Lydia E. Pinkham brand "Vegetable Compound", containing extract of Piscidia Erythrina (Jamaica Dogwood), Asclepias Tuberosa (Pleurisy Root), Cimicifuga Racemosa (Black Cohosh), Vitamin B1, Dandelion, and other ingredients.

Lydia E. Pinkham, née Estes, (1819-1883) was an American proprietor who commodified her homemade herbal-alcoholic supplements, claiming they could cure any “female complaint” from menstrual discomfort to a prolapsed uterus. Pinkham began making her medicine as a home remedy, which she freely shared with family and friends. In 1875, her “Vegetable Compound” made its debut commercial appearance for $1 a bottle. In Pinkham’s life, the business grew from her cellar kitchen to a manufacturing plant that would gross just under $300,000 a year. The product is still sold today in a modified form.

Though medical experts dismissed Pinkham’s products as quack remedies, the supplements’ popularity among women persisted. Aggressive marketing of Pinkham's products contributed to their acceptance by women; slogans such as “Only a woman can understand a woman’s ills,” targeted the many women who were hesitant to consult male physicians about menstruation or other women’s health issues.