Merchant's Gargling Oil Company

Merchant's Gargling Oil was manufactured in Lockport, New York beginning in 1833. The first incarnation of the liniment was intended to cure almost any illness that could befall a domestic animal. The form intended for human use was not introduced until 1875. Four years earlier Merchant's Vegetable Worm Tablets had made their appearance.

George W. Merchant sold the business to M.H. Tucker around 1855. John Hodge joined the company as a teenager, and was elected Secretary when M.H. Tucker & Company was incorporated in 1858. Hodge married one of Tucker's daughters and gained control of the company in 1865 when Tucker died.