MINOR TRANQUILIZING DRUGS AND THE MEDICALIZATION OF EVERYDAY LIE IN ENGLISH-SPEMING CANADA, 1945-1962 Lêona Crabb, B.A., M.R.E., M.A. A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of History Carleton University Ottawa, Ontario July 1997 Copyright, 1997 Leona Crabb National Library Bibliothèque nationale 1*1 ,mada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington OttawaON K1A ON4 Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Canada Canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sell reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/film, de reproduction sur papier ou sur foxmat électronique. The author retains ownership of the L' auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fkom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be prùited or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. In 1955, meprobamate became the first minor tranquilizing drug to appear on the pharmaceutical market in both Canada and the United States. It was promotea as a sâfe and effective means of aileviating mild to moderate anxiety, tension, and mental stress, and was originally intended for use in clinical practice tc treat conditions of a medical nature. But, almost overnight, the consumption of meprobamate became quite fashionable, especially in the show business ccmmunity and among the middle rlass. Dernand for the drug increased, sales figures grew, and the conditions for which it was used expanded to include minor worries and everyday upsets. Çignificantly, women were twice as likely as men to receive a prescription for this new product. This rhesis explores the meprobamate phenonenon as a case study in the process of medicalization. It asks two main questions: What does the introduction anà widespread use of minor tranquilizing drugs in English-speaking Canada during the 1950s reveal about the rnedicalization cf life in general and the medicalization of gender in particular? In what way can this investigation shed new light on the hist~ricalinterpretation of Canada in the postwar period? Drawing on a wide range of written naterial, this iii thesis argues that any postwar analysis of the medicalization process needs to take into consideration the role of pharmaceutical companies. After the war, the drug industry grew drarnatically and assumed more and more responsibility for informinq and educating both doctors and the general public about the latest in drug therapy. It also argues that the fifties decade in Canada was a tirne of great paradox in that it was characterized by the desire for progress through medicine and medical science, and the desire for stability through the strict adherence to narrowly-defined gender roles. Meprobamate and other minor tranquilizing drugs promoted by pharmaceutical companies appealed to both the desire for progress and change and the search for stability and status quo. Together, these factors helped contribute to the medicalization of everyday life in general and the medicalization of gender in particular in English-speaking Canada after World War II. ACKNOWLEDGZMENTS Tho research and writing of a thesis is by nature a solitary and often lonely process. Yet this work would not have been cmpleted had it not been for the advice and suppcrt of a number of people. Therefore, 1 ~ouldlike to take this opportunity to express my heartielt appreciation to the following individuals. Kerry Abel supervised my thesis and Tobÿ Gelfand, Marilyn Barber, and Deborah Gorham formed my thesis supervisory cornmittee. Their prompt and sound editorial suggestions made the writing process more enjoyable and the final product more solid. John Taylor, Duncan McDowall, and Norm Hillrner asked about my progress on a regular basis and alwaÿs ~ffered words of encouragement. Lisa Gaudet, Barb Freeman, and Norma Clif f~rdwere my "study buddies" and a constant source of emotional support. Richa Sharan kept me honest and kept me laughing. Above all, 1 am thankful that 1 will never have to go through this process again, TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ....,...............................,....v TmLC GF CGNTENTS ..................,......................vi LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ................................,...vii INTRODUCTION .-,....,,..................................-..O1 CElAFTER GNE Psychiatry, Mental Health, and Cariadiar~Society. .... .42 CHAPTER TWO Drugs, DSC~GXS, and Medical Science .........,.......105 CHAFTER THREE The Popularization and Legitimization of Minvr Tranquilizing Drugs ...........................158 CffiFTER FOUR Gender, Women, and Minor Tranquilizing Drugs ........250 CONCLUSION .......,.CONCLUSION.....,.,......,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,CONCLUSION.....,.,......,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.CONCLUSION.....,.,......,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,..0...............................3O7 SELECTED BIBLIGGRAPHY ....................................323 vi ILLUSTRATION 10: fjliltown advertisement by Ayerst -............*.......157 ILLUSTPATIGN Il: Equanil advertisernent by Wyeth Laboratories ........ .200 ILLUSTRATION 12: Equanii advertisement by Wyeth Laboratories .......*-208 ILLUSTRATION 13: Milton "Miltownff Berle.. ...................o.-......S33 ILLUSTRATION 14: Storefront sign announcing recent arriva1 of Miltown and Equanil ............-..*..........*...... 227 ILLUSTIUITION 15: Miltown as useful adjunct to psychotherapy .......-.-231 ILLUSTRATION 16: Choosing effective means of reducing stress .........244 ILLUSTRATION 17: Consuming tranquilizers in preparation for golf shot ..............,....*..*................... 246 ILLUSTRATION Ib: Advertisement for Suvren by Wyeth Laboratcries ......278 ILLUSTRATION 19: Advertisement fcr Equanitrate by Wyeth Labûratories .....+......-..t.........,,..-..* -279 ILLUSTRATION 20: Advertisement for Equanil by Wyeth Laboratories.. , . -281 ILLUSTRATION 21: Advertisement for Deprol by Wallace Laboratories.,..284 viii IT,LüSTWTION 22: Advertisement for Premarin with meprobamate by Ayerst ..............................................287 ILLUSTRATION 23: Advertisement for Prernarin with meprobamate 5y Ayerst .............................................. 290 ILLUSTRATION 24: Advertisement for Equanil by Wyeth Laboratories .....294 INTRODUCTION A nurnber of newly-developed drugs became available to the North American public in the rnid 1950s. These drugr Nere known collectively as anti-anxiety agents or "minor" tranquilizers' and they were intended to alleviate mild to moderate anxiety, tension, and mental stress, From a medical standpoint, tranquilizing drugs were a practical and effective means of treating the many anxious and tense individuals who came to their doctors in search of relief, But, almost overnight, the use of these drugs became '- The term "minor" tranquilizer was used to distinguish these anti-anxiety agents :rom the "major" tranquilizers or anti-psychotic drugs. This distinction became more formalized by about 1957. Prior to that time, anti-anxiety agents and anti-psychotic drugs were often lumped together under the broader term "tranquilizer" in spite of the fact that they were chemically distinct drugs that were most often used to relieve very different symptoms. For example, minor tranquilizers were more effective in the treatrnent of neuroses, anxiety, and anxiety-related illnesses such as psychosomatic disorders and f~undtheir greatest use among the general pcpulation. %y contrast, major tranquilizers, which first appeared on the pharmaceutical market in 1953, were particularly effective in the treatment of psychoses such as schizophrenia and found their greatest use in institutional settings. For ar? early discussion of the ernerging distinction between major and minor tranquilizing drugs, see D.R. Kennedy, "Tranquilizers -- Part 1, " Canadian Pharmaceutical Journal 9O,8 (August 1957) , 61-2. The word "tranquilizer" can also be written as "tranquillizer" but, in the interest of consistency, the term will be spelled with only one "1" throughout this work. something of a mass cultural phenornenon. Meprobamate was the firçt and best known of the anti- anxiety agents to come ont0 the pharrnaceutical market during the 1950s. It was introduced into popular use in Canada and the United States in April 1955 by Wallace Laboratories of New Brunswick, New Jersey under the brand name Miltown (Illustration 1) . A few months later, Wallace made an arrangement with Wyeth Laboratories of New York which gave Nyeth permission to distribute meprobamate in Canada and the United States under the brand name Equanil. According to Al1 drugs were given at least three names: a chemical name, a nonproprietary/proper name, and a proprietary/brand name. The chemical name described the chemical composition of the drug. The chernical name for meprobarnate was 2-rnethyl-2-n-propyl-1,3-propanediol dicarbarnate. The nonproprietary/proper name was used by al1 producers of the drug as a means of identification. It was also the name by which the drug was known in the scientific literâture. The nonproprietarÿ/proper name was