Antique Pinex Laxative Medicine Tin — Fort Wayne, Indiana (1910s)

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This original Pinex Laxative medicine tin dates to the 1910s and was produced by The Pinex Company of Fort Wayne, Indiana, founded in 1905 by William H. Noll. Pinex was a staple in American medicine cabinets during the early 20th century, remaining in production until the company was acquired by Revlon in 1960.

The tin is especially notable for its period marketing language. The front warns: “Keep out of reach of children else they may eat them for candy.” The reverse reads: “For a child — eat like candy, children love the pleasant taste.” This contradiction reflects the realities of pre‑regulation pharmaceutical advertising and makes the piece a compelling example of early American medical history.

Examples like this were commonly protected with wax paper inserts, and some tins still retain remnants of that original packaging. Today, these tins are collected not only as advertising ephemera, but as social artifacts illustrating how medicine, marketing, and childhood intersected in the early 1900s.

This piece is offered as a story‑led, reference‑quality example suitable for display, study, or inclusion in an apothecary or medical history collection.

• Era: 1910s
• Origin: Fort Wayne, Indiana
• Size: Approximately 3½" × 2" × ½"
• Condition: Antique NOS; some examples retain original wax paper