7/15/2009 6:00:00 PM VICKERS/A cure for any ailment
By OVID VICKERS
There they hey were, the Smith Brothers. Their pictures with full beard and flowing locks appeared right on the package of cough suppressants, produced and marketed as Smith Brothers cough Drops. Sadly, the Smith Brothers have gone the way of many "across the counter" cures that were widely consumed during the '30s and '40s.
I can still see the rows of a tonic called 666 which was guaranteed to cure any ailment and tasted as bitter as gall. The makers of 666 claimed it would cure anything from malaria fever to muscle spasms. Some people were very much against taking 666 because of the name. After all, did not the Book of Revelation plainly state the 666 was the sign of the beast, the antichrist sent to destroy mankind.
Many elixirs and tonics that were once sold contained a high alcohol content.
Sales of these patent medicines were brisk during prohibition and later in areas of the country where the sale of alcohol was prohibited. A person could get a real "buzz" by consuming three or four bottles of one of these tonics.
Dr. Tischners was a very popular tonic, and any member of my generation would certainly remember Hadacol. The popularity of Hadacol was so great that a song titled "The Hadacol Boogie" was composed and played quite often on radio.
Those who suffered from pain in the lower lumbar region of the spine declared that they found great relief by taking a medicine called Doan's Pills. Another medicine in pill form was Carter's Little liver Pills. I do believe that Carter's pills are still on the market although the Pure Food and Drug Act prohibited the company mentioning the word "liver" in advertisements.
Freckles and what are commonly referred to as "liver spots" could be removed with applications of a salve called Black and White Ointment. Female ailments were treated with a product called Lydia E. Pinkham Compound. Lydia's portrait was prominently displayed on each bottle, looking much like Mary Todd Lincoln. Ms. Pinkham apparently was proud of her concoction. Since this medicine was taken only by women, if a young man did anything which was not considered masculine someone would remark, "He must be taking Lydia E. Pinkham's Compound."
Every household had a jar of Vicks Salve. Children with a cold were swathed iin this salve and tucked into bed wearing flannel pajamas and under many quilts and blankets. The small blue glass jar has become collectible and sells at flea markets. The product is still produced, but only in plastic jars.
Mercurochrome and iodine were sold in tiny bottles with rubber stoppers into which a glass swab had been inserted. These products were used on cuts, scratches and bug bites. Children, just as they are fascinated by bandaids today, were fascinated by mercurochrome and delighted in painting red designs on their bodies with it. In fact, some children feigned a pain just to get mercurochrome on their arms and legs.
For a number of years, Clarence Blount manufactured and marketed a hair tonic and restorer called Blount's Four Star Treatment. This hair tonic was a product that really worked. It would, with continued use, restore color to gray hair. It also helped to control dandruff.
Bottle collectors now seek out Blount's Four Far Treatment bottles. They are quite rare, but occasionally one can be found in a flea market or at a "trash and treasures" operation.
Blount's Four Star Treatment was manufactured in Decatur, Mississippi, and another local product Charm Pederma was made in Union. Charm Pederma would cure the rash, the itch, and athlete's foot. This product was widely used for a number of years and apparently with great success.
When he was a young boy, my Uncle Carl sold a product called Cloverine Salve. For the rest of his life, he was known as "Doc." a name which was used in a second generation by all of his nieces and nephews who called him "Uncle Doc." Cloverine Salve continues to be available today although it is not as widely used as it was during the years the Great Depression.
All people my age will remember castor oil. This horrible tasting oil was given with a swallow of orange juice or the juice of a lemon. Castor oil was supposed to give an individual what was referred to as a "cleaning out."
There was a time when the mantel above the fireplace in most country homes held a clock, some family pictures, and a box of matches. The mantel also served as a shelf to hold a variety of patent medicines. Among the mantel medicines would be a tonic, a bottle of cough syrup, a bottle of aspirin, ear oil (for the earache), a bottle of alcohol, and a jar of Vicks Salve.
Patent medicines come and go. The next generation will remember the cures of today as they take a whole new assortment of medications for the aches and pains which are a part of life.
Reader Comments
Posted: Saturday, December 19, 2009
Article comment by:
Denise Hamm
What to medicaided vasaline?
Posted: Thursday, July 16, 2009
Article comment by:
stevedouglas
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