Geritol: Difference between revisions

Geritol was introduced as an alcohol-based, [[Human iron metabolism|iron]] and [[B vitamins|B vitamin]] tonic by Pharmaceuticals, Inc., in August 1950 and primarily marketed as such into the 1970s. Geritol was folded into Pharmaceuticals' 1957 acquisition of J. B. Williams Co., founded in 1885.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lib.uconn.edu/online/research/speclib/ASC/findaids/JBWilliams/MSS19670001.html|title=J. B. Williams Company Records, 1853–1956|website=Archives & Special Collections, Thomas J. Dodd Center, University of Connecticut|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060129204143/http://www.lib.uconn.edu/online/research/speclib/ASC/findaids/JBWilliams/MSS19670001.html|archive-date=January 29, 2006}}</ref> J. B. Williams Co. was bought by [[Nabisco]] in 1971.<ref>{{cite news |date=1971-07-10 |title=Nabsico-Williams |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/128223688/ |url-access=subscription |work=[[The Des Moines Register]] |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |volume=125 |issue=15 |page=11}}</ref> In 1982, the Geritol product name was acquired by the multinational pharmaceutical firm [[Beecham Group|Beecham]] (later [[GlaxoSmithKline]]).<ref>[http{{cite web |date=2003-09-15 |title=Geritol |url=https://adage.com/article/adage-encyclopedia/geritol/98487/ Geritol]|url-access=subscription |website=AdAge Encyclopedia}}</ref> Geritol was acquired by [[Meda AB|Meda Pharmaceutical]] in 2011.<ref>{{cite webpress release|last=Comer |first=Ben|date=2011-01-05|title=GSK launches new Alli spots, hands five OTC brands to Meda|url=http://www.mmm-online.com/gsk-launches-new-alli-spots-hands-five-otc-brands-to-meda/article/193721/ |website=Medical Marketing and Media}}</ref> Meda was acquired by [[Mylan]] in 2016.<ref>{{Cite news| title|last=Grover |first=Natalie |title=Mylan to buy Swedish drugmaker Meda in $7.2 billion deal| |work =[[Reuters]] Reuters| access-date = 2017-04-25 | date = 2016-02-11 | url = https://www.reuters.com/article/us-meda-m-a-mylan-nl-idUSKCN0VJ2IK}}</ref>

The earlier Geritol liquid formulation was advertised as "twice the iron in a pound of calf's liver," and daily doses contained about 50–100 milligrams of iron as [[ferric ammonium citrate]]. The Geritol tonic contained about 12% alcohol and some B vitamins.{{cn|date=April 2024}}

Geritol was often used in the 1960s as a [[punch line]] for a joke in sitcoms or in comedy routines; comic singer [[Allan Sherman]] parodiedreferenced Geritol on his 1962 album ''[[My Son, the Folk Singer]]'', singing "Yasha got a bottle of Geritol" to the tune of "[[Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho|Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho]]".