ABSTRACT
In 1915 Henry Bristol, the eldest son of William Bristol, became general manager of Bristol-Myers. William Bristol, Jr., handled manufacturing, while a vice president oversaw advertising. After a post-World War I recession forced the company to discontinue its line of ethical, or prescription, drugs, Bristol-Myers moved to Manhattan and focused production on its two best-selling specialty products, Ipana Toothpaste and Sal Hepatica (a mineral salt laxative), along with other toiletries, antiseptics, and cough syrups. These changes were accompanied by a new emphasis on advertising to consumers rather than the traditional audience of doctors and dentists.
