Alien cures

~ oneletterup

Inspired by V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #70: alien

 

What an interesting prompt from V.J. this week.

Sometimes I also feel like an alien in the same way that V.J. does. As I juggle multiple health issues that are often met with a doctor shrugging his or her shoulders commenting: I’ve never seen that one before. Before giving up. Time and again.

So imagine my surprise and fascination upon entering a General Store exhibit (at the Shelburne Museum in Vermont) this summer. Filled with – among other things – items from an actual pharmacy circa early 1900s.

I could have spent the entire day in that one building. Hundreds of medications, potions, elixirs and tonics in their original packaging. With claims for cures for most everything that could possibly be wrong with you. I noticed a proliferation of products to help babies sleep at night…and cures for all things bowel related. Interesting!

This is how people were “medicated” back then.

All of it alien to me.

old drugs

That face on the orange box (described as the “laughing baby” trademark)…Sorry, that baby is NOT laughing. He/she/it could possibly qualify in the alien category.

Was it really tasteless? I wonder. At first I thought it was to help babies chill out, but apparently not.

However…

Got me thinking…perhaps there may still be one pill out there somewhere that could cure all kinds of peristaltic problems. Ahem. Plus dizziness and headaches. And costiveness. Yes, I had to look that one up: aka constipation.
Dr. Harrison where are you.

old drugs 2

And if all else fails, there is always the Electric Cough Cure. That chloroform and codeine combo could make a comeback if we’re lucky.

old drugs 3

Unfortunately that wouldn’t cure what ails me.

Either would the cough remedies.

old drugs 4

But I’ll bet babies who cough would sleep well at night.

 

[All of these products are displayed in glass cases – hence the reflections…]

 

Published by oneletterup

21 thoughts on “Alien cures”

  5. It is fun to look back at the potions the snake salesmen sold. That baby does look like an alien – yikes! I love your take on the prompt – very enjoyable to read! Sorry to read that you stump your doctors, that’s no fun 😦

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    Reply

      1. I love your memory of what photos you have stored to use at a later date! Yeah, doctors aren’t know it alls, that’s for sure. It’s great that you’re your own advocate, that’s half the battle.

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      3. Yes, they do. And that they get to see us for 15-45 minutes tops, so we have to give them data to work with by being our own advocates of what happens all the other hours in the days inbetween our visits with them.

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