Patent Medicine
These advertisements come from our local newspaper from the late 1800's and early 1900's. Today you'll never see the word "cure" in a medication ad, but in those days products not only cured one disease but many, from Lost Manhood to Female Suffering, from Mental Incapacity to Consumption.
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Click on the thumbnails of these larger ads to read the full text, it's worth it.
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Particularly good for those who suffer from "softening of the brain". |
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We still get
customers looking for something to "purify" their blood. |
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Unfortunately they couldn't find a picture of Dr. Chase, only this one of a chimpanzee wearing a beard. |
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Check out the before picture. I'm not sure if he's "on the verge of despair and insanity", or just "tottering over the grave". |
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Dr. Spinney offers a cure for "young men suffering from the effects of youthful follies or indiscretions ..." say no more. |
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Further tales of lost Manhood. |
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This ad dates from 1886 - not that long after the American civil war. Even so, the mention of old planters and their slaves still seems a little shocking. |
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I don't find a product that can be taken internally, or applied externally, all that appealing. |
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Mrs. Fairbanks has overcome "untold female suffering", but she still looks a bit like an axe murderer. |
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The curative powers of Sarsaparilla... |
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