The Strange Career of a Disinfectant
April 16, 2003 6:53 PM Subscribe
The poet Vachel Lindsay committed suicide by drinking it. The Edmonton liquor control board arrested a grocery store owner for selling it. Weirder yet, the American Medical Association once condemned its manufacturer for advertising it as a contraceptive or douche. The bizarre history of Lysol disinfectant.
Those douche ads are really disgustingly scary!
"Wives often lose the precious air of romance, doctors say, for lack of the intimate daintiness dependent on douching. For this look to reliable "lysol" brand disinfectant."
I am sure that a disinfectant did a lot to enhance the *daintiness* factor - yikes!
Fascinating post nonetheless, jonp72 - I had never heard about any of this stuff, and didn't know that about Vachel Lindsay! I have always loved his poem "The Leaden Eyed"
Let not young souls be smothered out before
They do quaint deeds and fully flaunt their pride.
It is the world's one crime its babes grow dull,
Its poor are ox-like, limp and leaden-eyed.
Not that they starve, but starve so dreamlessly,
Not that they sow, but that they seldom reap.
Not that they serve, but have no gods to serve,
Not that they die, but that they die like sheep
posted by madamjujujive at 8:39 PM on April 16, 2003
"Wives often lose the precious air of romance, doctors say, for lack of the intimate daintiness dependent on douching. For this look to reliable "lysol" brand disinfectant."
I am sure that a disinfectant did a lot to enhance the *daintiness* factor - yikes!
Fascinating post nonetheless, jonp72 - I had never heard about any of this stuff, and didn't know that about Vachel Lindsay! I have always loved his poem "The Leaden Eyed"
Let not young souls be smothered out before
They do quaint deeds and fully flaunt their pride.
It is the world's one crime its babes grow dull,
Its poor are ox-like, limp and leaden-eyed.
Not that they starve, but starve so dreamlessly,
Not that they sow, but that they seldom reap.
Not that they serve, but have no gods to serve,
Not that they die, but that they die like sheep
posted by madamjujujive at 8:39 PM on April 16, 2003
In the poorer sections of Edmonton (at least, the last time I was there a few years ago) abandoned lots played host to drifts of empty Lysol cans. They piled up in every corner, slowly turning a weird rusty white.
posted by aramaic at 9:26 PM on April 16, 2003
posted by aramaic at 9:26 PM on April 16, 2003
[quonsar shudders upon reading the context-driven google ads in the sidebar.]
posted by quonsar at 5:55 AM on April 17, 2003
posted by quonsar at 5:55 AM on April 17, 2003
I'm thinking the folks at Lysol hadn't heard of oral sex when they were doing up those ads. What a gawdawful taste that'd be. Shudder.
posted by five fresh fish at 10:08 AM on April 17, 2003
posted by five fresh fish at 10:08 AM on April 17, 2003
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posted by quonsar at 7:11 PM on April 16, 2003