Pentothal Postcards

Review by Courtney S. Ries

For anyone who has ever opened a letter with a seemingly 'handwritten' address, only to discover yet another credit card invitation, you have the Pentothal postcards to thank.

For 14 years in the 1950s and '60s, Abbott Laboratories sent postcards to doctors from around the world. Each postcard featured a bright image from the country of origin, with the appropriate country stamp and/or franking. Although their main goal was to promote Sodium Pentothal anesthetic, the cards also contained a line or two about the country.

In Pentothal Postcards, Dr. David C. Lai has compiled a collection of cards into one book, providing a fascinating insight into both the large-scale marketing program (more than 170 cards were circulated, shipping from 70 countries) as well as the cultural climate at the time. For example, a postcard from Malta mentions the role the country has played in war and peace since the Crusades, while another makes reference to the divided city of Berlin.

For anyone interested in a snapshot view of the world during the cold war era, Pentothal Postcards provides a well-preserved look.

• Pentothal Postcards by David C. Lai MD