From 1942 or so. Found on the back of a newspaper clipping.
So what exactly was in Carter’s Little Liver Pills? A laxative.
I guess not having calomel was a good thing since it often caused mercury poisoning.
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Let’s go back to calling influenza “the grippe”.
Did you know acid phosphate was one of the original ingredients in Coca-Cola and essential at soda fountains?
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Bone shards:
Some very interesting words are used to sell this amazing product. My apologies in advance if you are a Victorian hypochondriac.
Alterative — a drug used empirically to alter favorably the course of an ailment
Deobstruent — having the power to clear or open the natural ducts of the fluids and secretions of the body
Scrofula — a condition in which the bacteria that causes tuberculosis causes symptoms outside the lungs
King’s Evil — (AKA scrofula) a tuberculous swelling of the lymph glands, once popularly supposed to be curable by the touch of royalty
White Swellings – a swelling seen in tuberculous arthritis, esp. of the knee
Scrofulous — refers to scrofula, or figuratively, morally contaminated and corrupt
Indolent — lazy or slothlike, or a problem that causes no pain, or is slow-growing and not immediately problematic
Mercurial — characterized by rapid and unpredictable changeableness of mood
Neuralgia — a stabbing, burning, and often severe pain due to an irritated or damaged nerve.
Tic-Douloureux — a severe, stabbing pain to one side of the face
Goitre — (you might know this as “goiter”) a swelling of the thyroid gland that causes a lump in the front of the neck
Bronchocele (swelled neck) — impacted mucoid secretions within the bronchial tree
Tetter – any of various skin diseases, such as eczema, psoriasis, or herpes, characterized by eruptions and itching, or possibly ringworm for old-timers
Biles — either something having to do with your bile/liver/gall bladder, or going back even further, either of two bodily humours, one of which (black bile) was thought to cause melancholy and the other (yellow bile) anger
Carbuncles — a skin infection that often involves a group of hair follicles. The infected material forms a lump, which occurs deep in the skin and often contains pus.
Dyspepsia — indigestion
Dropsical Swellings — (AKA edema or dropsy) swelling caused by fluid retention
Don’t you feel smarter (and a little bit sicker) now?
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Did you know the original snake oil was actually good for something?
“Colorful names and even more colorful claims.”
Learn some signs of medical quackery.
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It’s a shame more people don’t pose with random skulls these days.
(Note: In its own random way, the damage to the paper makes this image of the “Father of Modern Pathology” Rudolf Virchow even better.)
Fun Fact: In 1986, Otto von Bismarck challenged Rudolf Virchow to a duel. Virchow turned down the challenge, but it lives on as the infamous SAUSAGE DUEL.
“Bismarck’s challenge to Virchow was something of a media sensation. Sometimes readers will now find this duel is fictionalized as the sausage duel. In brief, the tale says that after Bismarck issued the challenge, Virchow accepted, and since he had been challenged, he had the choice of weapons. He chose pork sausages, a cooked one for himself and a raw one for Bismarck. The raw sausage would inevitably have infected Bismarck with Trichinella. Bismarck then withdrew from the duel.” — from Virchow’s page at Famous Scientists
Would you like to know more? Check out “The Great Sausage Duel of 1865” at Skulls in the Stars.
Hey! Skulls! We’ve circled back!
Continue reading(Note: It’s actually “alterative juice”, but I’m sticking with alternative juice because it amuses me.)
If you got syphilis, yo, this’ll solve it.
Alternative juice will prolly dissolve it.
Let’s check out these Succus Alterans Alternative Juice ingredients! According to Wikipedia…
“Stillingia sylvatica was used by Native Americans for syphilis and as a cathartic, diuretic, laxative, and emetic. In large doses, it causes vomiting and diarrhea.”
Smilax ornata (sarsparilla) “was a popular European treatment for syphilis when it was introduced from the New World.”
Phytolacca Decandra (pokeweed) is poisonous and was used for skin diseases, rheumatism, weight loss, mumps and arthritis.
Lappa Minor’s (lesser durdock) larger cousin, Arctium lappa, was used as “a diuretic, diaphoretic, and a blood purifying agent” as well as a cancer, skin condition and cold/flu treatment.
Xanthoxylum carolinanium (Hercules’ club) is also known as the “toothache tree” or “tingle tongue” and was used to treat toothache.
Who needs orange juice with a delightful concoction like this!
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Thanks to this display at an auction, I now know that influenza/flu used to be known as the grippe.
I am pleased to say I went home with the true jewel of the auction.