May 22, 2009

I’ve got some flu-like virus and the sinus crud, so I’m miserable!  At least there’s plenty of over-the-counter meds to help with the variety of symptoms–aches, low-grade fever, chest congestion–and antibiotics to help with the sinus crud.  Times like this make me thankful for modern medicine.  What would the Cartwrights have done, though?

Hop Sing could have brewed up some herbal tea and added plenty of honey and whiskey or one of the Cartwrights could go to the General Mercantile in town for something over-the-counter.  The patent medicine industry (the bottles, not the contents, were patented) got its start in the U.S. in the 1820s but really took off in the 1840s.  Most 19th century patent medicines had a base of alcohol and water in which some kind of herb was added.  The alcohol content of medications such as bitters was usually greater than 25%; the user got a pretty good buzz and probably forgot about their miseries.  Well, what kinds of “meds” would have been available if the Cartwrights were sick?

James C. Ayer of Massachusetts had a whole line of medicines.  His Ayer’s Cherry Pectoral was for weak throats, pain in the lungs, congestion and consumption (tuberculosis).  Ayer’s Extract of Sarsaparilla was supposed to purify the blood as well as treat anemia, nervousness, prostration, and dyspepsia (indigestion).   Ayer’s began publishing an almanac in the 1850s that westward-bound pioneers could carry along; those hardy pioneers could select their medicine of choice from the catalog and order it by mail. 

Perry Davis of Massachusetts created his own brand of painkiller that became popular with sailors.  People stricken with cholera thought his medicine was an effective treatment.   Since it was mostly alcohol and opium, the user probably did feel pretty good when using the “medicine.”

Udolpho Wolfe had offices in New York and New Orleans.  The bitters made by this company was advertised for rheumatism, gout, kidney stones, and dyspepsia. 

Dr. Thacher’s Liver and Blood Syrup was promoted as a medication for kidney/liver disease, dyspepsia, bilious colic, headache, jaundice, malaria, and constipation.  At 8% alcohol, it probably left the consumer with a nice little buzz.

Hoss was seen rubbing liniment on Joe’s back to help with soreness in Ponderosa Matador.  Turns out the liniment Hoss decided to use was for livestock, not humans.  Oopsie!  Mexican Mustang Liniment, though, was for humans and critters and was to be used for the treatment of sparins, sores, cuts, and bruises.   Production of this medication began in 1825 in Missouri.

Dr. Hostetter’s Stomach Bitters became one of the best-selling “medicines” in the U.S. and was even issued to Union soldiers during the Civil War.  With an alcohol content of 44.3%, soldiers were probably glad to be drunk when charging into cannon fire or the Southern lines.  Following the war, this bitters was sold by the shot in saloons.  This medication was supposed to cure diarrhea, depression, stomach ailments, and indigestion; no doubt it left the user pretty happy.

Children’s medicines were pretty lethal since they contained alcohol and either morphine  or opium.  Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup  to be rubbed on the gums to cure colic, diarrhea, and ease the pain of teething.   Sadly, many infants were overdosed on this because the baby cried (colic, pain, dirty diaper, restlessness, etc.), the mother rubbed some of the “medicine” on the gums, baby stopped crying, and then the cycle was repeated.  Toddlers were often overdosed as well. 

Even though a big glass of wine might be nice for combating my flu-like symptoms and leave me feeling less grumpy, I think I’ll stick with Tylenol, Nyquil, and Claritin, the modern versions of patent medicines.   

References:

Adams, Samuel Hopins (1906) The Great American Fraud.  Published by P.F. Collier and Son, New York.

Davoli, Elizabeth L. (1996) In the Name of Prevention: An Examination of Patent Medicines in Ethnic Communities in Late-Nineteenth and Early-Twentieth Century Louisiana.  M.A. Thesis, Louisiana State University.

Devner, Kay (1968) Patent Medicine Picture. Published by Tombstone Epitaph, Tombstone.

Estes, J. Worth (1988) The Pharmacology of Nineteenth-Century Patent Medicines.  In Pharmacy  in History 30(1).  Published by the Institute of the History of Pharmacy, Madison, Wisconsin.

Fike, Richard E. (1987) The Bottle Book.  Published by Gibbs M. Smith, Inc., Salt Lake City.

Holbrook, Stewart H. (1959) The Golden Age of Quackery.  Published by the MacMillian Company, New York.

Kaufman, Martin (1981) “Step Right Up, Ladies and Gentlemen”: Patent Medicines in 19th-Century America.  American History Illustrated, August.

Schultz, Peter D., Betty J. Rivers, Mack M. Hales, Charles A. Litzinger, and Elizabeth A. McKee (1980) The Old Bottles of Sacramento: A Study of Nineteenth-Century Glass and Ceramic Retail Containers, Part I.  California Archaeological Reports No. 20.  Department of Parks and Recreatin, Sacramento.

Wilson, Rex L. (1981) Bottles on the Western Frontier.  Published by University of Arizona Press, Tucson.

Young, James Harvey (1961) The Toadstool Millionaires: A Social History of Patent Medicines in American Before Federal Regulation.  Published by Princeton University, Princeton.