A Few Words About Massengill Douche

By popular demand,* a short (incomplete) history of the Massengill douche—which is the legacy of the S. E. Massengill Company of Bristol, Tennessee—is provided today (while attempting to conceal some of the fallout from the Elixir Sulfanilamide tragedy).

According to its 1936 product catalog, the S. E. Massengill Company offered a number of vaginal treatments:

• Aseptogill, 15%: an antiseptic and astringent suppository—composed of dermatol, zinc oxide, boric acid, bismuth oxyiodide, and thymol iodide—"[s]uggested for relaxed and morbid conditions of the vaginal tract, ulcerations of the cervix, etc."
• Ichthyol compound: an anodyne, antiphlogistic (ie, anti-inflammatory), antiseptic, and gonococcidal suppository—composed of 10% ichthyol and 1% protargol—"[s]uggested for allaying inflammatory conditions of the vaginal mucosa, specific infection, etc."
• Mercurochrome, 2%: a prophylactic and general antiseptic suppository, which does not "burn, irritate, or injure tissue," and is "[s]uggested for the treatment of specific infection of the female."
• Phe-mer-nite (phenylmercuric nitrate): a "powerful antiseptic, vaginal suppository which does not burn, irritate or injure the tissue" and is "[s]uggested as a general antiseptic in the treatment of various infections and inflammations of the uterus and appendages, gonorrhea, ulcerations and morbid conditions of the vaginal mucosa generally."
• Vaginal antiseptic: an "antiseptic, alterative and anodyne that is suggested as a local application for catarrhal vaginitis, inflammation of the uterus and appendages, gonorrhea, ulcerations, and morbid conditions of the vaginal mucosa generally." The active ingredient was apparently ichthyol, 10%.
• Several prophylactic suppositories

By 1940, some of these products were supplanted by Massengill Powder (an "acid vaginal douche") and Trimagill for vaginal infections. The powder (10 grams)—containing boric acid, ammonium alum, berberine salt, menthol isomers, thymol, eucalyptol, and methyl salicylate—was to be dissolved in a quart of warm water. The product was indicated as an "astringent, soothing vaginal douche." The catalog boasted, "Therapeutically, it can be used as an aid to the management of trichomonas, monilia, staphylococcus and streptococcus infections," and claimed, "Its clean, refreshing odor makes Massengill Powder acceptable to the most fastidious patient."

Trimagill, available in powder and as vaginal inserts, contained tartaric acid, citric acid, boric acid, dextrose, potassium bitartrate, potassium alum, and adhesives. Its indications and advantages were advertised as follows:

Trimagill is indicated for acidification of the vaginal tract in the treatment of Trichomonas vaginalis, Candida albicans (Monilia), Hemophilus vaginalis, and nonspecific leukorrhea. Trimagill is also recommended as a nonabsorbable agent following conization of the cervix to help eliminate postoperative sloughing and perineal odor, to absorb secretions and maintain an acid pH.

Trimagill provides a low pH environment in which pathogenic micro-organisms cannot survive or reproduce. Infectious organisms are destroyed by the prolonged acid condition. Trimagill's low pH favors the growth of the beneficial Doederlein bacilli and helps restore the normal vaginal flora following infections. Unlike antibiotics, Trimagill does not foster monilia overgrowth. Resistant strains cannot develop.

The catalog also claimed, "There are no known contraindications to Trimagill when applied as directed."

The vaginal products, but primarily Massengill's douche line, were somehow parlayed into a multimillion-dollar industry, which was dominated by the S. E. Massengill Company during the early 1960s. The well-known cringe- or eye-roll-inducing TV ads from that decade and beyond can be attributed (at least in part) to the now-defunct agencies of Lee Ramsdell and Company; Cargill, Wilson, & Acree (of Atlanta); and Dancer-Fitzgerald-Sample.** By 1970, Massengill reportedly spent more than $1 million to market its feminine-hygiene products (>$5 million in 2007 USD).  

In 1971, the UK-based Beecham acquired Massengill, including the company's consumer line. In 1989, SmithKline acquired Beecham, and Glaxo gobbled up SmithKline in 2000. Massengill's feminine-hygiene products survived the series of mergers, presumably owing to their popularity and substantial market equity in the brand name. The ingredients of today's Massengill Disposable Douche bear no resemblance to the original formulas; contemporary packaging emphasizes the inclusion of "natural" substances, like vinegar or baking soda.

Now, laying aside the "douche issue," the Elixir Sulfanilamide saga will continue. 

* Really for Raphe and Mary.

** Some of these ads can be found on YouTube.