Rare stock certificate from a failed Detroit company. Medical device for women

**Michael Hojnacki** · September-21-17, 08:57 PM

This rare, probably the only one in existence stock certificate. This stock certificate was for a company that was making medical devices for women. I will upload the patent drawings at some point. Invented by Dr. F.C. Dorment of Ohio, the new company went bust but did sell some units. Frank C. Dorment also invented a citrus extractor in the 1930's.

**Zacha341** · September-22-17, 07:23 AM

Oh, my! Whatever happened to the plain brown wrapper?

**Honky Tonk** · September-22-17, 07:51 AM

Huh, one would think the guy would have made a killing with a wireless vibrator for women.

[[Ok, I'm done....)

**Honky Tonk** · September-22-17, 07:52 AM

Maybe it just rubbed women the wrong way?

[[Ok, that's the last one, I swear....)

**Zacha341** · September-22-17, 08:35 AM

Sure... until the next time...

[[Hah-he! ---

---)

**Honky Tonk** · September-22-17, 08:48 AM

Not believing what I was reading, I looked it up, and did find the 1913 Patent book for the device. Weird.....

https://books.google.com/books?id=ng...etroit&f=false

**Zacha341** · September-22-17, 09:23 AM

Ship that unit on to the gym post haste! Beats circuit training!!

**Michael Hojnacki** · September-22-17, 11:16 AM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

Not believing what I was reading, I looked it up, and did find the 1913 Patent book for the device. Weird.....

https://books.google.com/books?id=ng...etroit&f=false

The patent drawing I have would make your eyes pop out. this one isn't online. The letters from 1916 until 1921 tell a story on their own. This certificate went from the Dime Building to the Free Press Building and stayed in the Book building for almost 40years and made its way to the Guardian and Penobscott Buildings

**Jimaz** · September-22-17, 02:07 PM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

Not believing what I was reading, I looked it up, and did find the 1913 Patent book for the device. Weird.....

https://books.google.com/books?id=ng...etroit&f=false

The very next patent is for a lubricator.

Tsk, tsk. What will those randy Victorians think of next?

**Honky Tonk** · September-22-17, 02:09 PM

Originally Posted by Jimaz

The very next patent is for a lubricator.

Tsk, tsk. What will those randy Victorians think of next?

Can't say, that's Victorian's secret....

**davewindsor** · September-22-17, 03:04 PM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

Huh, one would think the guy would have made a killing with a wireless vibrator for women.

[[Ok, I'm done....)

I wonder how they got the word out about vibrators back in 1913? There was a lot of censorship back then. Playboy didn't come out until 1953. Even wearing a low cut dress at a beach was enough to get a woman arrested for indecent exposure. Probably why they failed...

Not sure when comic books first came out, but I could just imagine them trying to advertise it at the back next to the x-ray glasses. Haha.

**jcole** · September-22-17, 03:35 PM

Originally Posted by davewindsor

I wonder how they got the word out about vibrators back in 1913? There was a lot of censorship back then. Playboy didn't come out until 1953. Even wearing a low cut dress at a beach was enough to get a woman arrested for indecent exposure. Probably why they failed...

I'm guessing it was sold as a medical device. The things doctors gave to women back then to treat their "hysteria" ranged from codeine to cocaine to "massage" of the offending area, hence the vibrating message device.

**davewindsor** · September-22-17, 03:48 PM

Originally Posted by jcole

I'm guessing it was sold as a medical device. The things doctors gave to women back then to treat their "hysteria" ranged from codeine to cocaine to "massage" of the offending area, hence the vibrating message device.

Ya, I guess if she was rich and could afford private medical sessions she could do that. But, I suspect most women wanted free or low cost medical care and would probably be getting that medical advice from a catholic or other religious hospital, and I'm sure vibrators and masturbation topics would have been a taboo subject for a doctor or sister to discuss.

**Michael Hojnacki** · September-22-17, 04:59 PM

Originally Posted by davewindsor

I wonder how they got the word out about vibrators back in 1913? There was a lot of censorship back then. Playboy didn't come out until 1953. Even wearing a low cut dress at a beach was enough to get a woman arrested for indecent exposure. Probably why they failed...

Not sure when comic books first came out, but I could just imagine them trying to advertise it at the back next to the x-ray glasses. Haha.

They were able to do it by selling it as a medical device.

**Michael Hojnacki** · September-22-17, 05:06 PM

I just took all of the documents and put them in a scrapbook in plastic.
Includes the lawsuit documents as well. I framed the certificate as well as the unpublished drawing. My plan is to someday donate all of my historical documents, artifacts, furniture to the Detroit Historical Museum. The actual design I haven't found anything archived digitally, only the approved and final design...I'll put that up soon. Dr. Dorment was ahead of the game.

**Meddle** · September-22-17, 05:14 PM

You didn't have a sister at St. Mary's in the 70s, did you?

I remember somebody from then. Name may have been spelled different though.

**Michael Hojnacki** · September-22-17, 06:01 PM

No not me....but my name was is supposed to be spelled with a "C" in front of the H

**davewindsor** · September-24-17, 07:32 AM

Originally Posted by Michael Hojnacki

They were able to do it by selling it as a medical device.

Obviously, they called it a medical device. But, in order to sell it, people had to know it existed. How did the average person know it existed as a medical device?? If they can't market it because of censorship and only the rich could afford a private sex doctor, how would the average person know about it?

If the average person knew it existed and knew where to buy one, why did the company fail when they had a patent for it? It should have made a fortune for the company and its shareholders like the Magic Wand made a fortune for the Hitachi Corporation when it was introduced in 1968 with a patent from the US Patent and Trademark Office.

**jiminnm** · September-24-17, 09:21 AM

That is reminiscent of the movie "Hysteria."
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1435513/?ref_=nv_sr_1

**Michael Hojnacki** · September-24-17, 07:08 PM

Originally Posted by davewindsor

Obviously, they called it a medical device. But, in order to sell it, people had to know it existed. How did the average person know it existed as a medical device?? If they can't market it because of censorship and only the rich could afford a private sex doctor, how would the average person know about it?

If the average person knew it existed and knew where to buy one, why did the company fail when they had a patent for it? It should have made a fortune for the company and its shareholders like the Magic Wand made a fortune for the Hitachi Corporation when it was introduced in 1968 with a patent from the US Patent and Trademark Office.

Have to also understand 1913 vs 1968. different values. Perhaps it failed because they didn't advertise or market it aggressively. Patent drawing I have for it is funny to some offensive to others. Back then fingers would be pointed to someone involved with this. Hitachi wand looks nothing like this. This one makes eyes pop out.

Trust me it failed. I have telegrams, a letter from Detroit attorney Malcolm Yerkes wanting his money back from the investor that borrowed it from him, the chattel mortgage he took out and used his Chevrolet as collateral. About 100 pages or so of the story, I didn't count the actual amount of pages but I archived everything in a binder. Back then it was a serious issue, today we laugh at it. One of the telegrams reads "Worried sick" Poor guy was a successful real estate broker but in 1921 the market was dead in Detroit and he wasn't making any money and had none to pay off Yerkes. One of the letters talks about a warrant issued another refers Dr. Dorment as being "stingy" because Dormant was putting off lending the investor/real estate broker the money to pay back Yerkes and Dormant signed for it also. If I was a scriptwriter I could write a movie script about it. Definitely, belongs in the Burton Collection which I intend to donate it to someday.

I won't tell who the investor was, he was well known and his biggest venture took off starting in 1925 when he was 45 and that venture turns out had a crook involved from Los Angeles [[they didn't know he was a crook) who made millions but was later convicted and fined $12,000 for that scam. The venture, however, was a success and is still going today. I want to make it clear the man who invested in the wireless vibrator company in this story was honest but attracted the wrong people early on. That's the price you pay when you get involved in a venture.