History of the Comstock Patent Medicine Business and Dr. Morse’s Indian Root Pills

History of the Comstock Patent Medicine Business and Dr. Morse’s Indian Root Pills by Robert B. Shaw documents the century-long lifespan of a unique American enterprise, tracing its origins in early 19th-century New York City through intense business litigation, the fabrication of its most famous product’s identity, and its eventual maturity and long tenure in the rural village of Morristown, New York. Drawing on records salvaged from the abandoned factory, this work provides a detailed look at the internal conflicts, aggressive marketing strategies, and eventual decline of a prominent firm within the colorful patent-medicine era.

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Who May Benefit from the Book

• Historians of commerce and industry
• Students of early American marketing and advertising
• Researchers of patent medicine and public health history
• Genealogists interested in the Comstock family
• Local historians of Morristown, NY, and Brockville, ON

Top 3 Key Insights

1. The W.H. Comstock factory maintained a dominant presence for over ninety years in rural Morristown, New York, serving as the largest local employer and a major commercial hub.
2. The central product, Dr. Morse’s Indian Root Pills, was marketed using a wholly fabricated identity and a fictional origin story involving Indians and exotic travels.
3. The early success of the Comstock business was achieved despite decades of complex family litigation and bitter legal battles over trademark ownership and assets.

4 More Lessons and Takeaways

1. The Comstock enterprise utilized “dummy companies” like Judson Pill Co. and Dr. Howard Medicine Co. for different product lines and branding purposes.
2. Selling relied on millions of distributed almanacs and “travelers” who covered vast territories across North America to “put the pills through” to rural druggists.
3. The pills were based on common cathartic ingredients, many derived from exotic plants like aloes, gamboge, and jalap, often neutralized by large quantities of sugar.
4. The eventual demise of the factory was primarily driven by changing public attitudes, higher standards of medical diagnosis, and stricter enforcement of food and drug laws.

The Book in 1 Sentence

This history chronicles the longevity, fabricated origins, and fierce business battles of the Comstock patent medicine empire, anchored for decades in a remote New York village.

The Book Summary in 1 Minute

The Comstock patent medicine business, famed for Dr. Morse’s Indian Root Pills, began in New York City around 1833. Its early years were characterized by severe disputes and lawsuits among the Comstock brothers, particularly Lucius, over assets and trademarks. The “Dr. Morse” persona was a fiction, part of a common marketing scheme assigning noble, Indian origins to remedies. Under William Henry Comstock, the sole proprietor, the factory moved to Morristown, NY, in 1867, entering its “golden era”. The rural factory became an economic pillar, pioneering utilities for the village. The company invested heavily in advertising, distributing millions of almanacs printed in multiple languages. Although sales peaked around 1910, the factory’s long life was extended by substantial foreign business in Latin America. Facing new regulations and public skepticism, the Morristown factory ceased operations in 1960, although the pills are still manufactured in Australia.

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Chapter-wise Book Summary

History of the Comstock Patent Medicine Business and of Dr. Morse’s Indian Root Pills

“Today, the Indian Root Pill factory stands abandoned and forlorn—its decline and demise brought on by an age of more precise medical diagnoses and the more stringent enforcement of various food and drug acts”.

The W.H. Comstock factory in Morristown, northern New York State, was the production site for Dr. Morse’s Indian Root Pills for approximately ninety years. Although a modest undertaking by modern industrial standards, it played a prominent role in the economic life of the small village, being the largest employer and chief shipper of freight. The company’s influence was not strictly local, as millions of pills, elixirs, and advertising almanacs flowed from this remote village to thousands of communities across the United States, Canada, Latin America, and the Orient. The enterprise’s eventual failure was due to modern medicine and stricter enforcement of food and drug laws. The history of the Comstock business was reconstructed from records, documents, and advertising circulars that were carelessly stored and scattered in the factory attic after its abandonment.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • W.H. Comstock factory operated in Morristown, NY, for ninety years.
  • The business was key to Morristown’s economy and shipping.
  • Records were salvaged from the abandoned factory attic.

The Origin of the Business

“Edwin, in 1828, moved to Batavia, New York, where his son, William Henry Comstock, was born on August 1, 1830. Within four or five years, however, Edwin repaired to New York City, where he established the extensive drug and medicine business that was to be carried on by members of his family for over a century”.

The founder of the Comstock drug venture was Edwin Comstock, who established the business in New York City sometime in or before 1833. Edwin was a fifth-generation descendant of William Comstock, a Connecticut pioneer. After Edwin’s death in 1837, the business was continued by his brothers, initially Lucius S. Comstock and Albert Lee under the name Comstock & Co.. After a dispute, Lucius partnered with his mother-in-law, Anne Moore, and later with his brother J. Carlton. Edwin’s son, William Henry Comstock, who would eventually lead the Morristown business, was employed as a clerk during these early partnerships. The Comstock family generally had a tradition in the medical or drug fields.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Edwin Comstock founded the drug business in New York City circa 1833.
  • The business was carried on by Edwin’s brothers after his death in 1837.
  • The Comstocks had a pre-existing connection to the drug trade.

Suits and Countersuits

“Lucius, in turn, had copies of his charges against his brothers, together with aspersions against their character and their medicines, printed as circulars and widely distributed to all present or former customers in the United States and Canada”.

The rapid changes in partnerships led to significant disputes, particularly between Lucius S. Comstock and his brothers J. Carlton and George Wells. This conflict escalated into a lawsuit in June 1850 over the division of Comstock & Co. Brothers’ property. The dispute deepened when Lucius accused his brothers and a clerk (W.H. Comstock) of illegally taking his mail from the post office. J. Carlton and George Wells were arrested after articles intended for Lucius were found at their location, although the brothers argued they had a right to letters addressed “Comstock & Co.”. The extensive civil litigation over asset division dragged on until 1852. Lucius subsequently lost his prominence in the drug trade and shifted his focus to practicing law, later serving as foreman of the grand jury that indicted Boss Tweed in 1872.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Partnerships led to major lawsuits over assets and trade names.
  • Lucius accused his brothers of stealing his business mail.
  • The legal battles ended in compromise around 1852.

A New Partnership Formed

“Judson’s Chemical Extract was registered with the Smithsonian by the Comstock firm in 1851, but Dr. Larzetti’s Juno Cordial or Procreative Elixir had previously been entered by Judson & Co. in 1844”.

After J. Carlton Comstock’s death in September 1853, a new partnership, Comstock & Brother, was formed on October 1, 1853, comprising George Wells Comstock, William Henry Comstock (W.H.), and Baldwin L. Judson. George provided half the capital and reserved exclusive rights to all trademarks and formulas. Judson, who was married to a Comstock sister, had previously registered several remedies under Judson & Co.. Besides their own formulations like Carlton’s Liniment (for piles) and Judson’s Chemical Extract of Cherry and Lungwort, the firm also sold venerable patent medicines, many originating in Britain, such as Bateman’s Pectoral Drops and Godfrey’s Cordial.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • The 1853 partnership included George W. Comstock, W.H. Comstock, and B.L. Judson.
  • George W. Comstock retained ownership of recipes and trademarks.
  • The firm sold a mix of proprietary remedies, both new and old.

Entrance of Dr. Morse’s Indian Root Pills

“According to this version, ‘the famous and celebrated Dr. Morse,’ after completing his education in medical science, traveled widely in Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America, and spent three years among the Indians of our western country, where he discovered the secret of the Indian Root Pills”.

In the summer of 1855, the Comstock firm signed a contract with Andrew J. White to manufacture and distribute Dr. Morse’s Indian Root Pills. White claimed sole proprietorship, contributing only the rights to the pills, while Comstock supplied all assets. However, there was no actual “Dr. Morse”; the pills were originated by Andrew B. Moore in Buffalo. To market the pills, the company fabricated a lengthy, dramatic history detailing how Dr. Morse—a wealthy, educated traveler—discovered the pill’s secret from Native Americans and used it to cure his father from his deathbed. This practice of attributing remote or Indian origins to nostrums was widespread during the era, as seen in the marketing of Judson’s Mountain Herb Pills, which were similarly tied to a miraculous Aztec formula.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Comstocks acquired manufacturing rights from A.J. White in 1855.
  • “Dr. Morse” was a fabrication; Andrew B. Moore was the originator.
  • The pills were marketed using a detailed, mythical origin story popular in the patent-medicine industry.

The Struggle for Control of the Indian Root Pills

“For over three years they had been promoting the A.J. White trade name, but now they could hardly keep a competitor from operating under his own name”.

Despite the agreement, Moore continued to manufacture his own pills and denounced the White-Comstock product. Though Moore was temporarily hired by the Comstock-controlled A.J. White & Co. in 1858, he and White abruptly left on New Year’s Day 1859, taking books and assets, and established a rival firm operating under the A.J. White & Co. name. The Comstocks responded by changing their labels to B. Lake Judson’s name and initiating lawsuits. The legal battle was bitter, involving the arrest of White for forgery in Pennsylvania and Comstock agents providing information to Canadian customs to halt their rival’s alleged smuggling into Canada West. The long-standing dispute was finally settled on March 26, 1861, when White and Moore relinquished all claims and demands related to sales prior to January 1, 1859, leaving the Comstocks in full control of the Indian Root Pills.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • A.J. White and A.B. Moore split off and created a rival company using the same name.
  • The fight involved arrests, forgery charges, and claims of smuggling.
  • The Comstocks secured undisputed control of the Indian Root Pills in 1861.

The Brothers Part Company

“On April 1, 1866, balance sheets were drawn up separately for B.L. Judson & Co. and Comstock & Judson; the former showed a net worth of $48,527.56 against only $5,066.70 for the latter”.

The end of the dispute with White and Moore did not bring harmony among the remaining partners, leading to a lawsuit in 1866 between George Comstock and his partners, William H. Comstock and Judson. Prior to this, W.H. Comstock and Judson had diversified into a coffee-roasting and spice-grinding business called Central Mills. The friction culminated on December 21, 1866, when George W. obtained an injunction against W.H. Comstock and Judson. A subsequent settlement, which required W.H. Comstock and Judson to pay legal fees, formally terminated the series of successor partnerships that had spanned over thirty years. William Henry Comstock, having already focused much of his activity in Canada, was now the sole proprietor of the medicine business, preparing to move it out of New York City.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • George W. Comstock sued William H. Comstock and Judson in 1866.
  • The litigation marked the termination of the original family partnerships.
  • W.H. Comstock prepared to leave New York City as the sole owner.

Dr. Morse’s Pills Move to Morristown

“It is obvious that this location was selected because the company already had an office and some facilities in Brockville, Ontario, directly across the river”.

In April 1867, the home of Dr. Morse’s Indian Root Pills was relocated from Manhattan to Morristown, NY, a small village on the St. Lawrence River. W.H. Comstock had previously established a presence in Brockville, Ontario, across the river, around 1859 or 1860. The move was logical because the bulk of the business was centered in rural areas, specifically the Middle West of the U.S. and Canada West (Ontario), making New York City congested and inefficient for distribution. Morristown was selected as a location adjacent to transportation routes and close enough to Brockville to be under common management, likely necessitated by customs duties interfering with supplying the U.S. market from Canada. Although W.H. Comstock operated the Morristown facility as sole proprietor, he continued to reside in Brockville.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • The company moved from NYC to Morristown, NY, in April 1867.
  • The move was motivated by proximity to the primary rural markets.
  • Morristown facilitated joint supervision with the sister plant in Brockville, Ontario.

The Golden Era

“For two generations the Indian Root Pill factory supplied jobs, in an area where they were always scarce, and at a time when the old forest and dairy industries were already beginning to decline”.

With the establishment in Morristown, the Comstock business entered the “golden era” of patent medicines (Civil War to World War I). Under W.H. Comstock’s exclusive control, the factory expanded, purchasing additional land in 1877 and 1882. By 1885, the factory typically employed about thirty people, many of whom were women, earning $3 to $5 a week. The arrival of the Utica & Black River Railroad in 1875 bisected the property, requiring the use of separate buildings for pill-mixing (“lower shop”) and packaging (“upper shop”). Comstock integrated closely with the village, installing a generator to supply lighting—the first in the locality—and functioned as a miniature public utility, providing steam heat and pumping water. The company used “dummy companies” such as Judson Pill Co. and Dr. Howard Medicine Co. (based in Brockville) to market specialty remedies, including Dr. Howard’s Electric Blood Builder Pills, which were hinted to improve sexual vitality.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • The business thrived during the patent-medicine golden era (1867 onwards).
  • The factory employed dozens and provided early utilities (electric, water, heat) to Morristown.
  • Dummy companies were maintained for varied branding, like the electrically enhanced Dr. Howard’s pills.

Putting the Pills Through

“Over their entire history it is quite reasonable that somewhere in the vicinity of one billion almanacs must have been distributed by the Comstock Company and its predecessors”.

The essential function of the business was “putting the pills through,” which involved heavy expenditure on printing and publicity, likely exceeding manufacturing costs. Initially, distribution relied on “travelers”—including the partners themselves—who visited druggists and merchants across vast territories. The primary advertising methods were almanacs and country newspapers. Millions of almanacs were distributed annually, sometimes in Spanish and German editions, featuring the fictional Dr. Morse story and testimonials. Newspaper advertisements often stressed the fragile nature of mortality if remedies like Judson’s Mountain Herb Pills were neglected. In later years, the Indian Root Pills were required to list their ingredients, which included exotic cathartics such as aloes (from Africa/Zanzibar), mandrake, gamboge (from Ceylon/Southeast Asia), jalap (from Mexico), and cayenne pepper. By the final years, the company concentrated on only three major products: the Indian Root Pills, Dead Shot Worm Pellets, and Comstock’s N & B Liniment.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • Aggressive selling was managed by traveling agents.
  • Almanacs and newspaper ads were the main publicity channels.
  • Pills contained cathartic ingredients from remote geographical locations.

The Final Years

“The decline of the patent-medicine business was ascribed by Stewart Holbrook in his Golden Age of Quackery to three main factors: the Pure Food and Drug Acts; the automobile; and higher standards of public education”.

William Henry Comstock, Sr., who served three terms as mayor of Brockville and in the Canadian parliament, died in 1919 after leading the business for over half a century. He was succeeded by his son, William Henry Comstock II (“Young Bill”). Although domestic sales reached a peak around 1910, they began a decline in the 1920s. The Comstock company remained relatively immune from direct attacks by muckrakers following the 1906 Federal Food and Drug Act, but eventually had to comply by listing ingredients and reducing extravagant cure claims. Sales continued due to a substantial foreign market, especially in Latin America. By 1950, domestic sales had shrunk dramatically, with only 18 gross of pills sold in quantities of one gross or more. The Morristown factory finally closed its doors on April 11, 1960, following the death of W.H. Comstock II. The pills, however, continue to be manufactured and sold by an Australian subsidiary, the W.H. Comstock Company Pty. Ltd., which acquired the rights after the dissolution of the North American company.

• Chapter Key Points:
  • W.H. Comstock Sr. died in 1919; son succeeded him in 1921.
  • Foreign sales to Latin America sustained the factory past domestic decline.
  • Morristown factory closed in 1960, but the pills live on via an Australian firm.

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Notable Quotes from the Book

1. “The great majority of these factories were much smaller than Comstock; one suspects, in fact, that most of them were no more than backroom enterprises conducted by untrained, but ambitious, druggists…”.
2. “But before the end of 1849 the partners quarreled, Lucius fell out with his brothers, and after a period of dissension, the firm of Comstock & Co. Brothers was dissolved as of August 1, 1850”.
3. “Lucius, for his part, never deigned to recognize his opponents as brothers but merely described them as ‘two young men who claim relationship to me.'”.
4. “The plaintiffs (the Comstocks) by their acts have disenabled Moore from using his own name….”.
5. “The old gentleman was also said to be enormously wealthy, ‘with an income of about five hundred thousand dollars annually, and the owner of a number of fine, elegant ships…'”.
6. “In retrospect it seems extremely curious that persons as prominent, as successful, as wealthy as Dr. Morse and Dr. Cunard were never seen or heard by the public…”.
7. “The great majority of the employees of the pill factory were women—or, more properly, girls—in an era when it was not yet common-place for members of the fair sex to leave the shelter of their homes for paid employment”.
8. “One may wonder whether Dr. Morse’s Indian Root Pills really did anyone any good. They certainly did heap many benefits upon all citizens of Morristown”.
9. “Always prominent in this advertising were reminders of our fragile mortality and warnings, if proper medication were neglected, of an untimely consignment to the silent grave”.
10. “In these final days the Indian Root Pills, now packaged in a flat metal box with a sliding lid, were described modestly as the Handy Vegetable Laxative”.

About the Author

Robert B. Shaw (b. 1916—) is the author, identified as an Associate Professor of Accounting and History at Clarkson College of Technology in Potsdam, N.Y.. His research for this work, History of the Comstock Patent Medicine Business and Dr. Morse’s Indian Root Pills, utilized the unique collection of recovered records from the abandoned Morristown factory. The resulting history was published by the Smithsonian Institution as Smithsonian Studies in History and Technology Number 22. This study reconstructs the inner workings of the patent medicine trade, detailing the lives of the Comstock family members, the complex litigation that defined the business, and the expansive advertising efforts required to market the remedies across North America and beyond. Shaw’s work provides a deep look into an industry that thrived for decades despite its reliance on fictional claims and later faced collapse due to changes in public attitude and increased enforcement of drug acts.

How to Get the Most from the Books

To gain the most from this book, focus on the dynamics of proprietary medicine marketing and the complexity of business and family litigation that shaped the early American drug trade.

Conclusion

The history of the Comstock Patent Medicine Business provides a compelling micro-study of the American patent-medicine era, characterized by intense competition, fabricated marketing, and impressive commercial longevity spanning nearly 140 years through various iterations. The life of the Morristown factory, a prominent local economic and social force for ninety-three years, eventually succumbed in 1960 to the rising standards of medical regulation and a more informed public. Despite the North American company’s closure, the legacy of Dr. Morse’s Indian Root Pills persists today, manufactured and distributed by a successor company in Australia.