Sister Lauras Infant and Invalid Food Co Ltd

Corporate Records, 1911-1959; Share Records, 1911-1966; Finance Records, 1911-1961; Administrative / Production Records, 1945-1958; Publicity Records, c 1911-1967.

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Catalogued and collection level description compiled by Sarah Chubb, Archivist / Records Officer, November 2004.

Copyright: Reproduction is available subject to preservation requirements.

Sister Laura Marian Smith was a nurse at the Glasgow Royal Maternity Hospital, Rottenrow, which was the largest hospital for sick children in Scotland at the time. The 'food' was a powder designed to break up casein in milk to make it more easily digestible for children there, particularly for cases of extreme malnutrition, and was probably actually devised by Dr Leonard Findlay, an expert in dietary disorders in infants. Sister Lauras Infant Food Co Ltd was incorporated on 27 July 1911, with four shareholders, including Sister Laura. In 1920 Sister Laura's connection with the company ceased when it was re-incorporated as Sister Lauras Infant and Invalid Food Co Ltd, with only two shareholders: Edward and William Watson. The firm was based at Springfield Works, Bishopbriggs, and by 1923, when Sister Lauras purchased Teddylax from William Hill and Co, the Managing Director of the firm was Robert Watson. In 1931 Robert Watson incorporated R S Watson (Products), taking over the Edinburgh firm of Zomogen Food Products Limited. This firm manufactured Zomogen, a body building and restorative food containing haemoglobin and bone marrow, used for the treatment of anaemia and neurasthenia. By the mid 1940s the firm had expanded into Ireland, and in 1946 Robert Watson purchased the firm of H J Wade & Co to form Wade Pharmaceuticals Limited, with Robert S Watson as Managing Director, and Mr Wade as Technical Director. H J Wade & Co had been established in 1919 in Blackburn, Lancashire, by Hal J Wade as manufacturing chemists, wholesale druggists, patent medicine vendors and surgical appliance makers, and became a limited company in 1920. A dispute following the purchase led to a lengthy arbitration process. In 1957 Sister Lauras purchased a patent for 'improvements relating to quick-cooking cereal or farinaceous products' from Hans Knoch, and began manufacturing 'Easyrice'. The firm appears to have closed down circa 1981.