Notes

[alt text]

A black-and-white advertisement features large text posing a riddle about acetaminophen quality, with an illustration of a person bent over near the bottom of the page. The ad emphasizes Penick’s production of high-purity, color-stable acetaminophen and promotes industrial-scale supply.

[transcription]

Question: What’s always tip top but never in the pink?

There’s no riddle about where to find top-quality acetaminophen. At Penick. Our new plant produces nothing but prime white material with excellent color stability. That means non-pinking. And we stock our high-purity product coast-to-coast. All you need. In the form you want.

Answer: Penick Acetaminophen.

S. B. PENICK & COMPANY, Division of CPC International Inc., New York 10007

[additional notes] - Violet Webber

I was unable to find any information about “non-pinking” medications. I assume that it means the material does not contain syntheic color additives, emphasizing the chemical purity of the product. 

S.B. Penick & Company was founded in 1914 and emphasized the natural ingredients and processing of their pharmaceuticals. In the 1940s, Penick was legally challenged for producing substandard or adulterated chemical products. The use of “always tip top” in this ad, despite the company’s legal history, is an interesting choice.

• https://wncmagazine.com/feature/mountain_meds

• https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/136/413/1511671/