George F. Peckham, of Grafton, Ohio, registered a Patent for his hair preparation in 1868 (Patent #77,911). He said the compound was for "giving the hair a beautiful gloss, rendering it soft and pliable; to invigorate the scalp, and cause a rapid growth of the hair; to make the compound durable, and prevent the soiling of the hands and clothing." It was made by the following recipe:
Take soft water, two gallons; isinglass, one pound; sugar of lead, two ounces. Put them in a porcelain kettle, in a sand-bath; apply a gentle heat till the isinglass is all dissolved; increase the heat, and evaporate to two quarts. Then add spermaceti, three and one-half pounds; olive-oil, seven pounds; lard, four and one-half pounds; white way, two and one-half pounds. When all are incorporated, remove from sand-bath, and stir till cool enough to be about the consistency of thick syrup. Then add lac-sulphur, four ounces. Perfume, and stir until cold, when it is ready for use. ...