Trade cards were a popular form of advertising between the 1870s and early 1900s. They came in packages of various products or were distributed free to customers. Collecting trade cards became a popular hobby and the cards often featured images with little connection with the product advertised. Sets of trade cards featuring pictures of animals, birds, historical scenes, sites around the world, and other themes were issued to encourage collecting.
In the text on the back of the card, the product is claimed to treat all sorts of “scrofulous diseases and conditions” as well as liver complaints, female weaknesses and irregularities, rheumatism, neuralgia, jaundice, and general debility.
Image courtesy of New York Academy of Medicine
To learn more about the history of medicine and quack cures, see Discovering Quacks, Utopias, and Cemeteries