TO-NI-TA – Dr. Lorentz’s Mucous Membrane Bitters

TO-NI-TA – Dr. Lorentz’s Mucous Membrane Bitters

07 October 2018

I found some neat newspaper advertising for TO-NI-TA, Dr. Lorentz’s Mucous Membrane Bitters that made me pause and want to know what To-Ni-Ta means. Best I can figure is a play on the words “Tonight” and “Tonic”. The byline in advertising says, “A gentle, invigorating tonic or stimulant for body, brain and nerve.”

TO-NI-TA, is a scientific combination of the vital principles of the most powerful healing herbs known to medicine, and is guaranteed to contain no opiates or dangerous drugs of any kind. It has been analyzed and tested by the most eminent chemists and doctors throughout the world, all of whom have come to one decision, that “TO-NI-TA” is the most wonderful medicinal discovery of modern times.

This is a super late bitters bottle that usually is not represented in bottle collections. I have a sample size and a wooden box. I do not have the large example. Shouldn’t be too hard to find.

The Fuller Building, known as the ‘Flatiron’ Building, in New York City. It was designed in 1902 by Daniel Burnham. – Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Dr. Lorentz’s Mucous Membrane Bitters was put out by the Lorentz Medical Company in New York City from 1903 to 1905. The company was located in the architecturally significant Flatiron Building that sits on a triangular block formed by Fifth Avenue, Broadway and East 22nd Street. Definitely worth visiting if you are in Manhattan. Joseph B. Vandergritt was President and they had $100,000 in Capital in 1904.

The company said they would provide the bitters formula to any doctor for distribution which is kind of odd. Each bottle cost a $1.00, was 26% alcohol and included Dr. Lorentz’s treatise on cattarrh called “The Beautiful Story of Life.” Advertising said you could mail in and get a sample bottle as 50,000 were ordered and available. I need to find an example of the treatise as I do not know who Dr. Lorentz was. He was certainly a German.

Their advertising target groups seems to cover a broad area as they marketed to prominent  men and women, society girls, prominent Bostonians, Germans, teens, seventy-five year olds, citizens of Richmond, choirmasters and organists, polar bear trainers etc. The list goes on.

By 1906, the company had dissolved. Probably not a good idea to give away your formula, 50,000 free sample bottles, a treatise to each who asks, have high rent space and run countless ads in newspapers. Of course, the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 was the big gorilla in the room. The true end of the bitters era.

The Carlyn Ring and W.C. Ham listing in Bitters Bottles is as follows:

T 44  To-ni-ta Mucous Membrane Bitters
L…To-ni-ta Mucous Membrane Bitters
// s// TRADE “TO-NI-TA” MARK / LORENTZ MED. CO. // c //
The Lorentz Medical Co., New York
9 3/4 x. 2 7/8 (6 1/2)
Round, Amber, STC
Label: A gentle, invigorating tonic or stimulant for body, brain and nerve. Reverse of labels same in German.

T 45. To-ni-ta Mucous Membrane Bitters (above)
L…To-ni-ta Mucous Membrane Bitters
// s // TRADE “TO-NI-TA” MARK // LORENTZ MED. CO. // c //
3 7/8 x 1 1/4 (2 5/8)
Round, Amber



Advertisement: Prominent Women Cured by TO-NI-TA, Dr. Lorentz’t Mucous Membrane Bitters, Lorentz Medical Co., New York – The Boston Globe, Sunday, November 8, 1903

Advertisement: Painful Periods Cured by TO-NI-TA, Dr. Lorentz’t Mucous Membrane Bitters, Lorentz Medical Co., New York – Boston Post, Tuesday, November 17, 1903

Advertisement: Prominent Bostonians Cured by TO-NI-TA, Dr. Lorentz’t Mucous Membrane Bitters, Lorentz Medical Co., New York – The Boston Globe, Wednesday, December 9, 1903

Advertisement: Seventy-Fivge Years Old, Catarrh of Bowels Cured by TO-NI-TA, Dr. Lorentz’t Mucous Membrane Bitters, Lorentz Medical Co., New York – The Boston Globe, Sunday, February 14, 1904

Advertisement: Richmond Citizens Rejoice at the Mighty Healy Power of  TO-NI-TA, Dr. Lorentz’t Mucous Membrane Bitters, Lorentz Medical Co., New York – The Times Dispatch, Saturday, April 9, 1904

Advertisement: Society Girl Cured by TO-NI-TA, Dr. Lorentz’t Mucous Membrane Bitters, Lorentz Medical Co., New York – The Morning News, Thursday, April 14, 1904

Advertisement: Catarrrh of Stomach Cured by TO-NI-TA, Dr. Lorentz’t Great Mucous Membrane Bitters, Lorentz Medical Co., New York – The Charlotte Observer, Thursday, January 26, 1905

Select Listings:

1903: Advertisement (above): Painful Periods Cured by TO-NI-TA, Dr. Lorentz’t Mucous Membrane Bitters, Lorentz Medical Co., New York – Boston Post, Tuesday, November 17, 1903
1904: Lorentz Medical Co. (N.Y.) (Joseph B. Vandergritt, Pres.; Samuel S. Hinds. Sec.; Frank E. Parrott, Treas. Capital, $100,000. Directors: Joseph B. Vandergritt. Samuel S. Hinds, Frank E. Parrott) 04′.) B’way – Polk’s (Trow’s) New York Copartnership and Corporation Directory
1904: Advertisement (above): Society Girl Cured by TO-NI-TA, Dr. Lorentz’t Mucous Membrane Bitters, Lorentz Medical Co., New York – The Morning News, Thursday, April 14, 1904
1906: Lorentz Medical Co. (dissolved), 452 5th Avenue – The Trow (formerly Wilson’s) Copartnership and Corporation Directory of New York City

About Ferdinand Meyer V

Ferdinand Meyer V is a native of Baltimore, Maryland and has a BFA in Fine Art and Graphic Design from the Kansas City Art Institute and School of Design. Ferdinand is the founding Principal of FMG Design, a nationally recognized design consultation firm. Ferdinand is a passionate collector of American historical glass specializing in bitters bottles, color runs and related classic figural bottles. He is married to Elizabeth Jane Meyer and lives in Houston, Texas with their daughter and three wonderful grandchildren. The Meyers are also very involved in Quarter Horses, antiques and early United States postage stamps. Ferdinand is the past 6-year President of the Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors and is one of the founding members of the FOHBC Virtual Museum.
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