Pluto Water facts for kids

Antique bottle of Pluto Water

Pluto Water was a special kind of natural water sold in the United States a long time ago, mostly in the early 1900s. People drank it because it was a strong laxative, which means it helped them go to the bathroom. This water got its special power from natural mineral salts, like sodium and magnesium sulfate, which are known to help with digestion.

The company that sold Pluto Water often said it worked very quickly, usually within an hour of drinking it. Some ads even claimed it could work in as little as 30 minutes! Pluto Water was very popular. In 1919, it took 450 train cars just to move all the bottles the company made!

Where Did Pluto Water Come From?

Pluto Water came from natural mineral springs located in French Lick, Indiana. This area was famous for its special waters. There was even a big hotel there called the French Lick Springs Hotel. Another similar water product called Sprudel Water also came from the same springs.

How Pluto Water Worked

Pluto Water worked because it had a lot of natural mineral salts in it. The main ingredients that made it a laxative were sodium and magnesium sulfate. These are natural substances that help the body digest food and move waste. The water also contained other minerals, including small amounts of lithium salts.

Because of these minerals, Pluto Water usually worked quickly, often within an hour. This quick action was something the company often talked about in its advertisements. The sale of Pluto Water eventually stopped in 1971.

Advertising Pluto Water

Pluto Water was advertised as "America's Laxative." Its famous slogan was "When Nature Won't, PLUTO Will." The bottles and many of the ads showed a picture of Pluto, who was the Roman god of the underworld. This image was used to show that the water came from deep underground.

Images for kids

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  "Pluto Spring", French Lick, 1903

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  The famous escape artist Harry Houdini (left) posing near a Pluto Spring poster, around 1907.

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  A newspaper advertisement for Pluto Water from 1918.

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  The jazz musician Louis Armstrong in his dressing room, with a bottle of Pluto Water nearby, in 1946.

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  An advertisement calling Pluto Water "America's Greatest Laxative."

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  An old advertisement from around 1895 showing a baseball grandstand and promoting Pluto Water for various health issues.

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  A detail from a 1918 ad suggesting "PLUTO FOR SPANISH INFLUENZA" and calling it "influenza's natural foe."

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  A detail from a Pluto Water advertisement in 1894.

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  A label for Pluto Concentrated Water from French Lick, Indiana, in 1901.

See also

• Lithia water