Contest Entry--A Batty Claim

[srsly-yes.livejournal.com]

Truth in Advertising: Some people believe the above ad is not vintage, but the product did exist.

Comments

[flummoxicated.livejournal.com]

There is so much wrong with this ad, but I'll just pick one - "canker sours"?

[seminarist.livejournal.com]

Yes, the product did exist. They were not made of tobacco but of medicinal herbs. It was actually a pretty ingenious idea for people who did not have inhalers (the atomizer-style inhaler popular during the time would not get medicine particles deep enough into the lungs). Not sure whether this worked though.

[seminarist.livejournal.com]

Actually here's (http://books.google.com/books?id=mZAd_-7XIcQC&pg=PA69&dq=%22asthma+cigarettes%22&hl=en&ei=33CnTOGPB8GB8ga4ru3VDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CC8Q6AEwATgK#v=onepage&q=%22asthma%20cigarettes%22&f=false) some copy for asthma cigarettes by Wyeth Therapeutics - not Dr. Batty's though.

Dr. Batty's Still a Fake

[jocelmeow.livejournal.com]

srsly_yes, I'm the person who posed the AskMetafilter question about the (lack of) veracity of this ad that you linked above.

Yes, "asthma cigarettes" did exist, but Dr. Batty's did not. Please note the comment from user92371 in the AskMetafilter thread that the modern fonts used here - Euphorigenic and Ariston BQ Extra - put this question to bed once and for all.

I know you must have posted it because of the current contest, and I understand why, because it does push all our buttons about the now-indefensible claims in old ads!

Honestly, though, I'd love it if this was retired by the community and never showed up again. Every time it does, we go through the same argument about whether it is real or not, and at least some casual browsers are totally fooled...and it lives on to be posted another day.

Re: Dr. Batty's Still a Fake

[misstia]

ads that should be retired are eligible to be posted during a contest if applicable....

if you feel an ad should not be posted or removed, please contact me instead of posting a comment....