The Logan County History Center has submitted the following story.
By: Mary E. Mortimer
When Winfield Scott established Scott’s Santal Pepsin Co. in Bellefontaine in 1897, he entered the thriving late nineteenth-century world of mail-order patent medicines and bold advertising claims. From his Bellefontaine business, Scott promoted his “miracle pills” as cures for kidney, bladder, and other diseases.
Scott was born in Zanesfield in 1848, the only son of James K. and Wilhelmina Scott. As a young adult, he entered the sewing machine and musical instrument business. In 1883, he began working for the Evans Chemical Co. of Cincinnati, a position that took him far beyond Ohio. During his fourteen years with the company, he traveled across the United States and abroad, visiting Australia, New Zealand, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), India, Egypt, Spain, Canada, and many other countries. Along the way, he gathered souvenirs and rare trophies, which he displayed in his apartment on the upper floor of the Lawrence Block in Bellefontaine. His “bachelor quarters” were said to be the envy of all who visited.
In June 1897, Scott left the Evans Chemical Co. and opened Scott’s Santal Pepsin Co. The business soon grew, and he employed several men in his factory. Scott sold his “miracle pills” nationwide by mail order, through the Frank Butler Pharmacy in Bellefontaine, and at many other pharmacies. Advertisements for Scott’s Santal Pepsin capsules promised “a positive cure for kidney and bladder diseases” and claimed the capsules could cure “quickly and permanently the worst cases of gonorrhea and gleet,” with “positively no injurious effects to the stomach.” Another advertisement stated, “For inflammation and catarrh of the bladder and diseased kidneys. No cure, no pay. Cures quickly and permanently all unnatural diseases of the urinary organs. Absolutely harmless. Sold by druggists; price $1.00, or by mail, postpaid, $1.00, or three boxes for $2.75. Address: The Santal Pepsin Co., Bellefontaine, O.”
The New York American Journal of Health endorsed Scott’s Santal Pepsin capsules in its February 17, 1899, issue. By June, Scott’s business had become successful enough for him to rent three more rooms in the Lawrence Block.
Scott also created Scott’s Blood Tablets, advertised as a way to improve the blood. One advertisement claimed, “Scott’s Blood Tablets are an absolute purifier of the blood. We would advise the use of them in all cases of blood taint, where the system has become impaired, and to a person low in vitality, they act promptly and soon build up your vital organs to a healthy condition. They remove pimples, make healthy blood, rosy cheeks, and clear complexion. Dose: One tablet before each meal and one tablet going to bed.” Scott did not list the ingredients for any of his medications. Like other miracle pills of the period, their advertised claims were not fully reliable.
In June 1904, The Bellefontaine Republican reported that Scott’s business was flourishing and that he had received six hundred boxes for shipment of his pills.
For many years, Scott hosted a two-week summer camp called “Camp Great Scott” at Lake Ridge, Indian Lake. There, he entertained friends and family with gracious hospitality. His friends called him “General Winfield Scott” because of his “genial nature, accommodating manner, and usefulness around the island.”
In July 1905, while Scott and his friends were gathering supplies for “Camp Great Scott,” he became seriously ill and died soon after. After his death, his relatives took possession of his belongings, and Scott’s Santal Pepsin Co. closed. Scott never married and was survived by his two sisters, Georginia Reames of Zanesfield and Arah Jamison of Bellefontaine.
The parlor set from Scott’s apartment was given to Augustus Kaylor, a partner with Scott in the Santal Pepsin Co. Kaylor’s wife was a distant relative of Winfield Scott. Ralph and Ann Wood, along with Mark Wood, donated Winfield Scott’s parlor set to the Logan County Historical Society, where it is now on exhibit in the East Parlor of the Orr Mansion. Ralph and Mark Wood are descendants of Augustus Kaylor.
An original Scott’s Santal Pepsin Co. sign and pill tin are also on exhibit in the General Store Room of the Logan County Museum.
Visit the Logan County History Center to learn more interesting aspects of Logan County history. The History Center is open for tours Wednesday through Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is free.
