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History

The Rise and Fall of Pilulae

A little searching on EEBO suggests that “pilulae” (and variations such as “pilula” or “pilullae”) enjoyed a heyday of marketing authority for about 20 years in 17th-century England, right around the time people seemed particularly worried about the scurvy epidemic. Although the earliest reference to pilulae in the title appeared in Patrick Anderson’s Grana angelica […]

Categories
History

Pilulae Antipudendagriae—More Early DTC Marketing

Since the late 1990s direct-to-consumer (DTC) pharmaceutical marketing has become a standard part of society in the U.S. (perhaps also in Australia, where DTC advertising is also legal). Ads in magazines and newspapers, on the internet, TV, or the radio promise that taking some wonder drug will alleviate your suffering from any number of symptoms […]