Vicks
Encyclopedia
Vicks is a line of over-the-counter medication
s owned by the American company Procter & Gamble
. Vicks manufactures NyQuil
and its sister medication, DayQuil
. The Vicks brand also produces Formula 44 cough medicine
s, cough drops
, VapoRub, and a number of inhaled breathing treatments
. For much of its history, Vicks products were manufactured by the family-owned company Richardson-Vicks, Inc. based in Greensboro, North Carolina
. Richardson-Vicks, Inc. was eventually sold to Procter & Gamble in 1985.
Japan is the only country where it is a former Procter & Gamble product before the product sold to Taisho Pharmaceutical
in May 2002.
In German speaking countries, the brandname Vicks was changed to Wick in order to avoid a sexual connotation that the original name would carry.
took over the retail drug business of his brother-in-law Dr. Joshua Vick, of Selma
, Greensboro, North Carolina
. After Dr. Joshua Vick saw an ad for Vick's Seeds, Lunsford Richardson began marketing Vick’s Family Remedies. The basic ingredients of the range included castor oil
, liniment
, 'dead shot' vermifuge. The most popular remedy was Croup
and Pneumonia
Salve
, which was first compounded in 1891, in Greensboro. It was introduced in 1905 with the name Vick's Magic Croup Salve and rebranded as VapoRub in 1912 at the instigation of Smith Richardson, Lunsford's oldest son ; Smith had gained valuable sales and marketing experience while working for a period in New York and Massachusetts after attending college. Smith Richardson assumed the presidency of the company in 1919 upon his father's death.
The flu epidemic of 1918 increased sales of VapoRub from $900,000 to $2.9 million in just one year. In 1948, Edward Mabry
became president of Vicks (the first outside the Richardson family), then known as the Vicks Chemical Company. In 1985, it was sold to Procter & Gamble and Procter & Gamble has since marketed the product as "The only thing more powerful than a mother's touch."
The company archives (including related personal records of the Richardson family) from at least about 1920 or so, up to the 1985 sale to Procter & Gamble, are housed at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
.
Medication
A pharmaceutical drug, also referred to as medicine, medication or medicament, can be loosely defined as any chemical substance intended for use in the medical diagnosis, cure, treatment, or prevention of disease.- Classification :...
s owned by the American company Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble is a Fortune 500 American multinational corporation headquartered in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio and manufactures a wide range of consumer goods....
. Vicks manufactures NyQuil
NyQuil
NyQuil is a brand of over the counter medication which is intended to relieve various symptoms of the common cold. Because all of the medications within the NyQuil imprint contain sedating antihistamines, hypnotics, and/or alcohol, they are intended to be taken before sleep...
and its sister medication, DayQuil
DayQuil
DayQuil is a medicine intended to relieve symptoms of the common cold and flu. Made by Vicks, it is available in syrup and capsule form. DayQuil's night time counterpart is NyQuil, which contains sedative antihistamines. Because DayQuil lacks antihistamines, it does not cause drowsiness, and thus...
. The Vicks brand also produces Formula 44 cough medicine
Cough medicine
A cough medicine is a medicinal drug used in an attempt to treat coughing and related conditions. For dry coughs, treatment with cough suppressants may be attempted to suppress the body's urge to cough...
s, cough drops
Throat lozenge
A throat lozenge, cough drop, troche, or cough sweet is a small, medicated tablet intended to be dissolved slowly in the mouth to temporarily stop coughs and lubricate and soothe irritated tissues of the throat , possibly from the common cold or influenza...
, VapoRub, and a number of inhaled breathing treatments
Vicks Sinex
Vicks Sinex is a brand of topical nasal decongestant spray produced by Vicks, a division of Procter & Gamble. The active ingredient contained in the Sinex nasal spray is Oxymetazoline which acts to relieve blocked nasal passages. The recommended dosage is 2–3 sprays in each nostril every 10–12...
. For much of its history, Vicks products were manufactured by the family-owned company Richardson-Vicks, Inc. based in Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...
. Richardson-Vicks, Inc. was eventually sold to Procter & Gamble in 1985.
Japan is the only country where it is a former Procter & Gamble product before the product sold to Taisho Pharmaceutical
Taisho Pharmaceutical
is a Japanese pharmaceutical company based in Tokyo.-History:Taisho was established in 1912 to produce over-the-counter drugs. The company moved into prescription drug R&D in 1955.-Products:...
in May 2002.
In German speaking countries, the brandname Vicks was changed to Wick in order to avoid a sexual connotation that the original name would carry.
History
In 1890, pharmacist Lunsford RichardsonLunsford Richardson
Lunsford Richardson , 1854-1919, was a U.S. pharmacist from Selma, North Carolina, and the founder of Vick Chemical Company . He died August 20, 1919.-Early life:...
took over the retail drug business of his brother-in-law Dr. Joshua Vick, of Selma
Selma, North Carolina
Selma is a town in Johnston County, North Carolina, United States. In 2007, the estimated population was 7,008. Selma is located in North Carolina's Inner Banks region.-Geography:Selma is located at ....
, Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...
. After Dr. Joshua Vick saw an ad for Vick's Seeds, Lunsford Richardson began marketing Vick’s Family Remedies. The basic ingredients of the range included castor oil
Castor oil
Castor oil is a vegetable oil obtained from the castor bean . Castor oil is a colorless to very pale yellow liquid with mild or no odor or taste. Its boiling point is and its density is 961 kg/m3...
, liniment
Liniment
Liniment , from the Latin linere, to anoint, is a medicated topical preparation for application to the skin. Preparations of this type are also called balm...
, 'dead shot' vermifuge. The most popular remedy was Croup
Croup
Croup is a respiratory condition that is usually triggered by an acute viral infection of the upper airway. The infection leads to swelling inside the throat, which interferes with normal breathing and produces the classical symptoms of a "barking" cough, stridor, and hoarseness...
and Pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
Salve
Salve
A salve is a medical ointment used to soothe the head or other body surface. A popular eye medicine known as "Phrygian powder" was one of Laodicea's sources of wealth...
, which was first compounded in 1891, in Greensboro. It was introduced in 1905 with the name Vick's Magic Croup Salve and rebranded as VapoRub in 1912 at the instigation of Smith Richardson, Lunsford's oldest son ; Smith had gained valuable sales and marketing experience while working for a period in New York and Massachusetts after attending college. Smith Richardson assumed the presidency of the company in 1919 upon his father's death.
The flu epidemic of 1918 increased sales of VapoRub from $900,000 to $2.9 million in just one year. In 1948, Edward Mabry
Edward Mabry
Edward Mabry, born Edward Loughlin Mabry in 1897, was an American author, poet, and chemical tycoon. He died in 1989, aged 91.-Chemical tycoon:...
became president of Vicks (the first outside the Richardson family), then known as the Vicks Chemical Company. In 1985, it was sold to Procter & Gamble and Procter & Gamble has since marketed the product as "The only thing more powerful than a mother's touch."
The company archives (including related personal records of the Richardson family) from at least about 1920 or so, up to the 1985 sale to Procter & Gamble, are housed at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
.