Vapo Cresoline

This “Vapo Cresolene” lamp was used as a vaporizer as early as the 1880s for the relief of head and chest congestion, claiming to produce antiseptic properties. Cresolene, a byproduct of coal tar, was placed in the pan and when the kerosene lamp below the pan was lit, vapours wafted into the room. The product was popular, partly due to aggressive marketing campaigns. By the 1930s, the “Vapo Cresolene” was widely believed to be ineffective, even dangerous after decades of popularity. WDM-1992-S-182.5.a-b