Mecca Ointment
Encyclopedia
Mecca Ointment is the product name of a first aid ointment used for the temporary relief of pain and/or itching associated with minor burns, sunburn, minor cuts, scrapes, insect bites and for the temporary protection of minor skin irritations. Mecca is a white petrolatum-based topical
cream. The formulation contains the medicinal ingredients Phenol
0.5%, Camphor
0.5% and Zinc Oxide
1.25%.
In 1972, the Canadian trademark for Mecca Ointment was transferred to The Mentholatum
Company of Orchard Park, New York, USA. The Mentholatum Company discontinued Mecca in early 2004. On February 8, 2011, Vintage Brands Ltd. acquired all the intellectualy property rights connected to the Mecca product from The Mentholatum Company.
1907 On January 18, 1907, the Foster-Dack Company was incorporated in Canada. The Canadian office was located at 337 King St. W. in Toronto, Ontario.
1920 The Foster-Dack Co. published an information pamphlet entitled "Mecca Ointment - The Household Remedy." An original copy of this pamphlet is archived in the Patent Medicine Collection of the Health Sciences Library at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
1921 "Mecca Compound" was registered as a trademark with the United States Patent and Trade Office (USPTO) by the Foster-Dack Company.
1922 On February 24, 1922, the Mecca trademark was registered in Canada by the Foster-Dack Company.
1929 On December 7, 1929, the Foster-Dack Company of Chicago incorporated. The shareholders were A.D. Foster; his three daughters, Alice Foster McKesson, Jessica Foster and Grace Foster; Eugene W. Peterson Sr.; and Eugene W. Peterson Jr.
1970 The Foster-Dack Company Ltd. was dissolved on March 10, 1970.
1972 In February 1972, the Canadian trademark for Mecca was transferred to The Mentholatum Company.
2004 The Mentholatum Company discontinued the production and sale of Mecca Ointment.
2011 On February 8, 2011, Vintage Brands Ltd. acquired all intellectual property rights connected to the Mecca Ointment product from The Mentholatum Company.
Topical
In medicine, a topical medication is applied to body surfaces such as the skin or mucous membranes such as the vagina, anus, throat, eyes and ears.Many topical medications are epicutaneous, meaning that they are applied directly to the skin...
cream. The formulation contains the medicinal ingredients Phenol
Phenol
Phenol, also known as carbolic acid, phenic acid, is an organic compound with the chemical formula C6H5OH. It is a white crystalline solid. The molecule consists of a phenyl , bonded to a hydroxyl group. It is produced on a large scale as a precursor to many materials and useful compounds...
0.5%, Camphor
Camphor
Camphor is a waxy, white or transparent solid with a strong, aromatic odor. It is a terpenoid with the chemical formula C10H16O. It is found in wood of the camphor laurel , a large evergreen tree found in Asia and also of Dryobalanops aromatica, a giant of the Bornean forests...
0.5% and Zinc Oxide
Zinc oxide
Zinc oxide is an inorganic compound with the formula ZnO. It is a white powder that is insoluble in water. The powder is widely used as an additive into numerous materials and products including plastics, ceramics, glass, cement, rubber , lubricants, paints, ointments, adhesives, sealants,...
1.25%.
History of Mecca Ointment
Analytic chemist Albert D. Foster created the formula for Mecca compound in 1898. Foster was one of the founders of the Foster-Dack Company (Chicago), the original producers of Mecca Ointment. The Foster-Dack Co. first sold Mecca in the United States in the later part of the 19th and early 20th Century. Mecca was introduced into Canada in the early 20th Century. There is also some evidence to suggest that Mecca Ointment was available in England and Scotland in the early 20th Century. The Foster-Dack Co. was the proprietor of Mecca Ointment until the company was dissolved on March 10, 1970.In 1972, the Canadian trademark for Mecca Ointment was transferred to The Mentholatum
Mentholatum
The Mentholatum Company, Inc., founded in 1889 by Albert Alexander Hyde, is a maker of non-prescription health care products. It was bought out by Rohto Pharmaceutical Co., a Japanese health care company, in 1988...
Company of Orchard Park, New York, USA. The Mentholatum Company discontinued Mecca in early 2004. On February 8, 2011, Vintage Brands Ltd. acquired all the intellectualy property rights connected to the Mecca product from The Mentholatum Company.
Notable Dates in the History of Mecca Ointment
1898 Albert D. Foster, an analytic chemist, created the formula for Mecca Compound. Foster, along with Eugene William Peterson Sr., founded the Foster-Dack Company in Chicago, Illinois, USA sometime in the late 1800's. The US office was located at 3148 Cottage Grove in Chicago, Illinois.1907 On January 18, 1907, the Foster-Dack Company was incorporated in Canada. The Canadian office was located at 337 King St. W. in Toronto, Ontario.
1920 The Foster-Dack Co. published an information pamphlet entitled "Mecca Ointment - The Household Remedy." An original copy of this pamphlet is archived in the Patent Medicine Collection of the Health Sciences Library at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
1921 "Mecca Compound" was registered as a trademark with the United States Patent and Trade Office (USPTO) by the Foster-Dack Company.
1922 On February 24, 1922, the Mecca trademark was registered in Canada by the Foster-Dack Company.
1929 On December 7, 1929, the Foster-Dack Company of Chicago incorporated. The shareholders were A.D. Foster; his three daughters, Alice Foster McKesson, Jessica Foster and Grace Foster; Eugene W. Peterson Sr.; and Eugene W. Peterson Jr.
1970 The Foster-Dack Company Ltd. was dissolved on March 10, 1970.
1972 In February 1972, the Canadian trademark for Mecca was transferred to The Mentholatum Company.
2004 The Mentholatum Company discontinued the production and sale of Mecca Ointment.
2011 On February 8, 2011, Vintage Brands Ltd. acquired all intellectual property rights connected to the Mecca Ointment product from The Mentholatum Company.