I couldn’t end this post without touching on the company’s famous trade mark of a Norwegian fisherman with a huge cod hanging from his shoulders. The emulsion helps build up the body’s natural resistance to infections and develop strong bones and teeth. One hundred years later, the GlaxoSmithKline web site still calls it Scott’s and states: Now made by the global health care giant GlaxoSmithKline, Scott’s Emulsion is still available today and interestingly their message has remained consistent. It didn’t take long for Scott & Bowne to capitalize on this discovery and build it into their advertising. In the 1920’s with the discovery of vitamins it was learned that cod liver oil was especially rich in Vitamins A and D. They have plugged steadily at the theme that their product is really a prophylaxis (not in these words, though), a builder of body resistance to the ills coincident with exposure and bad weather and a general tonic under all conditions.Īdvertisements from 18 document this approach. In the 1917 Printer’s Ink interview the merits of Scott’s Emulsion were described like this: One early advertisement that’s shown below actually printed the emulsion’s formula: 50 percent pure cod liver oil, 6 grams of the hypophosphite of lime and 3 grams of the hypophosphite of soda to the fluid ounce. According to this 1889 advertisement, this made their cod liver oil “Palatable as Milk” According to Fowler’s interview they solved this problem through the emulsifying process that broke up the large fat particles of the oil into smaller units more readily absorbed by the system and coating them in a solution of glycerine. The problem was its highly disagreeable taste and smell. I have found Scott & Bowne listed in Montclair Directories up through 1941 after which I lose track.Ĭod liver oil in general had a reputation as an effective treatment for consumption or “wasting diseases” that included bronchitis, scopula, tuberculosis, etc. Most (more than 2/3’s) were druggists, but the number also included general stores, corner grocery stores and department stores. According to the Fowler interview, by 1917 the business had 63,400 distributors in the U.S. Later directories list them at 60 Orange Street. Directory listed them as “patent and proprietary medicine mfr’s” located on Orange Street near the D L & W Railroad. Shortly thereafter, the company moved from New York to Bloomfield New Jersey. According to Bowne’s obituary, he ran the piece of the business located in the Americas from Pearl Street, while Scott lived in London and ran the balance of the business from there. Fowler, that appeared in the publication “Printers Ink,” around the time they moved to Pearl Street the business was producing 1.5 million bottles of Scott’s Emulsion each year and they had facilities in North and South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Then in 1892 the company finished construction on their new 12-story building at 411 Pearl Street called the Scott & Bowne Building.Īccording to a 1917 interview with then president of the firm, P.H. Over the course of the next fifteen years Scott & Bowne was listed at 108 Wooster (1880-81 through 1884) and later at 132 S 5th Ave (1886 through 1892). was listed for the first time at the same 1211 Broadway address and Scott and Bowne was listed for the first time at 124 Hudson Street.

From 1870 up until 1874, Scott, Platt & Co. It looks like the break-up of Scott & Platt took place sometime in the mid 1870’s. The manufacture of the emulsion was continued by the firm of Scott & Bowne. Platt taking the disinfectant and establishing an independent business in the manufacture and sale of Platt’s chlorides. Their most successful preparations were an emulsion of cod liver oil and a disinfectant.

The firm was composed of Colonel Alfred M. In 1865 he came to New York, entering the employ of Scott & Platt as a traveling salesman. Bowne was born at Walton, Orange County N.Y., and began his business career in Newburgh. The early history of the product was summarized in Samuel W. Soon after, it’s manufacture was taken over by the firm of Scott & Bowne. Scott’s Emulsion of Cod Liver was originally developed and manufactured by the firm of Scott & Platt in the early 1870’s.

Scotts emulsion fish oil nbe