On this day, Amrita Bazar Patrika carried this advertisement for a brand of pills for nervous debility. The advertisement referred generously to Sandow, the world-renowned strongman who had visited Calcutta. The ubiquitous men’s vest called “sando genji” in this part of the world is named after him. The advertisement read:

“SANDOW the giant who visited Calcutta recently is called a perfect man, because he is free from all physical vice and immorality. The attainment in his physical perfectness is adequately exemplified as his strong, stout, muscular constitution. The smallest sinews and muscles of Sandow show strength and energy. The want of this strength and of energy is called Nervous debility.”

The price of the pills, for two weeks, was ₹4, and package and postage ₹7.

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