Maria Clementine Martin
Heckelmann assigns descriptions of this kind rather to the legends about Martin, but is of the opinion that she was active in the Prussian military hospitals and was therefore honoured by King Frederick William III with an annual life annuity of 160 thalers.
In her submissions on the matter, she wrote that from her time in Coesfeld she had experience of the healing procedure for "fistula and cancer damage" taught in the monastery there and asked for permission to use it.
At the same time, in addition to the aforementioned cologne, she offered a lavender water and a vinegar de quatres voleurs, which was supposed to protect against "pestilential diseases".
This name originated from an account according to which, during the French wars, thieves looted corpses on the battlefields, whereby the rubs with the antiseptic agent were said to have protected them from infection by the plague and other diseases.
[11] On 5 July 1828, Martin wrote to the Cologne government and asked for "examination and certification of the quality of the lemon balm water produced by her by the royal medical authority".
Moreover, any pharmacist could produce the comparable Alcoolat de melissa compositum, which was also approved as a remedy, which is why the authority's concern with the prescriptions of monastic clergymen lacked the necessary relevance.
[15] About a year after this negative decision, Martin approached King Friedrich William III, whom she asked to be allowed to bear the Coat of arms of Prussia on her products, which she underlined, among other things, with her merits in action after the Battle of Waterloo.
[17] In the following years, Farina had several disputes and complaints about competitors who used the Prussian eagle for their products without permission, whereby the responsible authorities initially did not intervene in their favour due to a lack of legal basis.
However, Martin succeeded in obtaining approval for the use of the full coat of arms by replying to the Cologne government authority as well as to the Westphalian chief president Karl von Vincke in July 1830, which enabled her to maintain her competitive edge.
[18] Although her main product Melissengeist did not have a significant unique selling point in its composition, Martin was very successful in establishing and defending a good market position for her company, despite some setbacks.
[19] However, since Melissengeist products were, more or less subtly, definitely marketed with references to medicinal applications, there were nevertheless interventions against competitors, but not against Martin, who enjoyed a certain degree of protection, not least due to the royal permission to use the coat of arms.
In 1835, Martin herself successfully denounced a competitor who wanted to distribute the Carmelite spirit imported from Regensburg in Cologne with an instruction leaflet aimed at medicinal use, although she herself used very similar papers.
Shortly before her death, she wrote her will on 5 April 1843, in which she made "Peter Schaeben, who lives with me" the "heir to my entire estate, trusting that he will faithfully maintain the pious attitude he has shown since then throughout his life".
