Empty silver tin of Midol tablets for menstrual pain, originally contained 10 tablets

Empty silver tin of Midol tablets, originally contained 10 tablets, General Drug Co., New York, 1911-1938

Midol is a brand of analgesic medication available over-the-counter in North America for alleviation of period pain and other symptoms associate with menstruation, including bloating, water retention and tiredness. Launched in 1911, the tablets were initially marketed as a narcotic-free treatment for headaches and toothache.

The Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 had made it a requirement to obtain prescriptions for certain drugs and list those considered addictive or dangerous on the product label. Early Midol ads stressed that the product was free of these “tabooed” ingredients and “has no depressing effect”.

Later, it was sold as a remedy for hiccups, and by the late 1930s was being targeted specifically at women for the relief of menstrual pain.