- Cuticura soap
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1894 Advertisement for Cuticura Soap from Good Housekeeping Magazine
Cuticura soap is an antibacterial medicated soap, in use since 1865 manufactured by Potter Drug and Chemical Company, George Robert White owner. It contains triclocarban instead of the more usual triclosan. These two antibacterial agents have very similar molecularity. By themselves they kill 99.99% of bacteria and microbes (like fungus spores) on contact. Cuticura soap has been in use, and is relatively unchanged, since 1865.
In 1908 the British Medical Journal investigated the advertising of nostrums for the treatment of skin diseases. As reported by the American Medical Association[1] it was implied that Cuticura soap could be effective in the treatment of syphilis when prepared as an internal remedy known as Cuticura Resolvent. The medical community considered the proposed remedy to contain insufficient potassium iodide to be effective in the treatment of the disease.[2]
In 1914 the Good Housekeeping Magazine ran an analysis of a large number of household products including Cuticura soap. They concluded that Cuticura was,
- "A good grade of soap containing a small quantity of prussian blue and probably a little phenol. Prussian blue has been recommended for skin diseases. Excessive claims made for Cuticura as to the prevention and treatment of skin eruptions, are not warranted by its composition."[3]
External links
References
- ^ Nostrums and Quackery. Chicago: American Medical Association Press. 1912. pp. 594. http://books.google.com/books?id=9gREAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA594&dq=cuticura+soap&as_brr=1.
- ^ Nostrums p 595
- ^ Wiley, Harvey W (1914). 1001 Tests of Foods, Beverages and Toilet Accessories, Good and Otherwise. New York: Hearst's International Library Co. pp. 214. http://books.google.com/books?id=181LAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA214&dq=%22potter+drug%22+cuticura&as_brr=1#PPA214,M1.
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