3/10/25 Linden Shroyer's letter:
322 Grafton Avenue,
Dayton, Ohio
Dear Mr. Blumenthal:-
No doubt you are anxious to know what I have done in regards
to getting started and following the brief summary of what
has been my activities.
I have quite a long talk with the Geyer-Dayton Advertising
representative and although they do not quite agree that the
direct by mail campaign to individuals would be the best
plan, they do not altogether disagree. The suggest that we
do not send out but five hundred of the circular letters to
start with, and if we receive a satisfactory number of
replies from such an amount then it would be well to go ahead
with that plan. The plan they suggested is that the
druggists in and around this vicinity be approached by
personal solicitation and to give them the proper support by
newspaper advertising, window displays, etc. They could not
give me a definite quotation on the matter which I referred
to them, namely the circular letter, the circular and the
carton for the bottle; however, the price for the copy of the
letter and circular he said would be about $50.00; the
multigraph work and the mailing to be done by us, so I would
judge from these figures that to mail about fifteen hundred
letters, to-gether with the art work and designing of the
carton, would total approximately $150.00.
You will remember that I spoke to you about a gentleman
operating a drug company here selling direct to the doctors
in Dayton and surrounding towns, and that I would speak to
him relative to our proposition. I called on him last
Saturday afternoon, which was the first time I was able to
catch him in his office, and spent a couple of hours with
him. It so happens that he is suffering from pyorrhea, so I
gave him a bottle to try. His brother, who is a dentist,
operates the largest dental office in Cincinnati, and at the
time he first noticed that he was afflicted with pyorrhea he
said that his brother gave him the best thing he had, or knew
of, to help him. This did no good, and so he stated to me
that if we have such a cure as we claim to have he is willing
to take it on with his line of business and he is absolutely
sure that he can dispose of a great quantity of it. He will
also have his brother try it out and get his endorsement, all
of which you can see will help us considerably.
I have spent considerable time in looking for a location,
which will furnish us with an address and be suitable for the
business. We can secure an office in the heart of Dayton, on
Main Street, with a large window, on which we could place our
name, for $37.50 per month. Light, heat and janitor service
are included in this charge. This room would only be
suitable for one office. We can secure a larger room in
the same building for $50.00 per month, with windows on two
streets, Main and Fourth. It may be well to consider this
larger room, for I can find one or two people to share the
expense of rent, telephone and stenographic services, for I
have been approached by two people who desire desk space and
telephone service. However, I wish you would advise us to
what your ideas may be.
I have asked for a quotation on bottles and will also get
quotations on the necessary ingredients for the manufacture
of Pyro-Cure, and will of course obtain these from the one
who offers the cheapest price.
Relative to desks, I find that prices are too high here for
second-hand office furniture, and the most reasonable way to
make such purchases is at forced sales, where they bring very
low returns, so will have to wait until I am able to make
such purchases.
I noticed in the paper the other night where the State
Legislature had passed a bill in which all foreign
corporations are exempt from taxation in Ohio. This I
believe refers to the State Capital Stock Tax, and I have
written to the Secretary of State for a copy of the bill.
The last few evenings I have spent my time in outlining the
system of accounting, and I believe I have succeeded in
reducing this to a minimum cost and also a minimum amount of
labor to be spent.
I am eating, sleeping and living Pyro-Cure, but of course
won't be able to do much until I hear from you, which I hope
will be soon.
Mr. Rosenberg called on me Sunday Morning, at which time he
stated that he was not in a position to see you at this time,
unless you furnished the expense to come to New York, or
until you came to Dayton. He, apparently, is very much
interested, and would like to take hold of the proposition.
He said he would send us some ideas gathered from his own
experience which might be of benefit to us.
I believe this is about all I can report at this time.
Hoping to hear from you real soon, that we may be GOING
STRONG, I am
Very sincerely, --- LS:GD
[GD's note: Mr Shroyer wrote to several drug firms asking
for prices on Prickly Ash Bark and was referred to S. B.
Penick and Company, NYC, brokers in roots, herbs, and barks.]
3/10/25 Mr. Shroyer's letter:
Secretary of State of Ohio,
Columbus, Ohio
Dear Sir:-
I would thank you to send me a copy of the bill enacted by
the House, introduced by Senator W. W. Farnsworth of Lucas
County, exempting from taxation the stocks of foreign
corporations doing business in Ohio. Also the emergency
clause carried by the same measures.
Thanking you, I am
Yours very truly, --- LS:GD
3/12/25 Mr. Blumenthal's letter to Mr. Shroyer:
William E. Lauer & Co (Letterhead)
Members New York Stock Exchange
74 Broadway, New York
Mr. L. Shroyer,
21 - Emmet Street.,
Dayton, Ohio
Dear Mr. Shroyer,
Yours of the 10th received and contents carefully noted. As
regards a room, believe the large one for $50. might prove
satisfactory, providing you can secure the desk space spoken
of in your letter.
I am having a little difficulty in securing a name, or in
registering a name, as the name PYRO-CURE can not be used due
to the fact that there is already a preparation on the market
called PYRO-DENTO, which though for the teeth is not for the
cure of Pyorrhea. Nevertheless, PYRO-DENTO is too closely
associated with our preparation to call it PYRO-CURE.
Probably your advertising men could give you an idea as to a
good name. Suggestions are surely welcome.
I think it might be advisable to have a carton, a circular
and a circular letter made up as a sample at the smallest
possible cost, although, I should think your people could
give you a sketch doing no printing or any other work, merely
drawing. It ought be advisable to make up a hundred bottles
to start with and let your friend who sells to doctors get
right busy on the sale of it. This could be done immediately
after the securing of a name. Have any box-maker make up
some sort of a carton, and small copies of printed directions
both of which could be done for a nominal sum.
The standard carton and circular might come later but if your
friend can sell the article, there is no sense in holding him
up. At any rate, let me know what progress you are able to
make along these lines. The first thing, of course, is to
secure a name and establish our corporation then we can let
your friend take it out immediately for sale, and in the mean
time, secure a standard carton and circular.
As soon as our name is registered, we can get busy. I hope
to be able to devote a little more time to this after the
next two weeks as now I am up to my neck in making an effort
to buy a seat on the New York Stock Exchange. However, this
can be properly put over and if you continue plugging along
these lines, am sure we will succeed. See if you can suggest
a good name that can be registered and the corporation formed
and so on.
With my kindest regards to yourself and Mr. Cayce and again
wishing you good luck and assuring you of my support, I
remain
Very truly yours, [signed] Morton Blumenthal
P.S. Soon as we get name have our first order for the
medicine right here in N.Y.
3/16/25 Mr. Shroyer's ltr. to Mr. Blumenthal:
322 Grafton Avenue,
Dayton, Ohio
Mr. Morton H. Blumenthal,
74 Broadway, Room 401
New York City, N.Y.
Dear Mr. Blumenthal:-
Your letter of March 12th received and contents noted. I'm
sorry to hear that you have had difficulty in registering the
name "Pyro-Cure" as I believe this would have been a very
good name to use. I have handed your letter to Mr. Cayce and
he suggests the name "Piorea Q-R". I believe this would be a
very satisfactory name, as it carries the purpose of the
article, and as he says Q-R would be pronounced as Cure and
could also be construed to mean Quick Relief. If, however,
we should be able to think of any further suggestions will
advise you, and surely hope we shall be able to overcome this
handicap very shortly.
I not in your letter that you suggest I obtain the large room
as I mentioned in my first letter, providing I can secure the
desk space for the other people. This I believe, and am
certain, I can be able to do, but unless I hear from you with
something to start the business off with I'm afraid I will
have to seek elsewhere for a location. I believe you can see
that this also applies to any other work I might have the
advertiser do, or to even secure the necessary properties to
make up a quantity of the formula.
If I had the available cash I would have been able to take
advantage of the sale of a couple of corporations going out
of business here to secure the few items of furniture, etc.,
that will be necessary for the office. In fact there is very
little more I can do until we are able to proceed in a
regular business way. Personally, I have worked a great
amount of enthusiasm and believe that this will prove to be a
very profitable business when it is developed.
I not with interest that our first order will come from New
York. However, I hope there will be lots of first orders
when we are able to deliver.
With kindest personal regards, hoping you are meeting with
success in your business there, and awaiting your further
communication, I am
Yours sincerely, --- LS:GD
3/19/25 S. B. Penick & Co.'s letter:
S. B. Penick & Company (Letterhead)
Offices,
115-117 Fulton Street,
New York
Research Development Corporation,
322 Grafton Avenue,
Dayton, Ohio
Gentlemen:
Responding to your inquiry of march 16th, we are pleased to
quote you
100 lbs PRICKLY ASH BARK, USP....22 cents per lb.
50 " " " " " ....23 cents " "
25 " " " " " ....24 cents " "
F.O.B. New York, for prompt shipment.
Thanking you for the inquiry, and trusting to have the
pleasure of hearing from you, we are
Very truly yours,
S. B. PENICK & COMPANY
4/17/25 EC's letter to MHB from Dayton, Ohio:
Some few weeks ago, I wrote a letter of inquiry to the
Postmaster at Virginia Beach. He sent me a very nice
circular, for one of the Realtors. I suppose we will be
wanting to get set with that end of it as soon as it is
possible to do so. I'd like to do this as soon after the
middle of June as it is possible to do so. I'd like to do
this as soon after the middle of June as it is possible.
Perhaps it will be the wrong time of the year for the place;
that is, to get anything definitely set. Your friend, whom I
believe is in New York at present, or whom you know in
Norfolk or that vicinity, will no doubt be able to give you
any information you desire regarding conditions around there.
To be sure, some of us will have to go down there and see, or
get someone to do same for us. Let me know what you think of
it anyhow.
Be sure and return the letter and photograph from Dr. Stone
[Elise L. Stone, N.D.] when you are through with it. I want
to keep it for the files. Also let me know what you think
about the design as was submitted for Seal.
Now, as regards the pyorrhea remedy, the name that I have
thought would perhaps be the best thing would be a
combination of letters that would be something entirely
foreign from anything else that had ever been used, but one
whose change would be an indication of the various products
that might be manufactured by the Research Corporation.
Seemingly, from the letter as you enclosed, for which I thank
you, (which I am returning for your files) that there are a
great many of these cures on the market, and many of them
carry the indication in the name of what they are for. While
the name that I would suggest has nothing of the kind. I
believe it would be one that would soon mean something to the
general public, and when that was called for there would be
no substitute to be given. The name is "Ipsab", pronounced
Ip-sab [GD's note: This name was Gertrude Cayce's idea].
This, as perhaps you will notice, is a combination of the
names of the ingredients of which this is made. I'm sure
there's no other name similar, and we should have no trouble
in getting this registered. I hope that you will soon have
your business in such a condition that you can give a little
time and thought to this, if we still want to go on with the
manufacture and distributing of this.
I'm also enclosing you thirty-five dollars. This is rather a
small amount for the first fifteen days of the month, but
we've had to use a little postage sending out a number of
letters, also getting some new stationary and new cards
printed. There'll be some more though I'm sure in the next
few days, as there are several others on hand that we should
get some returns from.
Trusting this finds you feeling real good, entirely rested
from your trip, everything going fine, and with kindest
personal regards from all here,
Sincerely, Edgar Cayce EC:GD
7/27/25 See
1800-4 re. manufacture and distribution of
Radio-Active Appliance. In fact,
1800-4 through
1800-11
deal with the Appliances.
10/08/25 See EC's letter to Mr. [
779] saying he is expecting
MHB soon to get the Ipsab Corporation started to
manufacturing.
10/25/25 See
1800-12, next general reading re. marketing and
exploiting of pyorrhea remedy, then called Ipsab.
11/26/25 Mrs. Goodrich's ltr. to EC:
Nashville, Tenn.
Mr. Edgar Cayce,
Virginia Beach, Va.
Dear Sir:
I want to thank you very kindly for the pyorrhea remedy which
you recently forwarded me, and am enclosing herewith my check
for $1.00 covering same.
It has indeed helped me wonderfully, my gums have ceased
bleeding and the soreness is most all out of my gums.
I want to again thank you and wish to say when I have
finished with this bottle, I will order another from you.
Very truly,
(Mrs.) Lorena C. Goodrich
2128 Capers Ave.
1/18/26 See Mr. [
8]'s letter under
8-4, Par. R8, R9, in re
distributing Ipsab.
1/27/26 Ltr. from Capehart-Carey Corp. to Mr. [
8]:
Capehart-Carey Corporation (Letterhead)
General Advertising Agents
Times Building New York
Mr. [8]:
Our Mr. Isaacson informs me, that you have a Pyorrhea Remedy
[See [
1800]], which you want to market, but having no details
or descriptions of the article, it is impossible for us to
give you an intelligent program at this time.
The writer would be very pleased to go into the matter
intelligently at your own convenience, and later work out a
campaign to advertise your goods.
I am enclosing a proof or two of some advertising we ran for
Johnson & Johnson, the world's greatest surgical dressing
manufacturers, and who also put out tooth powders, shaving
creams etc.
We are very closely connected with the medical profession and
drug trade, and may be able to direct a successful
undertaking for you.
Trusting that I may have the pleasure of going into further
details, beg to remain,
Yours very truly,
CAPEHART-CAREY CORP. [signed] Charles Capehart, President.
P.S. We can arrange for one of the largest Drughouses in New
York, who has many commission houses under their supervision
throughout the United States, to distribute and sell your
product, when it is ready for the market.
1/28/26 Mr. [
8] wrote EC he had visited MHB and got "brushed
off," did not trust him, and wanted to work direct with EC
regarding Ipsab proposition.
2/04/26 EC's letter to Mr. [
8]: Now, [
8], in regards to what
you say about Morton's attitude regarding the proposition
that you worked up, in respect to the Gum-ese, or Pyorrhea
Remedy, I'm a little bit of the opinion that you jumped at a
conclusion too quick. You must consider the awful strain
this boy has been under for the last two or three months.
Perhaps he has never said anything to you about it - but he
has, more than most any man you have ever come in contact
with; and when a fellow is OVER-BURDENED, he often times is
misunderstood in his answer, when someone is discussing a
proposition with him. However, as I can see from the letter
Mr. Capehart wrote you, they want a great big lot of money,
unless I'm a long ways off, for this advertising, and the
Ipsab Corporation hasn't got it, and Morton doesn't want to
advance it yet, until he knows something more about what's
going to happen. We've had another proposition or two, that
to me personally would have been VERY satisfactory to have
let them take hold of it, BUT the other members of the
Corporation didn't see fit to put up the coin it takes, and
as you well know, I haven't got it! I know we have an
exceptional article, one that will do the work, one that is
worth a whole lot, and is a big money-maker; but it takes
some money to make money. Just how we're going to do it, and
start out at it, I don't know. Maybe let it drag along for
years and then never do anything. But, I don't think you
should fall out with Morton about this just yet. I can see
your side of it, and I fully appreciate what it means to a
man to be "sat upon" as it were, but just don't work too
fast! It'll be safer, better, to go just a little bit
slower, and I believe we'll get along a heap father.
I certainly appreciate, though, your writing me as you did,
and I feel wholly in sympathy with you; yet, as I said
before, I believe you passed judgement too quick.
2/17/26 Letter from [
779] to EC: "...I do hope Blumenthal
will soon be OK again. I am going to tell you about a funny
dream I had about Blumenthal & myself Sunday night the 14th
[
2/14/26] something like this: He and I were at a house
somewhere. I don't know who's home or where at, but he and
his wife [...] were there. I met her and I can now see her
plain. He and I went into a room and talked about putting
out the Ipsab [
1800] and the plan to make and market it. He
asked me where I wanted to start it, I said Norfolk, Va.,
then retired for the night. Waking up through the night I
found that I was in bed with him. I woke him up and said I
am sorry that I have kept your wife up - I know she wants to
be with you. So I got out [of] bed and dressed. What do you
think can be in that dream?..." [GD's note: I could find no
answer of EC's to this letter.]
10/09/26 See
900-272, Par. 8-A, 9-A in re future of Ipsab.
4/13/65 GD's note: Miss Margaret H. Gammon gave me the note
below, and the ESSO FARM NEWS article [See Source File Key
#1800 for the ESSO FARM NEWS article - Summer 1958 re
1800-3], which she received in July 1958 from S. B. Penick,
Jr., whose mother was Miss Gammon's mother's cousin. Knowing
how often the Edgar Cayce readings referred people to S. B.
Penick & Co. for the crude drugs, she felt that we would be
interested in preserving the article. She told me that her
mother's brother helped to finance S. B. Penick, Sr. when he
first started the company
[enclosed note] FROM THE DESK OF S. B. PENICK, JR.
July 9, 1958
As a stockholder I thought you might be interested in the
article about our Meadow Springs Farm in Pennsylvania which
appears in the attached ESSO FARM NEWS, on Page 16.
This publication is distributed free to hundreds of thousands
of farm families throughout the country.
S. B. P., Jr.
See Source File Key #1800 for "THE STORY OF S. B. PENICK -
THE HOUSE OF BOTANICALS" Reprinted from MEDICAL TIMES - 4/60,
re 1800-3.
3/26/67 (Easter Sunday) Mrs. Gammon's ltr. to Mr. Penick,
Jr.:
Margaret H. Gammon
217 75th St.
Virginia Bch., VA 23451
S. Barksdale Penick, Jr.
168 Gates Avenue
Montclair, N.J.
Dear Barkie-
Please excuse my typing this; my handwriting is rather shaky
these days and, anyhow, cannot keep up with my thinking.
I appreciate your letter of February 27, and quite understand
about your not being able to use the painting. It seemed to
me I remembered your father collecting wildflower drawings
and paintings and therefore the company might have gone a bit
farther afield in art collections. I will find some use for
this painting. I.B.M. might want it - they have a fine arts
department.
Something quite interesting and remarkable has come to light
in connection with the S. B. Penick & Company and the
readings of Edgar Cayce. I doubt if you all know how you
have played a part in it all.
First, let me ask if you have read Jess Stearn's book, EDGAR
CAYCE: THE SLEEPING PROPHET? If not, have you read THERE IS
A RIVER, by Thomas Sugrue; or MANY MANSIONS by Gina
Cerminara? THERE IS A RIVER is available in paperback books.
It is a biography of Edgar Cayce.
The Jess Stearn book is among the top non-fiction best
sellers and I do urge you to read it.
As you would learn from THERE IS A RIVER, Gladys Davis Turner
was Mr. Cayce's secretary and took down in shorthand the
great majority of reading he gave in trance. Gladys is a
good friend of mine, whom I see at least once a week. About
a year ago when I was going through my files, I took out the
history of the SBPCo to show her, because I know Mr. Cayce
advised the use of many unusual raw and crude drugs as
remedies in his Physical readings. To my amazement, she said
that many, many people were advised to write to the company,
then only in Asheville, to obtain drugs they could not obtain
elsewhere. This happened as early as 1925, as you will see
from Gladys' note at the bottom of the first of the 3
reading-samples I am enclosing.
Forgive me for bothering you if I am mistaken in thinking all
this would be of interest to you or the others.
I never knew Mr. Cayce. As you may or man not know, I moved
down here to do writing for the Association (for Research &
Enlightenment, Inc., abbreviated as A.R.E.), because the
readings came through in archaic, King-James-Bible version
English, and I thought should be presented to the public in
better English. Also many subjects needed researching. The
first book I did was on the subject of diet, titled THE
NORMAL DIET. I will send you a copy of you want to see it,
though I doubt it.
If ever you or others of the Penick tribe are at Virginia
Beach and don't look me up, I certainly will take it very
unkindly. Your Mother would be very unhappy that we don't
keep in closer touch with one another. She was very
family-conscious, as are all of us children of my mother.
Bill would just adore seeing you and entertaining you in
Bristol. (He has a granddaughter, did you know? Jane's
first baby.)
I think you should trek down to your birthplace sometime and
point it out to Evie. Also Turner's Drug Store - or where it
used to be. Bristol is growing like a house afire, and is a
very beautiful spot. Also you could show Evie 324 Sixth
Street, our old homeplace, where your Mother and Father did
all their courting.
If, when I pass on, anybody up there has an inclination to
send flowers, I hope that instead there might be a
contribution to the ARE Library building fund. We have the
largest collection on esoteric subjects to be found in the
United States, and it is severely crowded now.
I hope you all stay well and that this Easter season is one
of joy for you all.
Affectionately, Margaret
10/03/84 GD's note: These are references to cases where the
S. B. Penick Co. was mentioned as source for crude drugs:
NAMES:ORGANIZATIONS MENTIONED:PENICK,S.B.,
5671-11 F 34, Par. 1-A
NAMES:ORGANIZATIONS MENTIONED:PENICK,S.B., & CO.,
2945-1 F 27, Par. 8
NAMES:ORGANIZATIONS MENTIONED:PENICK,S.B. & CO.,
2714-1 F ADULT, Par. 6
NAMES:ORGANIZATIONS MENTIONED:PENICK,S.B. & CO.,
325-66 F 63
NAMES:ORGANIZATIONS MENTIONED:PENICK,S.B. & CO.,
304-45 M 83, 19-A
Edgar Cayce Readings © 1971, 1993, 1994, 1995 by the Edgar Cayce Foundation