The "artificial blood" is bright red in color and contains a formula for treating anemia. After its production, it received drug approval from the Chinese government and concession authorities and became very popular. At that time, the Chinese were ridiculed as the "sick men of East Asia". In fact, a large number of them were anemia patients. This medicine has special effects on them, so it can be said to be "selling medicine to the disease."
"Tap blood" was originally called "blood medicine"
After reading a large number of historical documents, I found that "artificial blood" was indeed developed by the Chinese themselves, and it was once a marketable product. very good. In 1907, Shanghai Wuzhou Pharmacy, jointly founded by Huang Chujiu, Xia Cuifang, Xie Ruiqing, Chen Lieqing and others, officially opened. The store is located at the intersection of Guangxi Road and Fuzhou Road in Shanghai. Xie Ruiqing is the manager and Huang Chujiu is the lifelong director. At this time, Xie Ruiqing developed a patent medicine and began to name it "Broad blood medicine" ("Broad" is the transliteration of the English word "blood"). However, due to the many strokes in the name of the medicine, it was difficult for Chinese people to understand it, so it was later changed to "artificial blood".
After Huang Chujiu’s publicity, this patent medicine opened up sales not only in Shanghai, but also in North China and Nanyang, becoming a product of Wuzhou Pharmacy. The "artificial blood" sold in Tianjin is exactly this "Broad Blood Replenishing Medicine".
"New World" in exchange for "tap blood"
Wuzhou Pharmacy made too much money, and conflicts arose among shareholders. In 1911, the manager Xie Ruiqing withdrew his shares for some reason, and Huang Chujiu invited Xiang Songmao, the manager of the Hankou branch of Zhongying Pharmacy, to be the manager. Xiang Songmao is very talented and has a close relationship with Huang Chujiu. When Xie Ruiqing proposed to withdraw his shares and resign, Huang Chujiu immediately thought of him and sent a telegram inviting him to come to Shanghai to serve as the manager of Wuzhou Pharmacy. Xiang Songmao came to Shanghai to take office because of his feelings.
Xiang Songmao's business characteristics are somewhat similar to Huang Chujiu's. They are both pioneering, dare to think and do, and value the publicity effect of advertising. After he took office, he launched a reform, sold off the luxurious furnishings in the store, increased capital turnover, moved to a new location, changed the internal mechanism, and established the main distribution office, store retail department and wholesale sales department of the brand's drugs. On the one hand, we will expand the import of medicines, and on the other hand, we will develop self-made medicines. In addition to "artificial tap blood", there are also "Butian juice" to strengthen the stomach and tonify deficiency, "Haibo medicine" to clear the blood and detoxify, "Bark pills" to strengthen the brain and moisten the intestines, and "Reducing phlegm and relieving cough". "Fragrant gum that helps lungs breathe" and so on. Xiang Songmao's reforms, coupled with the advent of these patent medicines, greatly boosted the reputation of Wuzhou Pharmacy and doubled its profits.
Like Sino-French Pharmacy, Wuzhou Pharmacy has continued to have internal conflicts among its shareholders after becoming famous in Shanghai. After Xiang Songmao gained a certain level of strength, he decided to set up his own "Wuzhou" branch in Tianjin, sell "Wuzhou" brand products on his own, and expand his business operations independently. To this end, he discussed with Huang Chujiu many times and finally reached an agreement. Huang Chujiu transferred his shares of Wuzhou Pharmacy to Xiang Songmao, and Xiang Songmao transferred his shares of the then-famous "New World Amusement Park" in Shanghai to Huang Chujiu. Wuzhou then compensated Huang Chujiu with 22,500 yuan in cash. As compensation for reclaiming Huang Chujiu's lifelong directorship in "Wuzhou" and terminating the "artificial tap blood" commission. After reaching an agreement, both parties entrusted lawyers to publish a statement in the newspaper. In this way, by June 1916, Huang Chujiu completely separated from Wuzhou Pharmacy and was run by Xiang Songmao alone. The base of this "artificial tap blood" was also located in Tianjin.
"Spring blood" died with him
However, something unexpected happened. Just when Xiang Songmao's career was developing smoothly, the "Songhu Anti-Japanese War" broke out, and the 19th Route The army fought hard against the invading Japanese army and suffered heavy casualties. Xiang Songmao accepted the task of producing military drugs and personally supervised the overtime work day and night to rush the production to supply the urgent needs of the front line.
At that time, the second branch of Wuzhou Pharmacy, located at the intersection of North Sichuan Road and Laodingzi Road (today's Wujin Road, Shanghai), was close to the war zone and was left with 11 employees. On the evening of January 28, a Japanese military vehicle approached the store and was blocked by our patriots. The next morning, the Japanese army surrounded the store, forced their way in and searched, finding volunteer uniforms and anti-Japanese propaganda materials, and arrested all the employees who stayed behind. After Xiang Songmao heard the news, he was filled with righteous indignation and decided to go to the rescue in person.
When his colleagues tried to dissuade him, he said: "Eleven colleagues are in danger. If I don't rescue them, how can I be responsible for the whole company? What kind of general manager is he who is afraid of life and death?" After that, he got in the car and left to find a way to rescue. On January 30, he was suddenly hijacked by the Japanese army and taken to the Japanese military camp in Jiangwan. Xiang Songmao faced the Japanese army and angrily denounced Japan's crimes of aggression. The next day, Xiang Songmao was brutally killed and his body was destroyed. 11 employees were also killed at the same time. This day was January 31, 1932. In order to commemorate this Martyrdom Day, all employees of the Wuzhou factory and store engraved the word "131" on the store emblem and factory emblem, and also used "131" as a trademark for the trial-produced toothpaste.
With the death of Xiang Songmao, his "pharmaceutical empire" gradually became a trace of dust in history. Later, there was no advertisement about "artificial blood" in Ta Kung Pao, and he and "artificial blood" just disappeared...