Six boxes of common cold relief

Display card with six boxes of White's Black Crow Cold Pills mounted, aids relief of symptoms of common cold, by First National Laboratories Inc., U.S.A., 1941-1950

White’s ‘Black Crow Pills’ claimed to relieve the early symptoms of common colds, including headaches, sore throats, coughs and tiredness. However, the pills did have the unfortunate effect of being mildly laxative. The pills also contained quinine, commonly associated with malaria treatment, for its pain-relieving and fever-reducing qualities.

Typical of the often imaginatively titled products that were available ‘over the counter’, each small box cost 25 cents and this stand was probably on display in an American pharmacy. Today, many similar remedies are available for purchase without prescription.