TO-NI-TA – Dr. Lorentz’s Mucous Membrane Bitters
07 October 2018
I found some neat newspaper advertising for TO-NI-TA, Dr. Lorentz’s Mucous Membrane Bitters that made me pause and want to know what To-Ni-Ta means. Best I can figure is a play on the words “Tonight” and “Tonic”. The byline in advertising says, “A gentle, invigorating tonic or stimulant for body, brain and nerve.”
TO-NI-TA, is a scientific combination of the vital principles of the most powerful healing herbs known to medicine, and is guaranteed to contain no opiates or dangerous drugs of any kind. It has been analyzed and tested by the most eminent chemists and doctors throughout the world, all of whom have come to one decision, that “TO-NI-TA” is the most wonderful medicinal discovery of modern times.
This is a super late bitters bottle that usually is not represented in bottle collections. I have a sample size and a wooden box. I do not have the large example. Shouldn’t be too hard to find.
The Fuller Building, known as the ‘Flatiron’ Building, in New York City. It was designed in 1902 by Daniel Burnham. – Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Dr. Lorentz’s Mucous Membrane Bitters was put out by the Lorentz Medical Company in New York City from 1903 to 1905. The company was located in the architecturally significant Flatiron Building that sits on a triangular block formed by Fifth Avenue, Broadway and East 22nd Street. Definitely worth visiting if you are in Manhattan. Joseph B. Vandergritt was President and they had $100,000 in Capital in 1904.
The company said they would provide the bitters formula to any doctor for distribution which is kind of odd. Each bottle cost a $1.00, was 26% alcohol and included Dr. Lorentz’s treatise on cattarrh called “The Beautiful Story of Life.” Advertising said you could mail in and get a sample bottle as 50,000 were ordered and available. I need to find an example of the treatise as I do not know who Dr. Lorentz was. He was certainly a German.
Their advertising target groups seems to cover a broad area as they marketed to prominent men and women, society girls, prominent Bostonians, Germans, teens, seventy-five year olds, citizens of Richmond, choirmasters and organists, polar bear trainers etc. The list goes on.
By 1906, the company had dissolved. Probably not a good idea to give away your formula, 50,000 free sample bottles, a treatise to each who asks, have high rent space and run countless ads in newspapers. Of course, the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 was the big gorilla in the room. The true end of the bitters era.
The Carlyn Ring and W.C. Ham listing in Bitters Bottles is as follows:
T 44 To-ni-ta Mucous Membrane Bitters
L…To-ni-ta Mucous Membrane Bitters
// s// TRADE “TO-NI-TA” MARK / LORENTZ MED. CO. // c //
The Lorentz Medical Co., New York
9 3/4 x. 2 7/8 (6 1/2)
Round, Amber, STC
Label: A gentle, invigorating tonic or stimulant for body, brain and nerve. Reverse of labels same in German.
T 45. To-ni-ta Mucous Membrane Bitters (above)
L…To-ni-ta Mucous Membrane Bitters
// s // TRADE “TO-NI-TA” MARK // LORENTZ MED. CO. // c //
3 7/8 x 1 1/4 (2 5/8)
Round, Amber
Advertisement: Prominent Women Cured by TO-NI-TA, Dr. Lorentz’t Mucous Membrane Bitters, Lorentz Medical Co., New York – The Boston Globe, Sunday, November 8, 1903
Advertisement: Painful Periods Cured by TO-NI-TA, Dr. Lorentz’t Mucous Membrane Bitters, Lorentz Medical Co., New York – Boston Post, Tuesday, November 17, 1903
Advertisement: Prominent Bostonians Cured by TO-NI-TA, Dr. Lorentz’t Mucous Membrane Bitters, Lorentz Medical Co., New York – The Boston Globe, Wednesday, December 9, 1903
Advertisement: Seventy-Fivge Years Old, Catarrh of Bowels Cured by TO-NI-TA, Dr. Lorentz’t Mucous Membrane Bitters, Lorentz Medical Co., New York – The Boston Globe, Sunday, February 14, 1904
Advertisement: Richmond Citizens Rejoice at the Mighty Healy Power of TO-NI-TA, Dr. Lorentz’t Mucous Membrane Bitters, Lorentz Medical Co., New York – The Times Dispatch, Saturday, April 9, 1904
Advertisement: Society Girl Cured by TO-NI-TA, Dr. Lorentz’t Mucous Membrane Bitters, Lorentz Medical Co., New York – The Morning News, Thursday, April 14, 1904
Advertisement: Catarrrh of Stomach Cured by TO-NI-TA, Dr. Lorentz’t Great Mucous Membrane Bitters, Lorentz Medical Co., New York – The Charlotte Observer, Thursday, January 26, 1905
