The U.S. comprises less than 5% of the world's population and one third of the world's spending on pharmaceuticals.

Monday, August 26, 2013

Asper-Lax

Asper-lax was based in Charleston, West Virginia, and while it advertised itself as a remedy "since 1916", it was only legally able to distribute its product beginning in 1920 after some litigation with the Bayer company. Why aspirin should also contain a laxative is a mystery to me, except that Americans love their laxatives. I can't recall needing a laxative for most headaches or colds I've suffered. Alas for sufferers of the deadly influenza, Asper-Lax might give a bit of relief, but no cure. The product was promoted mainly in West Virginia but did spread to Pennsylvania and New York. You could buy shares in the company for only $10 in 1920 but I could find no info for the company after 1933, so it may have gone belly up during the Great Depression.