Albert I. Worthington, of St Clair, Michigan, registered a Patent for his Hair Tonic in 1888 (Patent #375,860). He said it was "an Improvement in Hair Lotions," and that was "an excellent remedy for curling the hair, removing dandruff, and increasing the growth of the hair." The preparation was made by the following steps:
(1) boil 12 unces of wild indigo in 1/2 gallon of water for 1 hour; (2) in another vessel, boil 24 ounces of sweet-flag in 1 1/2 gallons of water for 1 hour; (3) in a third vessel, boil 12 ounces of wild dandelions, 8 ounces of red pepper (in the pod), and 7 ounces of lavender flower in 1 1/2 gallons of water for 1 hour; (4) mix the ingredients in the three vessells, and boil together until reduced to about 2 gallons; (5) add 1 quart of alcohol, to prevent fermentation; (6) add perfume if desired. He also mentioned that all the ingredients except the red pepper must be pulverized first.