Dr Flanders Diffusible Tonic

[robertk]

Bottle Vitals​

	Date	Color	Shape	Size (Height x Width x Depth)	Value*
Dr Flanders Diffusible Tonic	1888	Clear	Rectangular	6" x 2.5" x 1.5"	$30.00

Bottle Views (click to enlarge):

Front	Back	Side	Side	Bottom
Dr D L I Flanders Trade Mark DIffusible Tonic Diffusible Tonic Co Sturgis Michigan USA

This diffusible tonic bottle comes from the Diffusible Tonic Company of Sturgis Michigan. The company was founded in March of 1888 by Dr David Lawrence Isham Flanders along with his son Francis W. Flanders, his brother Jonathan W. Flanders, and his nephew John S. Flanders. He ran the company as its president until his death in 1910, when it was taken over by his nephew and continued until WWII.

Flanders' Diffusible Tonic was touted as a cure for anything involving fever -- most notably, typhoid and yellow fever. It wasn't advertised as heavily as some other patent medicines of the period, mostly in Michigan and surrounding states.

Flanders believed so strongly in the effectiveness of his cure that he traveled to infected areas to prove it. In 1888 he took it to Jacksonville Florida to combat yellow fever, and even came down with the illness himself. He is said to have taken his own tonic and cured himself. He also traveled to Negaunee, Michigan during a typhoid epidemic in 1889, and to Cuba for a yellow fever epidemic in 1895. He even offered a $100 reward for a case it couldn't cure (that's about $3400 in 2025 dollars).

Here are the before and after photos. Cleaned with soap and water, various brushes, and a wooden scraper.



* Value is based on sold eBay listings as of the date of posting, and varies with condition.

 

[Limitool]

Another great job Robert. Sturgis MI. is about 15-18 miles from Constantine MI. where this bottle came from. You do a great job on the info as usual.

I'll be real interested what you find on the little bottle from a drug store in Constantine somewhere in that large collection. I bet info on it is sparse....!

 

[achanceforgold]

View attachment 2210076​

Bottle Vitals​

	Date	Color	Shape	Size (Height x Width x Depth)	Value*
Dr Flanders Diffusible Tonic	1888	Clear	Rectangular	6" x 2.5" x 1.5"	$30.00

Bottle Views (click to enlarge):

Front	Back	Side	Side	Bottom
View attachment 2210076	View attachment 2210077	View attachment 2210078	View attachment 2210079	View attachment 2210080
Dr D L I Flanders Trade Mark DIffusible Tonic Diffusible Tonic Co Sturgis Michigan USA

This diffusible tonic bottle comes from the Diffusible Tonic Company of Sturgis Michigan. The company was founded in March of 1888 by Dr David Lawrence Isham Flanders along with his son Francis W. Flanders, his brother Jonathan W. Flanders, and his nephew John S. Flanders. He ran the company as its president until his death in 1910, when it was taken over by his nephew and continued until WWII.

Flanders' Diffusible Tonic was touted as a cure for anything involving fever -- most notably, typhoid and yellow fever. It wasn't advertised as heavily as some other patent medicines of the period, mostly in Michigan and surrounding states.

View attachment 2210074

Flanders believed so strongly in the effectiveness of his cure that he traveled to infected areas to prove it. In 1888 he took it to Jacksonville Florida to combat yellow fever, and even came down with the illness himself. He is said to have taken his own tonic and cured himself. He also traveled to Negaunee, Michigan during a typhoid epidemic in 1889, and to Cuba for a yellow fever epidemic in 1895. He even offered a $100 reward for a case it couldn't cure (that's about $3400 in 2025 dollars).

View attachment 2210073

Here are the before and after photos. Cleaned with soap and water, various brushes, and a wooden scraper.

View attachment 2210075 View attachment 2210076

* Value is based on sold eBay listings as of the date of posting, and varies with condition.

Good Lord!

That Dr. Flanders Diffuse Tonic will cure anything.
It cures yellow fever in three hours.
And for only 25 cents
Is there a drop or two left in the bottle?

Great post Mr. Robert.
I love the ads.
And we think the internet exaggerates things.