Pluto Water was a naturally occurring mineral water bottled from a spring in French Lick, Indiana, and sold across the United States as a powerful laxative from the late 1800s until 1971. Marketed with the memorable slogan “When Nature Won’t, PLUTO Will,” it became one of the most recognized health products of its era before federal regulation forced it off the market.
Origins at French Lick Springs
The story begins in 1869, when a physician named Joseph G. Rogers named the largest spring at the French Lick Springs Hotel “Pluto’s Well,” after the Greek god of the underworld. Rogers began bottling the mineral-rich water and selling it as a health remedy. The spring itself was one of several natural mineral springs on the hotel property, long known for their strong sulfur taste and purgative effects.
In 1901, a political figure and businessman named Thomas Taggart purchased the hotel, expanded it significantly, and turned French Lick into a fashionable resort destination. Under Taggart’s ownership, Pluto Water became a nationally distributed product rather than a local curiosity. Visitors traveled from across the country to “take the waters” at the resort, and bottles of Pluto Water were shipped to pharmacies and general stores nationwide.
What Was Actually in It
Pluto Water drew its laxative punch from the natural mineral content of the spring, particularly high concentrations of magnesium sulfate (commonly known as Epsom salt) and lithium salts. These minerals weren’t added during bottling. They dissolved into the water naturally as it moved through underground rock formations before reaching the surface.
Magnesium sulfate works as an osmotic laxative, meaning it pulls water into the intestines rather than being absorbed into the bloodstream. This increases the volume and moisture of stool, which stimulates the bowel to contract and move things along. Mineral waters rich in magnesium and sulfate have been used for centuries to treat constipation, and their effectiveness is well documented in modern research. Pluto Water was essentially a naturally occurring version of the Epsom salt solutions people still mix at home today, though considerably more potent than most mineral waters on the market.
The lithium content, while present in smaller amounts, added another dimension. Lithium occurs naturally in many mineral springs and was widely believed in the 19th and early 20th centuries to have broad health benefits. It would eventually become the ingredient that ended Pluto Water’s run.
Branding and Marketing
Pluto Water stood out on pharmacy shelves thanks to bold, unusual branding. The bottle featured an image of a red devil, a playful nod to its namesake god of the underworld. The tagline “America’s Physic” (later “America’s Laxative”) appeared in advertisements alongside the more famous slogan: “When Nature Won’t, PLUTO Will.” The devil mascot appeared on everything from glass bottles to newspaper ads to promotional materials, making it one of the more visually distinctive products of the early 20th century. Today, the embossed glass bottles are popular collectibles.
Why It Was Discontinued
Pluto Water disappeared from stores in 1971, and the reason was regulatory rather than commercial. That year, lithium salts became a controlled substance in the United States due to their potent effects on mood and brain chemistry. Lithium had been recognized as an effective treatment for bipolar disorder, but it also carried serious risks at higher doses, including kidney damage and toxicity. The FDA’s reclassification meant that any product containing lithium required a prescription.
Since the lithium in Pluto Water came from the spring itself, there was no practical way to remove it from the product without fundamentally changing what it was. Bottling and sales ceased. The French Lick Springs Hotel continued operating as a resort, but the era of Pluto Water as a mail-order laxative was over.
The Spring Today
Pluto Spring still exists on the grounds of the French Lick Springs Hotel, which has been restored as a historical landmark and functioning resort. Development over the decades reduced the hotel’s original four springs down to two, but Pluto Spring survived. The mineral-rich water still flows and still carries its natural laxative properties.
Guests can visit the spring, but the water is no longer bottled or sold. The only current use is in the hotel’s spa, where guests can take mineral baths. You won’t find anyone drinking it. The combination of lithium regulations and modern health standards means Pluto Water exists today as a piece of Indiana history, a collector’s item, and a reminder of an era when “taking the waters” was mainstream American medicine.