pills".
The senator Robert Byrd
Robert Byrd
Robert Carlyle Byrd was a United States Senator from West Virginia. A member of the Democratic Party, Byrd served as a U.S. Representative from 1953 until 1959 and as a U.S. Senator from 1959 to 2010...
, after winning re-election in 2000, is quoted as saying, "West Virginia has always had four friends, God Almighty, Sears Roebuck, Carter's Liver Pills and Robert C. Byrd."