Ulysses S. Grant was President and the population of America hovered at 39 million. J. Herman Pine hung out a confectionery shingle on 8th Street above Walnut in Philadelphia, and sold his first batch of what he called ‘Pine Brothers Glycerine Tablets.’

In an attempt to soothe his own throat, Mr. Pine, a former German confectionery maker, combined the soothing qualities of plant glycerin with the unique properties of gum acacia into one softish drop. By doing so, he discovered that he had created a product uniquely effective at soothing throats and Pine Brothers Softish Throat Drops were born. 

“I have discovered something,” Pine wrote, “which will give quick throat relief to thousands afflicted as I was.” He added,”Perhaps I won’t make much money out of this. But I can make people happy, and that’s more important than money.” Mr. Pine was being unduly modest, as his “discovery” would be soothing American throats for 156 years and counting.